Platform Engineering: Empowering Developers with Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63282/3050-9416.IJAIBDCMS-V5I1P110Keywords:
Platform Engineering, Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs), DevOps, Developer Experience (DevEx), CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Self-Service Portals, Observability, Cloud-NativeAbstract
Software systems are becoming increasingly more complicated, and organizations must contend with balancing the development velocity with the operational reliability. Platform engineering is a new field that can handle such a challenge as the construction of Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs), the so-called secure, self-service, and scalable spaces built to manage software delivery lifecycle, in contrast to the traditional DevOps practice, which often leaves developers with low-level infrastructure details to consider, IDPs abstract complexity, allowing developers to build, test, and deploy software independently using curated interfaces, reusable templates, and automated pipelines. This paper delivers a discussion of principles, architecture, and major aspects of IDPs, such as self-service portal, infrastructure-as-code (IaC), CI/CD automation, observability, and policy enforcement. It analyses the way IDPs enhance the productivity of developers and neutralize operations, and increase governance at scale. Supported by empirical demonstrations of platform engineering practised by companies such as Spotify, Netflix, Dynatrace, and Uplight, the paper presents the two sides of platform engineering, including its positive and negative implications. It also mentions some new trends, such as AI-driven orchestration, low-code/no-code integration, and improved developer experience (DevEx), as essential drivers in defining the future of IDPs. This paper supports the notion that establishing platform engineering as a strategic DevOps capability reemphasises the importance of prioritising the significance of enabling resilient, efficient, and developer-friendly software delivery ecosystems. It is a technical and organisational guide for teams embracing IDPs in contemporary, cloud-native contexts
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