Middleware as a career for a non-developer. (Bharat Edition)

Middleware is the backbone of the IT department in any business. It serves as an interface between the frontend and backend. A job as a middleware administrator gives you an opportunity to learn about the core business since all the business logic is orchestrated on the middleware. Whether you are in banking, energy, retail, or healthcare domain, you have a good opportunity to understand the intricacies of that domain. Before we delve further into middleware as a career option for a non-developer, please note that middleware is as vast and deep as an ocean. It’s an ever-evolving technology. As per the current landscape and trends as of 2023/24, it’s good to know about microservices as well, since microservices are currently dominating the landscape of scalable applications.

Middleware job roles (non-developer) that are currently available : 

Beginner To Senior Role:

• Middleware Administrator.

Senior Roles :

• Middleware Tech Lead
• Middleware Architect.
• Middleware Manager.

Salary range for a middleware admin (as per 2023 data).

• Starting : INR 3 LPA. 
• Senior level with high skill set : INR 55 LPA.

Technologies good to know :

1. Application Server Technologies : Oracle WebLogic , IBM WebSphere, Redhat Jboss, Apache Tomcat
2. ESB  technologies : Oracle SOA suite , MULE ESB
3. Messaging Technologies : IBM MQ, Kafka
4. Web Servers : Apache HTTPD , Nginx , IIS, OHS, IHS.
5. Container Technologies : Docker , Kubernetes, Podman, Openshift
6. Log aggregation tools : New Relic, Dynatrace, ELK
7. OS : Unix (Linux)  and Windows

Architectures good to know:

1. Three tier architecture.
2. Microservices Architecture.

Skills good to know :

1.  Log analysis. 
2. Thread Dump analysis.
3.  Heap Dump analysis.
4. GC Log analysis.
5. JFR analysis.
6. Understanding of JVM architecture.
7. JVM tuning.
8.  Correlation of events.
9.  Bash scripts/Batch scripting (windows).
10.  Ability to create YAML files for docker and k8s.
11.  Communication skills.
12.  Ability to work under pressure.
13.  Knowledge about java deployments.
14.  Knowledge about clustering works.
15.  Logical reasoning. 
16.  Problem solving. 
17.  Intermediate knowledge on OS , Networks and Databases.

Note that this is not the complete set of skills, technologies, or architectures required to be a middleware administrator. Also, I do not claim that all of these skills, technologies, etc. are mandatory. But if you do end up acquiring most of these, then more often than not, you will end up succeeding in your job interview.

Responsibilities of a Middleware Administrator :

1. Installation and configuration of middleware application servers.
2. Installation , Configuration and Integration of web servers with middleware servers
3. Planning and Deploying java based application archives.
4. Working on PROD and NON-PROD issues related to middleware.
5. Working on ongoing incidents or working on events to proactively prevent incidents.
6. Setting up log aggreagation or montioring for forensic analysis.
7. Fixing vulnerabilities on middleware and web servers.
8. Patching middleware and web servers.
9. Providing root cause analysis on S1/P1 issues
10. Tuning middleware and web servers for better performance.
11. Attending calls and providing suggestions related to middleware on new build architecture.
12. Creating and executing plans for high availability and resiliency for middleware setups.
13. Working on automation of middleware related activities like housekeeping , patching, baselining of configuration.
14. Maintaining a baseline configuration for middleware instances.
15. Maintaining security by configuring security realms , SSL certificate, implementing secure configuration etc.
16. Creating documents for activities like SSL certificate renewal, Patching , Migration, Upgradation, etc.
17. Creating and Executing POA for migration and upgradation of middleware instances.
18. Analysing , Heap Dump, Thread Dump , JFR, Core Dumps, Logs, during an issue or for an RCA.

Important points to consider :

1. Always learn multiple middleware technologies, and try to master one or two technologies out of them.
2. Make sure that you are comfortable with log analysis, thread dump analysis etc.
3. Learn about J2EE concepts.
4. Work on your communication and presentation skills.
5. Keep yourself updated.

Beyond middleware :

Although a career as a middleware admin or in related roles can be very rewarding, it is in your best interest to plan your next career move for even more financial and professional satisfaction. Below are a few options you can consider as your next move.

1. DevOps Engineer.
2. Cloud Engineer.
3. Enterprise Architect.
4. Solutions Architect.
5. Middleware/Full stack Developer.

If you are looking to move further up the corporate ladder, your ultimate goal should be to become the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of your organization.