Even basic websites require a lot of maintenance to keep them running smoothly. Without good maintenance, a website can quickly lose a lot of traffic. For a business, lost traffic means lost revenue. Considering how much business is conducted online, the amount of revenue a website can generate can be substantial. In some cases, the website itself is the main source of income for the business.
What Are Site Reliability Engineers?
A site reliability engineer utilizes specialized software to help websites automatically run smoothly. This means no one at the company needs to worry about performing any updates. This can help reduce the need for larger IT departments or expensive services when a website problem occurs due to lax website maintenance.
Duties Of A Site Reliability Engineer
A site reliability engineer performs many different duties that may include any of the following:
Monitoring Websites And Responding To Any Issues
While a software reliability engineer may have multiple software solutions automatically maintaining aspects of a website, that does not mean that they do not need to monitor website statistics and performance daily to make sure that the automated systems are doing their job.
A website may experience performance issues regardless of how closely monitored it is or if it has the latest and greatest performance and security software. A site reliability engineer is on call to respond to problems and promptly fix them so business can continue.
Problem Prevention And Proactivity
Preventing a problem is often less expensive and time-consuming than fixing it. Site reliability engineers devote a portion of their time to keeping up with any software or website issues that are becoming more prevalent and taking steps to prevent the sites they maintain from falling victim. One example of this would be a new type of virus or malware.
A good website reliability engineer would ensure that anti-virus and malware software on all the sites they maintain is up to date and offers protection. They may need to find a way to engineer a software solution as a stopgap measure to make protection possible before a commercial solution is available.
Website Scaling
Website traffic can vary a lot as a company grows. A site reliability engineer is tasked with finding ways to scale a site so that it runs smoothly as it grows. Doing this reduces the time it takes for a website to load and prevents sites from crashing when loads are high.
A skilled software reliability engineer will monitor a site to evaluate what traffic patterns tell them about potential future growth. Of course, there are other factors to take into account. The business that owns the site is responsible for letting their engineer know if they expect a steeper-than-usual rise in traffic. For example, if a highly anticipated product is being released that is expected to attract a huge volume of customer orders, then an engineer can plan for that jump in traffic to ensure the site does not crash when it is needed the most.
Collaboration
Troubleshooting websites, designing solutions and planning for the future all require working well with various people from different backgrounds. Patience and the ability to work well in a team environment are required. Excellent communication skills are also required to ensure that all information relayed to team members is clear and concise.
Is A Career As A Website Reliability Engineer Right For You?
There is strong demand for talented website maintenance staff. This is especially true due to the increasing number of new businesses and websites appearing on the web. To stay on top, websites and companies need to take their security and maintenance seriously.
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Website Maintenance
While larger companies find it best to employ a full-time site reliability engineer, small to mid-size companies frequently outsource these tasks to companies that maintain many different websites. As a site reliability engineer, you can find work at companies in any industry that you are passionate about or you can enjoy working for multiple companies. Working for a variety of companies is great if you like to constantly learn and become bored easily.
Excellent Job Security
As there is high demand for IT personnel and you can work in any industry, it is easier to find work than in some professions. As more and more business is conducted online and websites are subjected to more sophisticated attacks from hackers, the demand is expected to grow.
There is always the possibility of working as a freelance software reliability engineer as well or starting your own small business with a few others. As work can typically be done remotely, this is a good job for those that want to manage their own time or travel.
High Salary
Being a skilled site reliability engineer pays off with a high salary. According to Glassdoor, the average salary is around $135,000 per year, with some engineers making $200,000 or more. With experience, your salary can rise substantially, especially if you work for a larger, more established company.
How To Become A Website Reliability Engineer
There are a lot of skills required to handle complex website maintenance. A fantastic knowledge of coding, networking and operating systems is necessary. Troubleshooting and debugging skills are typically used daily. Earning an online degree from a reputable educational institution such as Baylor University is an excellent way to become a site reliability engineer. Their Online Master’s in Computer Science program with a concentration in Software Engineering can be completed online on a flexible schedule that allows you to continue working. Students will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills in software engineering research, software specification testing techniques and MSA design and development to excel in the site reliability field.
Software reliability engineers perform a valuable service for companies. Without a great website, businesses cannot compete in the global business world. A career as a site reliability engineer offers many opportunities for those who want to help companies succeed and like to regularly learn new things.
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