Golden Paths in Platform Engineering: A Pathway to Success

Table of Contents

Golden Paths - This article is part of a series.

Part 1: This Article

Part 2: Creating a Golden Path in Backstage: Deploying Python Applications to OpenShift

Introduction #

In the world of Platform Engineering, ‘Golden Paths’ are becoming increasingly significant. These are the recommended paths or best practices that Platform Engineers lay out for developers. They guide developers to create software that is scalable, reliable, and secure while maintaining optimal productivity.

This post delves into the concept of Golden Paths, why they’re crucial, and how they relate to Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs). We’ll explore how Golden Paths evolved from the DevOps culture and their benefits to companies, specifically in the context of OpenShift/Kubernetes.

Find your Golden Path in a puzzling world

What are Golden Paths? #

Golden Paths are the set of tools, practices, and architectural choices that platform teams recommend to application developers. They serve as a guide, helping developers navigate the complexities of system architectures, cloud environments, and application deployment practices.

While Golden Paths provide recommended guidelines, they should not be seen as restrictive. They are meant to enhance productivity and quality while leaving room for flexibility and innovation.

The Importance of Golden Paths #

Golden Paths are essential for:

Consistency: They standardize practices across teams and projects, leading to a more consistent and maintainable codebase.
Efficiency: They reduce the time developers spend on decision-making regarding tools and practices.
Quality: They help improve the reliability, scalability, and security of applications by guiding developers towards proven solutions.

Golden Paths, IDPs, and the Evolution from DevOps #

The concept of Golden Paths has evolved from the DevOps culture of collaboration and shared responsibility between development and operations teams. Golden Paths provide a framework for this collaboration, facilitating the efficient sharing of knowledge and best practices.

This is where Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs) come into play. IDPs provide a self-service interface for developers to access, use, and manage the underlying tech stack. Golden Paths can be baked into these platforms to guide developers to use these resources effectively.

Golden Paths in OpenShift/Kubernetes #

OpenShift/Kubernetes, with its powerful features and extensibility, offers an ideal platform for implementing Golden Paths. For example, developers can be guided to use specific Helm charts for application deployment, follow certain naming conventions, or use particular health check methods in their applications.

Moreover, custom resources and operators can be used to provide self-service access to complex infrastructure, with Golden Paths helping developers make the most of these resources.

Conclusion #

Golden Paths play a key role in enhancing developer productivity, application quality, and cross-team consistency. They form an integral part of modern Platform Engineering, particularly when coupled with Internal Developer Platforms and a strong DevOps culture.

By implementing Golden Paths in OpenShift/Kubernetes environments, organizations can guide their developers towards success, helping them to navigate the complexities of cloud-native development with ease.

References #

Golden Paths - This article is part of a series.

Part 1: This Article

Part 2: Creating a Golden Path in Backstage: Deploying Python Applications to OpenShift