As a beginner exploring the world of DevOps, automation, and infrastructure management, I decided to dive deep into a series of hands-on projects this week. Each project was designed to strengthen my foundational skills and give me a taste of real-world DevOps practices. Here's a breakdown of the projects I worked on and the lessons I learned.

1. Simple Bash Scripts for Automation

Bash scripting is a fundamental skill for any DevOps engineer. This week, I created a set of simple Bash scripts to automate common administrative tasks like cleaning up log files, backing up important data, and updating the system.

What I learned:

•Basic Bash scripting concepts

•Using loops and conditionals in scripts

•How to leverage shell commands for automation

2. Basic CI/CD Pipeline with GitHub Actions

Setting up a Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline is crucial for automating testing and deployment. Using GitHub Actions, I created a basic pipeline to automate testing and deployment whenever code is pushed to the repository.

What I learned:

•GitHub Actions workflows and syntax

•How to run automated tests on code commits

•Basics of deploying to a test environment

3. Deploy a Static Website with Docker

Docker is a game-changer when it comes to creating consistent development environments. In this project, I packaged a basic HTML/CSS static website into a Docker container and ran it on a local server.

What I learned:

•Writing Dockerfiles and building Docker images

•Running Docker containers locally

•Benefits of containerization for consistent environments

4. Basic System Monitoring

Keeping an eye on system performance is essential for maintaining server health. I installed monitoring tools like top, htop, and df to track key metrics such as CPU load, memory usage, and disk space. Additionally, I set up alerts to notify me if any metrics exceeded predefined thresholds.

What I learned:

•Using basic monitoring tools in Linux

•Setting up resource usage alerts

•How to proactively manage system health

5. Automate Package Installation

In this project, I wrote a script that automates the installation of essential packages (Git, Node.js, Docker, etc.) on a fresh Linux server. This helps standardize environments across multiple machines and saves time on manual installations.

What I learned:

•Using package management commands

•Automating the setup of development environments

•Streamlining server provisioning

6. Version Control with Git

No DevOps journey is complete without a solid understanding of version control. I focused on the essentials of Git, including cloning repositories, making commits, creating branches, merging branches, and resolving conflicts.

What I learned:

•Git workflow basics (clone, commit, branch, merge)

•How to resolve merge conflicts

•The importance of version control in collaborative development

7. Simple Server Provisioning with Ansible

Ansible is a powerful tool for automating infrastructure tasks. I wrote a simple playbook to provision a new server, install a web server, create users, and set permissions. This project gave me an introduction to Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and Ansible's declarative syntax.

What I learned:

•Writing Ansible playbooks

•Automating server provisioning

•Introduction to Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

8. Automate Log Rotation

Logs can quickly consume disk space, so managing them is crucial for maintaining a healthy server. I configured log rotation using logrotate and custom scripts to archive and delete old log files.

What I learned:

•Using log rotation to manage disk space

•Automating log management

•Keeping the system clean and efficient

9. Introduction to Terraform for Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Terraform is a powerful tool for provisioning cloud infrastructure as code. In this project, I wrote a simple Terraform configuration to provision a virtual machine on AWS. It was my first step into the world of IaC.

What I learned:

•Basics of Terraform and HCL (HashiCorp Configuration Language)

•How to provision cloud resources programmatically

•Introduction to Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

10. Monitor Website Uptime with Cron Jobs

Monitoring website uptime is crucial for ensuring a seamless user experience. I wrote a script that pings a website and sends an email alert if the site is down. I used a cron job to run the script at regular intervals.

What I learned:

•Basic website monitoring using scripts

•Setting up cron jobs for scheduled tasks

•Automated alerting via email

Wrapping Up

This week has been a whirlwind of learning and hands-on practice, but it’s been incredibly rewarding. Each project introduced me to a core DevOps tool or practice, and I feel more confident in my ability to automate tasks, manage infrastructure, and work with modern CI/CD pipelines.

I’m excited to keep building on these foundational skills and tackle more advanced projects in the future. If you’re also starting your DevOps journey, I highly recommend working on small, practical projects to gain hands-on experience.

Let’s connect!

I’d love to hear about your DevOps learning journey and let me know any tips or resources you’ve found helpful.

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