DevOps Learning Roadmap 2026

Stay updated with the latest skills, tools, and trends to lead in the DevOps field.

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Phase Domain Technologies & Tools Objective
1. Core Foundation Operating System & Programming
  • Linux: Ubuntu, CentOS
  • Scripting: Python, Go, Bash
  • Networking: TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/S
 Master the command line, write automation scripts, and grasp basic networking concepts.
2. CI/CD & GitOps Automation & Delivery
  • SCM: Git, GitHub/GitLab
  • CI/CD: GitHub Actions, GitLab CI
  • GitOps: Argo CD, Flux
 Build CI/CD pipelines and deploy applications using the GitOps model.
3. Container & Service Mesh Packaging & Service Connectivity
  • Container: Docker, Podman
  • Orchestration: Kubernetes (K8s)
  • Service Mesh: Istio, Linkerd
 Manage communication, security, and observability between microservices.
4. IaC & PaC Infrastructure & Policy as Code
  • IaC: Terraform, OpenTofu
  • Configuration: Ansible
  • PaC: OPA, Kyverno
 Automate infrastructure and enforce security and compliance rules with code.
5. Cloud & Serverless Cloud Computing
  • Cloud: AWS, GCP, Azure
  • Serverless: Lambda, Functions
 Leverage managed cloud services and serverless architectures to optimize costs.
6. Observability Comprehensive Monitoring
  • Metrics: Prometheus
  • Logs: Loki, ELK Stack
  • Traces: OpenTelemetry, Jaeger
 Build a comprehensive observability system (metrics, logs, traces) for effective debugging.
7. DevSecOps Integrated Security
  • Code Scanning: SonarQube
  • Supply Chain Security: Sigstore
  • Secrets Management: Vault
 Integrate end-to-end security throughout the software supply chain.
8. AI & MLOps AI in Operations
  • AIOps: AIOps Platforms
  • MLOps: Kubeflow, MLflow
 Apply AI to optimize operations and manage the machine learning model lifecycle.

Important Notes

1. Platform Thinking

Don't just be a tool user; learn to build Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs) to accelerate the entire team.

2. Intelligent Automation

Leverage AI and complex scripts to automate not only deployment but also troubleshooting and system optimization.

3. Security is Everyone's Responsibility

A "Shift Left" culture—integrating security at the earliest possible stage—is mandatory. Understand software supply chain security.

4. Data and AI Skills

A basic understanding of MLOps and data management will be a significant competitive advantage as AI becomes more prevalent.