Doldan Issue No. 04 — 2026
The Cloud & DevOps Edition

Doldan

field notes on infrastructure, automation, and systems, by Dolapo Olodan
Cover Story

From public service to production systems: an engineer's case for building things that don't break.

After a career built on operational discipline in public service, Dolapo Olodan is now designing the invisible infrastructure that keeps applications running — one Terraform plan, one pipeline, one dashboard at a time.

“Great systems aren't built by accident — they're built through consistency, automation, and continuous improvement.”
Based in — Walsall, West Midlands, UK
Focus — Cloud & DevOps Engineering
Status — Open to Junior DevOps, Cloud & Platform roles, plus freelance work
In This Issue
01DevOps Deployment Pipeline p. 04 02Terraform AWS Infrastructure p. 06 03Linux Automation Lab p. 08 04Monitoring & Observability Dashboard p. 10 05Beyond DevOps: from probation service to platform engineering p. 12
01 / Personal Project

DevOps Deployment Pipeline

An automated deployment pipeline that builds Docker images, runs validation checks, and deploys applications to AWS EC2 using GitHub Actions — demonstrating CI/CD principles, automation, and repeatable deployments.

GitHub Actions, Docker, AWS, Linux, Nginx
Personal Project
02 / Personal Project

Terraform AWS Infrastructure

Cloud infrastructure provisioned entirely through Terraform — networking, compute, storage, and security resources defined as code, giving reproducible deployments and full version control over infrastructure.

Terraform, AWS, Git, Linux
Personal Project
03 / Homelab

Linux Automation Lab

A Linux homelab built to strengthen system administration skills, practise Bash scripting, automate routine tasks, and simulate real server environments using virtual machines.

Linux, Bash, Vagrant, VirtualBox
Homelab
04 / Personal Project

Monitoring & Observability Dashboard

Infrastructure monitoring built with Grafana and Prometheus to visualise server performance, resource utilisation, and application health — with hands-on experiments in alerting and incident response.

Docker, Prometheus, Grafana, Linux
Personal Project
Profile

Beyond DevOps: from probation service to platform engineering

My interest in technology extends beyond servers and cloud platforms. I’m fascinated by how well-designed systems — whether in technology, public services, logistics, or national infrastructure — can improve efficiency, reduce risk, and create lasting impact.

Before transitioning into DevOps, I built a progressive career within HM Prison & Probation Service. I began as a Case Administrator, where I managed sensitive information, coordinated complex casework, and supported offender management in a highly regulated environment. I then progressed to a Probation Service Officer, managing a caseload of individuals with complex needs and risk factors — a role that strengthened my ability to assess risk, make evidence-based decisions, balance competing priorities, and remain composed when public safety and professional judgement were critical.

Most recently, I moved into a Senior Administrative Officer (Performance) role, combining operational leadership with performance management — monitoring service performance, analysing operational data, improving administrative processes, and supporting teams in delivering high-quality outcomes.

These experiences have shaped the engineer I am becoming. They taught me that the strongest systems are reliable, secure, measurable, and designed with people in mind. Whether building cloud infrastructure, automating deployments, or improving operational workflows, I approach every challenge with a focus on risk management, continuous improvement, accountability, and long-term resilience. I believe the same principles that underpin resilient cloud infrastructure — planning, automation, security, scalability, and observability — also underpin successful organisations and thriving societies.

Spec Sheet

Comfortable Working With

  • Linux — administration, permissions, networking, troubleshooting
  • Git & GitHub — branching, pull requests, merge workflows
  • Docker & Docker Compose — container fundamentals
  • AWS — EC2, IAM, S3, VPC, CloudWatch, Security Groups
  • Bash scripting & Linux automation

Currently Expanding

  • Kubernetes
  • Terraform & Infrastructure as Code
  • GitHub Actions & CI/CD pipelines
  • Monitoring & Observability
  • Python for automation
Certifications in progressAWS Certified Cloud Practitioner · AWS Solutions Architect – Associate
RoadmapTerraform Associate · Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)

GitHub / LinkedIn links to be added