How do you teach new system admins to use automation tools?

1 Choose the right tools

There are many automation tools available for system administration, such as Ansible, Puppet, Chef, SaltStack, and Terraform. Each tool has its own strengths, weaknesses, features, and learning curves. You should choose the tools that best suit your needs, goals, and environment. You should also consider the compatibility, security, reliability, and support of the tools. When you introduce new system admins to the tools, you should explain why you chose them, how they work, and what benefits they offer.

2 Provide clear documentation

Documentation is essential for any system administration task, but especially for automation. Documentation can help new system admins understand the purpose, logic, and structure of the automation scripts, modules, or templates. It can also help them troubleshoot, modify, or extend the automation code. You should provide clear, concise, and consistent documentation for your automation tools, such as comments, README files, wikis, or tutorials. You should also encourage new system admins to document their own automation work and follow the best practices and standards.

3 Use version control

Version control is a key component of automation, as it allows you to track, manage, and collaborate on the changes made to the automation code. Version control can help new system admins learn from the history, compare the differences, and revert to previous versions of the automation code. It can also help them avoid conflicts, errors, or data loss. You should use a version control system, such as Git, SVN, or Mercurial, for your automation tools, and teach new system admins how to use it properly and regularly.

4 Test and debug

Testing and debugging are crucial steps for ensuring the quality and functionality of the automation code. Testing and debugging can help new system admins identify and fix any issues, errors, or bugs in the automation code. They can also help them verify the expected results and outcomes of the automation tasks. You should use testing and debugging tools, such as unit testing frameworks, linting tools, or logging tools, for your automation tools, and teach new system admins how to use them effectively and efficiently.

5 Encourage feedback and learning

Feedback and learning are important aspects of teaching and improving the automation skills of new system admins. Feedback can help new system admins receive constructive criticism, praise, or suggestions for their automation work. It can also help them improve their performance, confidence, and motivation. Learning can help new system admins acquire new knowledge, skills, or techniques for automation. It can also help them keep up with the latest trends, developments, or innovations in automation. You should encourage feedback and learning for your new system admins, such as by providing mentorship, peer review, or online courses.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?