role-based roadmap · DevOps
DevOps Engineer Roadmap
A beginner-to-job-ready roadmap covering Linux, networking, version control, CI/CD, containers, cloud infrastructure, and monitoring to build production-grade DevOps skills.
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1. Stage 1: Foundations
Linux & Command Line
Most servers and DevOps tools run on Linux
Networking Basics
Understanding TCP/IP, DNS, and HTTP is essential for infra work
Scripting with Bash & Python
Automation scripts are the backbone of DevOps workflows
2. Stage 2: Version Control & Collaboration
Git Fundamentals
All modern DevOps pipelines are built on Git-based workflows
GitHub & Pull Request Workflows
Team-based code review and branching are daily DevOps tasks
Semantic Versioning & Changelogs
Proper versioning enables reliable release pipelines
3. Stage 3: Containers & Orchestration
Docker
Containers are the standard unit of deployment in DevOps
Docker Compose
Multi-container local environments mirror production setups
Kubernetes Fundamentals
K8s is the industry standard for container orchestration at scale
4. Stage 4: CI/CD Pipelines
CI/CD Concepts
Automated build-test-deploy cycles define modern software delivery
GitHub Actions
Native GitHub automation is widely adopted and beginner-friendly
Jenkins
Jenkins remains the most common self-hosted CI/CD tool in enterprise
5. Stage 5: Infrastructure as Code
Terraform
IaC removes manual cloud provisioning and enables reproducibility
Ansible
Configuration management ensures consistent server state at scale
Cloud Platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure)
All production DevOps runs on cloud infrastructure
6. Stage 6: Observability & Security
Logging with ELK Stack
Centralized logs are critical for debugging production systems
Monitoring with Prometheus & Grafana
Metrics and dashboards expose system health in real time
DevSecOps Fundamentals
Shifting security left prevents costly production vulnerabilities
7. Stage 7: Job Readiness
System Design for DevOps
Senior roles require designing resilient, scalable architectures
SRE Principles
Site Reliability Engineering bridges dev and ops for production systems
Portfolio Projects & Open Source
Demonstrable work beats credentials in DevOps hiring