The Ultimate DevOps Toolkit: 20 Hacks for Success

20 Life Hacks for DevOps Engineers

Mastering DevOps may take time and experience, but there are some life hacks that can bring about a massive increase in productivity and workflow discipline. Here are 20 essential life hacks tailor-made to DevOps engineers: tools, skills, habits, and scripts. Those masters of DevOps ensure the software is developed, tested, and deployed in outstanding efficiency and reliability; but that all takes some time, and a great deal of experience with one or two neat tricks up their sleeves. It's where life hacks come in!

Imagine a toolkit filled with shortcuts and strategies that supercharge productivity and streamline workflows, whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out in the DevOps domain. Here are 20 essential life hacks designed to make you work smarter, not harder. And we categorize them into tools, skills, habits, and scripts so you can dive right in.

Tooling Hacks

1. K9s for Kubernetes Management

K9s is a terminal user interface to play with clusters of Kubernetes. It makes application management in live systems much easier with real-time monitoring and the availability of so many commands to play around with resources, you would find it indispensable once you get used to it for your daily tasks.

2. tmux for Terminal Multiplexing

tmux is a powerful terminal multiplexer that enables users to maintain several terminal sessions in a single window. This multiplexer supports session persistence; hence, it saves your work even when you disconnect. There are different ways by which customization is allowed through key bindings and configuration files. It proves to be a handy utility for any DevOps engineer.

3. Glasskube for Package Management

Glasskube is an open-source package manager for Kubernetes, designed to make deployment and configuration dramatically much simpler than tools like Helm or Kustomize. With a UI or CLI available, Glasskube will streamline your deployment processes.

4. ripgrep for Fast Searching

ripgrep is an efficient search tool that quickly processes large codebases. It supports various search patterns and presents results in a clear format, making it easy to find what you need without sifting through endless lines of code.

5. Firefox Multi-Account Containers

This browser extension helps manage online accounts by separating websites into different containers or tabs. It’s particularly useful for DevOps engineers who need to log into multiple cloud accounts simultaneously without session tracking issues.

6. Vertical Pod Autoscaler (VPA)

The VPA automatically adjusts resource requests based on actual usage in Kubernetes pods. This means you no longer have to manually set resource limits; instead, VPA ensures that your applications have the appropriate resources available.

7. Kctx and Kubens for Context Switching

Kctx and Kubens are command-line tools that make switching between Kubernetes contexts and namespaces effortless. They streamline your workflow by allowing quick changes without needing to remember complex commands.

8. ChatGPT as a Knowledge Resource

Use ChatGPT as a virtual mentor or team member who is always available to answer your questions about DevOps practices. By framing your questions well, you can gain insights into best practices, tools, and strategies tailored to your needs.

Skills Hacks

9. Mastering Scripting

Scripting is an invaluable skill for DevOps engineers as it automates repetitive tasks and ensures consistency across environments. Familiarize yourself with tools like Makefiles and Bash scripting to enhance your efficiency in managing infrastructure.

10. Prioritize Documentation

Writing down processes, configurations, and lessons learned is crucial in DevOps. Use note-taking tools like Notion or Google Keep to maintain clear documentation that can help onboard new team members and serve as a reference for future projects.

Habit Hacks

11. Time Blocking Instead of To-Do Lists

Instead of relying solely on traditional to-do lists, implement time blocking in your calendar for focused work sessions. This method helps prioritize tasks effectively and allows for uninterrupted deep work periods.

12. Reciprocal Meeting Blocks

To manage unexpected meetings effectively, reserve equivalent blocks of time for deep work whenever a new meeting is added to your calendar. This practice helps maintain productivity while accommodating necessary commitments.

13. Establish a Shutdown Routine

Create a series of steps or questions to run through at the end of each workday to help transition from work mode to personal time. This routine can include checking off tasks, reviewing metrics, or writing a diary entry.

14. Take Notes During Meetings

Make it a habit to take notes during meetings and share them afterward with your team. This practice ensures that important details are not forgotten and serves as valuable documentation for future reference.

15. Conduct Test Run Outages

Regularly practice how to respond during outages by simulating scenarios where systems fail unexpectedly. Familiarize yourself with accessing logs and connecting to clusters so that you're prepared when real incidents occur.

Scripts, Configs, and Extensions Hacks 

16. Use Helpful Aliases

Save time by creating aliases for frequently used commands in your terminal instead of typing them out every time:

alias k='kubectl'
alias kgp='kubectl get pods'
alias kns='kubectl ns'

17. Set Up TTL Controllers for Cleanup

Use the TTL controller in Kubernetes to specify how long finished jobs or pods should remain before they are automatically removed:

   apiVersion: batch/v1
kind: Job
metadata:
  name: test-ttl-job
spec:
  ttlSecondsAfterFinished: 100
  ...

18. Git Script for Syncing Upstream Changes

Maintain synchronization with upstream repositories using the following script:

git remote add upstream <upstream-url>
git fetch upstream
git rebase upstream/main
git push --force-with-lease

19. Enable kubectl Autocompletion

Setting up autocompletion for kubectl commands can save time during cluster management:

# For Linux users
sudo apt-get install bash-completion
echo 'source <(kubectl completion bash)' >>~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

20. Visual Studio Code Remote — SSH Extension

This extension allows you to develop on any SSH-enabled remote machine seamlessly, making it easier to switch environments and debug applications without leaving your development setup.

Conclusion

Becoming a great DevOps engineer does not come overnight but through pure commitment, persistent learning, and practicing in the passage of time. But by adding these 20 life hacks into your daily routine, you will really be boosting your productivity and effectiveness in this fast-changing field.

Now, no magic formula for success can solve a problem, as the honing of tools, constantly sharpening skills, good habits and smart automations over time are the real deal. The better you bring these to your workflow, the better equipped you will be to really tackle problems head-on and pave the way toward career advancement in this ever-evolving world of DevOps.

So, take these hacks not as one-time fixes but as integral parts of your professional toolkit that will help you grow continuously in this exciting field!