Platform engineering is a way for companies to standardize their software development lifecycle. It is a unified ecosystem of tools, workflows, and practices that reduces risks, and fosters a culture of security and compliance.
What is platform engineering?
Have you ever imagined a world where software development is effortless? Processes are simple, tools are standardized, and security compliance is handled. This is what platform engineering is all about—and it’s delivering an effective alternative for how organizations manage their tech landscape.
Platform engineering offers a centralized strategy to handle the growing complexity of software development. It’s like a well-designed highway system for developers, making it easy to get from one tool, technology, or process to the next with minimal fuss.
Platform engineering is about creating and maintaining an Internal Developer Platform (IDP). This self-service layer gives developers access to reusable tools, services, and workflows. This approach allows developers to independently manage infrastructure, deployments, and operations, freeing them from the hassle of complex configurations and toolchains.
Platform engineering adoption is rising because modern software development is becoming increasingly complex. With cloud-native technologies, microservices, and diverse DevOps tools becoming the norm, standardization is no longer optional. Platform engineering addresses this challenge by making workflows more efficient, reducing the cognitive load, and allowing developers to focus on building innovative solutions.
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Why are standardization and compliance essential?
As companies start using more advanced and complex tech like AI, cloud-native architectures, and lots of DevOps tools, it’s essential to have standards and security compliance in place. These technologies have incredible potential but also bring new challenges that require a unified and standardized approach.
One of the main issues when addressing standardization is that teams use different practices and tools and operate in silos which creates a breeding ground for inefficiency, inconsistency, and security risks. This fragmentation can lead to:
- Increased operational overhead: Keeping track of all the available tools and processes can be a real-time suck and a money pit, taking up resources that could be better spent on new ideas.
- Reduced productivity: Inconsistent practices and incompatible tools can hinder collaboration and slow development cycles, impacting time-to-market and hindering agility.
- Increased security risks: Lack of standardization can create security vulnerabilities. Different teams may have different security awareness levels and adherence to best practices.
- Compliance challenges: Meeting regulatory requirements becomes more complicated when practices and tools are not standardized, potentially leading to compliance violations and legal repercussions.
As more organizations turn to AI and other cutting-edge tech, the risks of data breaches, bias, and ethical issues are becoming increasingly apparent, so it’s essential to keep up with cybersecurity, governance, and security compliance. As cybersecurity threats become more sophisticated, it’s essential to take a proactive and unified approach to security. This means ensuring all systems and processes align with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
Nowadays, standardization and security compliance aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re essential for keeping your organization’s tech secure, efficient, and agile. Platform engineering provides the tools and framework you need to address these challenges. It lets you create a unified, standardized environment that fosters innovation, reduces risks, and promotes security compliance.
How platform engineering drives standardization
Platform engineering is like giving your developers a well-stocked and organized workshop. Instead of having them search through a disorganized collection of tools and materials, platform engineering provides a standard set of high-quality equipment and a clear plan for using them effectively. This encourages consistency, efficiency, and collaboration, allowing developers to focus on building and innovating.
Unified tools and workflows
One of the significant challenges in modern software development is the vast number of tools and technologies available. It’s not uncommon for different teams to use different tools, which we call “tool sprawl.” This can create a cohesive and efficient environment where developers spend more time navigating between different tools and configurations than writing code.
Platform engineering is about creating standardized environments and tools to help solve this challenge. Platform engineers choose a set of approved tools and technologies so everyone in the company works with the same resources. This cuts down on tool sprawl, makes it easier for new developers to get up to speed, and encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing across teams.
Picture a construction site where every worker has hammers, saws, and drills. Initially, this might seem like a good idea, but it can quickly lead to chaos and inefficiency. Platform engineering is like providing all the workers with a standardized set of high-quality tools, ensuring that everyone has what they need to work efficiently and collaboratively.
Streamlined practices
Platform engineering standardizes tools and makes development practices more efficient. It also ensures that everyone follows the same plan by setting up the same development, testing, and deployment steps. This consistency helps reduce mistakes, improve the code, and get things done faster.
It’s like a well-defined assembly line for software development. Platform engineering ensures everyone follows the same steps by giving clear instructions and standardized processes, leading to consistent and predictable results. This makes things more efficient, makes it easier to get new developers up to speed, and maintains high quality across all projects.
Platform engineering brings together all the tools and workflows developers need to focus on what they do best: building innovative and high-quality software. It’s a strategic approach that makes operations more efficient, reduces friction, and fosters a culture of collaboration and efficiency.
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Leveraging platform engineering for compliance
Compliance isn’t just a box to tick, it’s vital for success in certain industries, like healthcare or finance. Platform engineering gives you the tools and frameworks to ensure you comply with the rules right from the start of your project.
Compliance as code: automating compliance
By codifying compliance requirements into your infrastructure and workflows, you can automate compliance checks and ensure that your systems adhere to industry standards and regulations. This proactive approach minimizes the risk of human error and ensures consistent compliance across your organization.
Monitoring and reporting
Platform engineering principles can also be used to implement continuous monitoring and real-time reporting of compliance metrics. This provides valuable insights into your organization’s compliance posture, allowing you to proactively identify and address potential issues.
Examples and practical applications
Here are some real-world examples of how platform engineering can drive standardization and compliance:
Real-World scenarios
- Amazon Web Services (AWS): AWS has set up a platform for building, testing, and deploying apps, making it easier and more efficient for developers. They use Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with tools like Terraform and CloudFormation to ensure all configurations meet enterprise standards and security regulations.
- Netflix: Netflix uses an engineering platform that automates application deployment and monitors real-time performance. They use Spinnaker for continuous application delivery and Prometheus, along with Grafana for monitoring and metrics visualization to ensure all applications are up to scratch in terms of quality and security.
- Google Cloud Platform (GCP): GCP has created a platform that makes it easier to manage complex infrastructures. They use Kubernetes for container orchestration and Anthos for cross-platform application management, so all applications meet enterprise security and compliance standards.
Platform engineering tools and techniques
- Infrastructure as code (IaC): Tools like Terraform, Ansible, and CloudFormation let you define and manage your infrastructure in a consistent and reproducible way. That way, you can ensure that all your configurations meet your standards.
- Container orchestration: Kubernetes is a popular tool for managing containers, making running apps in different environments easier. It also helps you stick to security policies.
- Deployment automation: Tools like Spinnaker and Jenkins let you automate the application lifecycle, from continuous integration to continuous deployment. This ensures that all applications are deployed consistently and meet quality standards.
- Performance monitoring and management: Tools like Prometheus and Grafana let you monitor and visualize metrics in real time, so you can make sure your apps are performing well and are secure.
- Code governance: If you use tools like Open Policy Agent (OPA) with code governance policies like Policy as Code, you can be sure that all your applications follow the security and compliance policies you’ve set out for your company.
Ready to leverage the power of platform engineering for your company? Contact us today to learn how Ceiba’s platform engineering expertise can help you achieve your goals.
