Running or operating applications requires several tasks throughout their lifecycle: scaling instances, checking the health, integrating with other applications, running backups, and applying updates – to name a few examples. It’s a time and labour-intensive process. To automate these tasks, developers can implement scripts for repeated execution. This is where the software operator comes in. Software operators are a design pattern, a proven and acknowledged approach by the software community. Software operators lift automation to a new level. They don’t only automate the deployment of application workloads, they also encode the expertise required to manage and operate them. In other words, they offer a secure and reliable way to operate applications.
But suppose you start the development of your operator. Fundamental questions will naturally arise: Which points would you need to cover? What makes a good operator? What should you start working on first?