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Why Python is Essential for DevOps Engineers

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Amit Maurya
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4 min read

Why Python is Essential for DevOps Engineers

In today’s software development world, many programming languages are used for making software, solving real-world problems, creating games, and more. As DevOps engineers, we enter the world of automation, always creating CI/CD pipelines to deploy our code faster and more efficiently. When the word “automation“ comes up in the IT world, Python has proven to be the best way to solve complex problems efficiently. By writing Python programs, IT engineers' and DevOps engineers' lives become easier, as they just write the scripts and the output appears in front of them in just a few seconds.

Python is at the heart of DevOps workflows used to automate tasks such as deleting unused EBS volumes in AWS, managing infrastructure, or filtering out the CRITICAL or ERROR keywords from log files. In this blog, we’ll explore why Python is an indispensable skill for DevOps engineers, its key use cases, and how you can start your Python journey.

Role of DevOps in Modern IT

DevOps creates a bridge between the Development team and the Operations team. It is a culture or practice aimed at improving the software development lifecycle and contributing to business growth. As a DevOps engineer, automation is crucial for reducing manual work, minimizing errors, and boosting efficiency. This is where Python excels—its simplicity and power make it the preferred language for automating repetitive tasks and building strong workflows.

When we talk about scripting or automating tasks we generally use BASH scripting which is most commonly used in Linux environments but when it comes to complex automation most DevOps engineers follow Python as the scripting language as it has good community support, and extensive libraries.

  1. Easy to Use

  2. Cross-Platform Support

  3. A rich ecosystem of libraries like boto3 for AWS, paramiko for SSH, and kubernetes for container orchestration.

  4. Integration with other DevOps tools

Python Use-Cases in DevOps

1. Automating Repetitive Tasks

  • Setting up servers automatically

  • Making it easier to deploy apps

  • Using Python scripts to check out logs

2. Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

  • Managing infrastructure with code

  • Adding more features with Python scripts

  • Working with IaC tools like Terraform and Pulumi

3. Hooking into CI/CD Pipelines

  • Customizing how builds and deployments work

  • Handling API calls

  • Creating plugins for tools like Jenkins and GitLab CI/CD

4. Cloud Automation

  • Automating tasks in AWS, Azure, and GCP

  • Using SDKs like boto3, azure-sdk, and google-cloud-sdk

  • Doing things like provisioning resources, scaling, and monitoring

5. Easy Monitoring and Logging

  • Collecting metrics with Prometheus-client

  • Building dashboards using Flask

  • Checking out logs with Loguru

  • Integrating with Grafana and Elasticsearch

6. Containerization and Orchestration

  • Managing Docker containers with Python APIs

  • Automating Kubernetes operations

  • Working with Kubernetes custom resources

7. Big Ecosystem and Community Support

  • Libraries for API calls: requests

  • Testing frameworks: pytest

  • An active community for help and updates

8. Cross-Platform Compatibility

  • Running scripts easily on Linux, Windows, and macOS

  • Great for different infrastructure setups

9. Easy to Learn and Read

  • Simple syntax for quick learning

  • Good for engineers without a programming background

  • Helps junior engineers contribute effectively

Python Libraries Every DevOps Engineer Should Know

  • boto3: Easily manage AWS services with code.

  • paramiko: Automate SSH and manage remote servers effortlessly.

  • kubernetes: Work smoothly with Kubernetes clusters.

  • os and subprocess: Perform system tasks and run shell commands with ease.

  • fabric: Simplify tasks on remote servers.

  • requests: Make HTTP requests for API interactions a breeze.

Conclusion

Python isn't just a programming language—it's like a best friend for DevOps engineers. Its flexibility, simplicity, and strong libraries make it a must-have tool for automating tasks, managing infrastructure, and improving workflows. Whether you're just beginning or aiming to boost your skills, learning Python can elevate your DevOps career.

Resources to follow to learn Python

  1. Automate the Boring Stuff with Python by Al Sweigart

  2. Python Full Course Video By BroCode

  3. Python.org Official Documentation

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