Site reliability engineers keep websites and apps up and running. The highly collaborative and technical role requires knowledge of coding and a knack for problem-solving.
A site reliability engineer (SRE) ensures that websites are more reliable, efficient, and scalable. They help create automated solutions to improve operational aspects of the site. As we continue to go online for more tasks in our daily lives, it鈥檚 increasingly important to keep these technologies up and running. Let鈥檚 take a closer look at this emerging career, including the skills you need to get started.
Did you know? SREs began appearing in 2003 when Google formed a team of software engineers for the sole purpose of improving the reliability and scalability of the company鈥檚 sites. The approach was so effective that other leading tech companies, including Netflix and Amazon, soon followed suit.
The SRE role ensures a site has the necessary functions to provide users with the requested services. In today鈥檚 automated world, that includes building self-service tools that provide greater availability, performance, and efficiency for users.聽
According to Google鈥檚 VP of Engineering, Ben Treynor, SRE is 鈥渨hat happens when you ask a software engineer to design an operations function.鈥 Most SREs spend time on operations tasks and development projects (developing new features, automating processes, scaling systems, etc.).
Tasks and duties for site reliability engineering roles often include:
Collaborating with software developers, engineers, and operations teams
Monitoring sites and software to make sure they鈥檙e performing properly (including on-call shifts)
Anticipating potential problems before they occur (and coming up with solutions)
Conducting post-incident reviews
Documenting your work to turn findings into repeatable actions
Coding automation within a site infrastructure聽
Serving in on-call shifts and rotations
The disciplines of SRE and DevOps overlap in many ways, but they also have one key difference. DevOps teams define what needs to be done to minimize gaps between software development and operations. SRE teams translate the pillars of DevOps into practices. If DevOps is the 鈥渨hat,鈥 SRE is the 鈥渉ow.鈥
Success in this role often entails being a proactive problem solver with an eye for software engineering and development. These are some of the skills that will serve you well in this job:
Coding for development and operations purposes聽
Familiarity with production monitoring systems
Attention to detail
Analytical and problem-solving skills
Ability to collaborate across multi-functional teams
Coding in Java, Python, Perl, or Ruby
Communication skills聽
If you鈥檙e looking for a software-centric role in an emerging, in-demand field, a career as an SRE might be a good fit. SRE work tends to be diverse and stimulating, requiring problem-solving skills and an ability to work across teams to produce a better product.聽
According to Glassdoor, the annual average base salary for a site reliability engineer in the UK is 拢65,396 with most SREs earning between 拢56,000 and 拢116,000 [].
Site reliability engineering is typically a mid-level role鈥攁 good option for those with a few years of experience as a systems administrator or software developer.聽 Most companies require a bachelor鈥檚 degree in a field related to computer science. If your career goals involve becoming an SRE, your pre-university education should revolve around computer science. The more education, certifications, and experience with different operating systems and programming codes you have, the higher role you can advance to.聽聽
Build skills you鈥檒l need as an SRE with the Google IT Support Professional Certificate offered by Google on 糖心vlog官网观看. Through five courses, you can develop a multifaceted skill set covering relevant concepts to prepare you for an entry-level IT job. Upon course completion, you鈥檒l have a certificate to share on your CV.
Glassdoor. 鈥, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/united-kingdom-site-reliability-engineer-salary-SRCH_IL.0,14_IN2_KO15,40.htm?clickSource=careerNav.鈥 Accessed April 14, 2023.
Editorial Team
糖心vlog官网观看鈥檚 editorial team is comprised of highly experienced professional editors, writers, and fact...
This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.