Python Developer and Open Source

Posted by Kairo Araujo on Sat 02 June 2018 Updated on Sat 02 June 2018

Since March 1st (2018) I have been working as Python Developer (Solution Engineer). It was a big change in my life as I had been working as System Engineer for almost 18 years.

It was not a fast change that I made the decision during a night 🙃. Since 2013 I have started to code in Python.

I started creating my first Python tool, http://poweradm.org. It is a tool to help System Engineers to deploy AIX LPARs in Power Systems, including integrations with vCO.

I used this tool in my previous company and I used it to learn Python and programming using Git and Gerrit for example.

When I was writing this code I also started with very small contributions to OpenStack project to nova-powervm (https://github.com/openstack/nova-powervm). My problem to continue developing and learning more to code on that was related to have the Power8 system (very expensive hardware to buy by myself).

During 3 years I wrote PowerAdm and followed OpenStack project. OpenStack still been my reference to the OpenSource project and Python code best practices. Always when I need a reference to do, I got to their repositories 😉

Around 2016, I also wrote my first Python module for Storage Disk https://pypi.org/project/PyStorage/ and it was my first experience with Python Package/module. It is a module to manage IBM and EMC (some models) Storage Disk. It doesn't use API os pretty solution but was a good start.

I was writing a similar tool as PowerAdm to Storage Team at TIVIT, this tool is STGAdm (https://github.com/kairoaraujo/STGAdm)

At that time I discover that I was having more fun writing in Python than doing System Engineer tasks. 😕

So, in May of 2016, I moved from Brazil to work in Poland as System Engineer Specialist at IBM

I was not using PowerAdm anymore, it means no coding for that. I leave TIVIT and STGAdm, I released the code to be continued for someone. I didn't have a POWER8 machine to back to OpenStack contributions. I was not coding anymore ðŸ˜Đ.

After a while, I was missing code so much and I decided to have some project. I tried to start a project with Brazilian friend but it was put on hold by us.

One day I decide to write something to help in my work at IBM. I started to work on Security APAR Assistant. https://saassist.github.io This was nice to learn parsing, client, server in Python and I was having fun, but I was working alone.

I decided that I should do something to learn to work in group/team following strict rules of quality and so on and I decided to find some Open Source project to contribute.

Why did I decide it? I was planning a move from System Engineer and be a Python Developer and I thought that it could be a good way to learning.

In 2017, September I started to contribute to Ansible writing modules for AIX/PowerVM ðŸĪŠ https://github.com/pulls?&q=is%3Apr+author%3Akairoaraujo+ansible

In parallel, I also distribute this AIX module collection in a git repository https://github.com/kairoaraujo/ansible-aix-support

It made me feel good again!

As I mentioned, since 2018 March I moved internally in IBM Poland and now I work as Python Developer as Solution Engineer for IBM Cloud Brokerage ( https://www.ibm.com/us-en/marketplace/cloud-brokerage-solutions) and I'm having fun daily.ðŸĪ“

This year I have been studying a lot of testing and continuous integrations (CI) to have codes more reliable.

If I miss System Engineering? Yes, I miss IBM Power systems. Would be a dream if I could join something to work directly with Python + PowerSystems... but is not easy.

I am thinking about to start to contribute to Python project (CPython).

What do I like to do? Python for infrastructure is what I like (Networking, Storage, OS, etc), working with API, testing the code and nice CI.

The good news is coming.

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