Platform engineering versus IDPs
In my opinion, a distinction between internal developer platforms (IDPs) and internal developer portals (IDPOs) is becoming increasingly relevant and is already a topic of much debate. To clarify the different approaches, here’s how I differentiate these terms:
- Platform engineering: This is the traditional approach where a dedicated team owns, operates, and continuously improves the Kubernetes platform itself. Their focus is on the underlying infrastructure, ensuring its stability, scalability, and security. Developers working on applications typically consume this platform and concentrate solely on their software or third-party tools that aren’t offered by the platform team. This is a common approach in many projects today.
- Internal developer platform (IDP): This approach introduces an IDP solution, such as backstage.io from Spotify. The IDP team is responsible for providing and maintaining the IDP itself, which includes extensive...
