A Linux Engineer installs and monitors Unix/Linux open-source operating systems and caters to the client’s needs in this environment. The individual also resolves user issues, address change management requests, and identifies potential issues by implementing protective measures. Besides, these engineers automate work procedures by collaborating with others in the IT department. They must be able to comprehend enterprise infrastructure.
Linux System Engineers also program the Linux operating system. They need strong interpersonal skills since they need to interact with both business and technical teams. They must able to work flexible timings.
Job Description
Engineers need to understand how the hardware of Linux OS works and must be knowledgeable about Storage Area Networks (SAN) servers. They set up configurations for network, database, and high availability services, besides designing and developing OS system configurations for software packages.
Engineers automate standardized steps, perform scripts, and complete instructions lists, provide sophisticated monitoring and troubleshooting for Linux-based servers that are virtualized, use troubleshooting procedures and technical information to identify severity of incidents and carry out accordingly the resolution process, research issues that do not have a recognized solution and prepare a resolution process for them, partner with application developers to create strong software products, and write and maintain scripts, such as python and shell, that automate tech operations.
Engineers assist in tweaking the performance of the system, so that network infrastructure is abundantly available. They are responsible for the development and maintenance of configuration management solutions. Moreover, they provide support for infrastructure, design and develop tools for infrastructure monitoring and reporting. Engineers use software tools and IP network technologies to monitor performance and to resolve problems. They need to maintain local documentation, which gets updated on all features of servers.
Technicians collaborate with other teams to push for better security practices across an organization’s applications and deploy solutions to enhance productivity. They partner with engineering teams to plan and create custom Linux hardware.
Engineers need to create documentation on systems related to IT and knowledge base areas.
Finally, they must have the inclination and the capability to learn new technologies and provide support for them.
Red Hat Linux platform is the most popular in the world for the following reasons.
- It provides a lot of tools for the purposes of development.
- It provides several products that can be employed to provide enterprise virtualization and the cloud of Red Hat.
- The company also provides the JBoss middleware platform, which many teams of large IT companies use to develop applications.
- It is said to be more robust, reliable, and scalable than its rivals.
- It supports standards tools for data center management.
A kernel is a basic software that can be easily replaced for interfacing with the hardware in computer systems. Linux kernel includes the CPU, IPC, and memory, in addition to file system management, device drivers, and calls of system server.
Future for Linux Engineers
The success of the Android operating system on non-Apple mobile devices has given a fillip to Linux, proving that open source software has a future in applications for consumers in the future.
According to Gartner, Android’s share in the smartphone market for the first quarter of 2016 was 84%. Furthermore, Linux also has a future in appliances, such as drones and smart TVs. Since it is possible to customize Linux for as per the particular needs of each user, web developers also began embracing it as far back in the 1990s.
Many studies have also reported that system administrators who are comfortable with Linux are getting paid much more than their counterparts working on other operating systems. So, Linux System Administration is another avenue for engineers who want to work on this popular open source operating system.
Educational Requirements and Certifications
Linux Engineers are required to have a bachelor’s degree in computer sciences or engineering or its equivalent.
Also needed would be strong scripting skills in one of the languages, such as Python, Ruby, and Perl, experience with Ansible, Puppet, and automation technologies, and excellent communication and documentation skills.
Knowledge of cloud computing and opens source application suites, such as WordPress or Drupal, would be beneficial.
A lot of experts aver that Linux is the operating system of the future, because of its security, real-time response, and other features. It is also helpful for engineers wanting to learn virtualization, cloud computing, and database, among others, easily.
In addition, all mobile phones with Android OS work on a Linux platform, it improves cybersecurity, and hosts better the internet servers, websites, and databases.
Linux Engineer Salary
According to Payscale, the average Linux Engineer salary is $89,895 annually. Alternately, on an hourly basis the average Linux Engineer salary is $50.98.
The Role of Field Engineer
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