FEATURE : SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
Modern SDLC is governed using application programming interfaces , APIs . These allow the modern developer to harness a myriad of tools and systems using a very standard , easy-to-use , interface instead of writing all the code to implement them from the ground up .
In this vein , an Internal Developer Platform should be , as far as possible , an API drive . In other words , a crucial requirement for the Internal Developer Platform is for it to be accessible through a very well-defined , easy-to-use method . This should often take the form of an API , but where this is not possible , it should be as easy to use and consistent as possible .
Whilst it is important to stress that the Internal Developer Platform should never replace open methods of communication via emails , instant messaging , and the like ; the ability to use the patterns and tools in the Internal Developer Platform in the easiest manner possible must be treated with the utmost importance when building it out .
The most obvious positive outcome of an Internal Developer Platform is increased consistency across multiple teams . A key assumption of the Internal Developer Platform is that in most cases , the foundation , low-level configuration of many application environments can be similar and use similar settings .
From an organisational perspective , this allows for far greater consistency and adherence to
standards between disparate value streams and teams . Additionally , it allows teams to deliver with far greater consistency and efficiency since there is evidence and learnings that can be harnessed from previous implementations .
The concept of the internal developer platform is still very new and is still maturing across the industry . However , it is also clear that it does provide a solution to some of the most pressing and difficult problems facing our industry . In its latest State of DevOps Report , the configuration management provider Puppet clearly demonstrates some of the initial positive outcomes resulting from the adoption of Platform Engineering and the Internal Developer Platform .
It is also critical to remember the words of Frederick P Brooks Jr who cautioned against believing in perfect solutions to the complexity and difficulty of software engineering in 1986 : There is no single development , in either technology or management technique , which by itself promises even one order-of-magnitude improvement within a decade in productivity , in reliability , in simplicity .
We must all be ready to adapt our preconceptions and solutions to meet the coming complexity and be ready to pivot in order to deliver as much value to all our customers , users , and stakeholders as efficiently , securely , and costeffectively as possible . p
www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO AFRICA 37