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What Do DevOps Engineers Do? Roles, Skills, and Career Path Explained
Updated on 17 January, 2025
12.8K+ views
• 17 min read
Table of Contents
- What Do DevOps Engineers Do? The Key Concepts You Should Know
- DevOps Engineer Roles and Responsibilities: Based On Experience Levels
- Skills You Need to Become a DevOps Engineer
- DevOps Tools You Should Know in 2025
- How to Start Your Career as a DevOps Engineer
- Roadmap to Becoming a Successful DevOps Engineer
- Career Opportunities and Salaries for DevOps Engineers
- Is a Career in DevOps Right for You? Here's Why You Should Consider It
- How upGrad Can Help You Excel as a DevOps Engineer?
A DevOps engineer is a professional who acts as a bridge between software development and operations teams. They make sure that the software development process is efficient and that the company's goals are met by connecting the efforts of both the tech and management teams.
They manage the entire software deployment process, from the initial release to gathering feedback and automating new version deployments. In essence, DevOps engineers ensure software is delivered efficiently and maintains high quality throughout its lifecycle.
If you want to learn more about what DevOps engineers do, this blog is your guide. Discover the skills required and the career path for DevOps engineers. Dive in!
What Do DevOps Engineers Do? The Key Concepts You Should Know
A DevOps engineer is a professional who acts as a bridge between software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops), ensuring seamless integration of processes. Their role focuses on automating processes, streamlining workflows, and improving the collaboration between these two teams.
The role of a DevOps engineer is not only to fill the gap between development and operations but to speed up the process of development and deployment of high-quality software. In today’s industries, devops engineers allow companies to release software quickly, address issues urgently, and ensure scalability in production systems.
Let’s look at the core functions of DevOps engineer roles in an organization.
What Does DevOps Do in an Organization? Core Tasks
A DevOps engineer participates in different aspects of the software development lifecycle, focusing on improving collaboration, automation, and continuous delivery.
Here are the core tasks of DevOps engineer roles.
- Automation
DevOps engineers automate repetitive tasks, such as infrastructure provisioning, configuration management, and application deployment.
- Infrastructure Management
They maintain cloud environments, ensure scalability, and optimize resource allocation for an application development process.
- CI/CD Pipeline Development
Building and maintaining continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD) pipelines to ensure fast and reliable code deployments.
- Collaboration
They enable collaboration between development and operations teams to ensure smoother software releases.
- Monitoring
DevOps engineers set up and manage monitoring tools to ensure application performance, availability, and security in production environments.
- Security
DevOps engineers have to embed security into the DevOps pipeline, ensuring that security is addressed at every stage of software development.
DevOps engineers face challenges running from managing complex infrastructures to ensuring security in fast-paced deployment environments. Tools like Terraform and Kubernetes help them overcome these challenges.
Here are some of the challenges faced by DevOps engineers and how they overcome them.
- Cultural Resistance to Change
Resistance from teams adjusted to traditional workflows can affect DevOps implementation.
Solution: DevOps engineers conduct training sessions and showcase the benefits of DevOps practices, like faster deployments and improved quality.
- Managing Complex Infrastructure
The complexity of managing hybrid or multi-cloud environments in the organization can lead to inefficiencies.
Solution: Engineers use Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform and Ansible to automate infrastructure management and reduce manual errors.
- Failure of Continuous Integration and Deployment (CI/CD)
Frequent failures in CI/CD pipelines can disrupt workflows and delay the release of new versions.
Solution: Designing robust pipelines integrated with automated testing frameworks to identify and fix issues early.
- Managing Security in Rapid Deployment Environment
Rapid deployment processes can sometimes compromise security, making systems vulnerable to breaches.
Solution: DevOps engineers integrate security checks into the pipeline to ensure vulnerabilities are detected and addressed during development.
- Scaling Applications
DevOps engineers have to ensure that applications perform well during traffic spikes or increased user demand.
Example: Using container orchestration tools like Kubernetes to scale applications automatically based on demand.
Now that you’ve understood what does devops do and the challenges they face, let’s understand their roles and responsibilities in detail.
DevOps Engineer Roles and Responsibilities: Based On Experience Levels
The role of a DevOps engineer can vary depending on the engineer’s level of experience. As you progress in your career, your responsibility may shift from handling technical tasks to taking on strategic leadership roles and managing teams.
Here are the key responsibilities of a DevOps engineer role based on experience.
Entry-Level Roles
As an entry-level DevOps engineer, you’ll assist senior engineers and teams while developing your foundational skills in automation, scripting, and system monitoring.
Here are the main responsibilities in this position.
1. Assisting in Building CI/CD Pipelines
You’ll support the integration of new features into the pipeline. This ensures the automated flow of code from development to production.
Here’s a detailed workflow.
- Collaborate with developers to understand code changes and integrate them into CI/CD pipelines.
- Configure basic pipeline steps like build, test, and deploy using tools such as Jenkins or GitLab CI.
- Run test deployments in a staging environment to ensure pipeline accuracy.
- Document configurations and processes for team reference.
2. Basic Scripting and Automation Tasks
You’ll write simple scripts for automating tasks like code deployment or infrastructure provisioning. You’ll use configuration management tools (e.g., Ansible, Chef) and start learning infrastructure as code (IaC).
Here’s a detailed workflow.
- Write and test scripts for automating repetitive tasks like backups or log rotation.
- Experiment with configuration management tools (e.g., Ansible) to provision simple servers.
- Review and refine scripts to improve efficiency.
Also Read: Ansible vs Chef: Difference Between Ansible and Chef
3. Monitoring and Logging System Performance
You’ll monitor the performance of applications in production using monitoring tools. You’ll identify issues like performance degradation and generate logs for troubleshooting.
Here’s a detailed workflow for this task.
- Set up and configure monitoring tools (e.g., Prometheus) for application performance metrics.
- Generate logs for performance analysis and troubleshoot any anomalies.
- Respond to basic alerts or escalate issues to mid-level engineers.
After gaining experience working in a DevOps environment, you can transition into mid-level roles, which require slightly more experience.
Mid-Level Roles
Mid-level roles require you to take up complex tasks such as managing infrastructure, improving deployment workflows, and handling production issues.
Here are the main responsibilities in mid-level roles.
1. Managing infrastructure as code (IaC)
You need to perform more complex IaC tasks, write and manage code that automates infrastructure provisioning and configuration. You’ll use tools like Terraform or CloudFormation to ensure environments are consistent and scalable.
Here’s the workflow for the IaC task.
- Design and implement IaC templates using Terraform or AWS CloudFormation.
- Test and validate infrastructure configurations in staging environments.
- Collaborate with teams to provision scalable and consistent environments.
2. Designing and implementing automated workflows
In this position, you’ll design and create automated workflows, enhance CI/CD pipelines and integrate new tools to streamline operations. You’ll reduce the manual overhead of deploying software and managing environments.
Here’s how you’ll implement automated workflows
- Enhance CI/CD pipelines to include advanced testing, monitoring, and rollback mechanisms.
- Integrate third-party tools like Docker or Kubernetes into deployment workflows.
- Collaborate with QA teams to streamline the testing process.
3. Handling deployments and troubleshooting production issues
The role may require you to handle production deployments, ensuring that updates or new releases do not impact system stability. You’ll work with developers and operations teams to quickly identify and resolve problems.
Here’s how you’ll address issues during production.
- If an issue arises with a new version, you may have to investigate and roll back the deployment using an automated deployment tool like Kubernetes.
- You can roll back using the kubectl rollout undo command. This reverts the deployment to the previous stable version, ensuring minimal downtime.
Mid-level roles prepare you for important tasks like automating workflows. With relevant experience, you can transition to senior-level leadership roles.
Senior-Level Roles
As a senior, you’ll direct the organization towards DevOps practices, contribute to the cultural transformation of teams, and ensure the reliability of large-scale systems.
Here are your roles and responsibilities in a senior position.
1. Leading DevOps Strategy and Cultural Transformation
You’ll drive cultural change by promoting collaboration between teams, reducing barriers, and working for continuous improvement in processes and workflows.
Here’s how you’ll lead cultural transformation.
- Host cross-team meetings to align goals and promote collaboration.
- Define high-level strategies for CI/CD implementation and infrastructure automation.
- Review and approve major DevOps-related changes across projects.
2. Overseeing Large-Scale CI/CD Processes
The role requires you to implement complex CI/CD systems across multiple projects or teams, ensuring that automated deployment processes are scaled efficiently.
Here’s how you’ll oversee CI/CD Processes.
- Manage and optimize CI/CD pipelines for multiple teams or projects.
- Ensure tools and processes scale effectively with the organization’s growth.
- Collaborate with security teams to implement DevSecOps practices.
3. Mentoring Junior Team Members
You’ll mentor junior and mid-level engineers, guiding best practices, automation strategies, and troubleshooting techniques.
Here’s how you can mentor juniors.
- Conduct training sessions to improve junior engineers’ skills in areas like IaC or CI/CD.
- Review code and pipelines designed by junior engineers and provide feedback.
- Guide team members on troubleshooting and advanced automation strategies.
Now that you know what DevOps do in different positions, let’s explore the skills required for a DevOps engineer.
Skills You Need to Become a DevOps Engineer
To become a DevOps engineer, you require expertise in automation, cloud infrastructure, programming, monitoring, and collaboration. In addition, soft skills like communication and problem-solving will help you succeed.
Here are the skills required for DevOps engineer roles.
- Cloud Services
Knowledge of cloud computing platforms is vital for managing infrastructure, hosting applications, and scaling resources dynamically.
Example: Knowledge of Google Cloud Platform (GCP), AWS, and Microsoft Azure.
- Automation Tools
Automation tools will help you handle repetitive tasks like deployment, infrastructure provisioning, configuration management, and monitoring.
Example: Jenkins, Puppet, Chef, Ansible.
Also Read: Ansible vs. Jenkins: Difference Between Ansible and Jenkins
- Build Tools
The build tools will automate the process of compiling source code into binary code and packaging it for deployment. Familiarity with tools like Maven and Gradle is necessary for automating the software lifecycle.
Example: You may have to configure Jenkins to trigger a Maven build whenever a new code commit is made to a Git repository.
- Programming Languages
Strong programming skills will help you write custom automation scripts and build tools that integrate with various DevOps processes.
Example: Strong knowledge of Python, Java, and Bash is required.
Want to learn Python for scripting and automating tasks in DevOps? Join the free course on Programming with Python: Introduction for Beginners.
- Linux Scripting
A DevOps engineer needs to have an understanding of Linux commands, file systems, and the ability to work with shell scripting.
Example: You can use the grep command to filter and analyze logs for troubleshooting. Similarly, you can use cron to schedule automated tasks like running scripts to back up data, deploy updates, or monitor system health at regular intervals.
- Version Control Systems
Proficiency in the Git version control system will help you manage code repositories and work in multi-developer environments.
Example: Use of Git for cloning repositories, creating branches, and merging code.
- Collaboration and Communication
Good collaboration skills will allow you to work closely with development teams, operations teams, security professionals, and even product teams.
Example: Communicating with the development team when troubleshooting production issues and proposing solutions.
Learn how to use soft skills, like communication, to improve collaboration between teams. Join the free course on Mastering the Art of Effective Communication.
- Security
You may need to ensure that applications and systems are protected from threats while maintaining compliance with industry standards. Protecting tools like Docker containers and Kubernetes from vulnerabilities and malicious attacks is crucial.
Example: Using HashiCorp Vault to manage secrets and sensitive information in automated workflows securely.
- Virtualization
Virtualization creates a virtual version of resources, including servers, storage, and networks. It can divide big systems into smaller ones to ensure many applications or users use the services.
Example: VMware is used to manage virtual machines (VMs) and is widely used for creating scalable virtual environments.
Also Read: Top 25 Essential DevOps Engineer Skills for Your Success
Now that you have explored the key skills needed for a DevOps engineer, let’s look at some of the popular tools that can help you master these skills.
DevOps Tools You Should Know in 2025
A DevOps engineer must stay up to date with the latest tools that help in the automation of workflows, continuous integration and delivery, containerization, monitoring, and version control.
Here are some of the popular tools a DevOps engineer must know.
Category | Functions |
Automation Tools | Automation tools will help you manage configuration, deployments and also reduce the potential for human error. Example: Chef, Puppet, Ansible |
CI/CD Tools | These tools will automate the process of testing, building, and deploying applications. Example: Jenkins, CircleCI, Travis CI |
Containerization Tools | These tools will bundle software and its dependencies into a single, portable container, making it easier to develop, deploy, and scale applications. Example: Kubernetes, Docker |
Monitoring Tools | Using these tools, you can monitor the health and performance of applications, services, and infrastructure, allowing teams to identify and resolve issues. Example: Prometheus, Nagios |
Version Control | Version control tools can track and manage changes to the source code. This allows teams to collaborate effectively and maintain a history of changes. Example: Git, GitHub |
Also Read: Top 8 DevOps Tools in the Market for 2024 [Hand-picked]
Now that you've familiarized yourself with the tools used by DevOps engineers, let's explore how you can start your career in this role.
How to Start Your Career as a DevOps Engineer
To start your career as a DevOps engineer, you need a mix of foundational skills, certifications, hands-on experience, and continuous learning.
Here are the key requirements to begin your career as a DevOps engineer.
- Foundation Skills
Focus on building a strong foundation of the key technologies that form the backbone of DevOps practices. Learn skills like programming (e.g., Python and Bash), cloud technologies (e.g., AWS and Azure), and system administration (e.g., Linux systems).
Example: Deploying basic applications on AWS using Python scripts for automation.
- Certifications
Certifications will show your expertise in key DevOps technologies. Employers recognize them and can give you a competitive edge in the job market.
Example: AWS Certified DevOps Engineer will give you experience with AWS tools like CloudFormation, CodePipeline, and Elastic Beanstalk.
- Practical Experience
Build your portfolio by working on personal projects or internships. Try automating tasks or deploying applications on the cloud.
Example: Create Docker containers for an application and deploy them using Kubernetes.
- Contribute to Open Source Projects
Contributing to DevOps projects on platforms like GitHub can help you work with experienced professionals.
Example: Work on projects like Kubernetes or Ansible on GitHub.
- Stay Updated with Tools & Technologies
It is essential to stay up-to-date with new tools, practices, and methodologies. This will help you remain relevant and competitive in the job market.
Example: You can learn Terraform and Pulumi to manage cloud infrastructure as code.
- Develop Soft Skills
Strong problem-solving skills can make a significant difference in your ability to succeed and thrive in this role.
Example: Through critical thinking, you can identify root causes and implement fixes for the system.
Now that you understand how to start a career as a DevOps engineer, let's explore how you can achieve success in this role.
Roadmap to Becoming a Successful DevOps Engineer
To succeed as a DevOps engineer, you need a structured approach to master the core skills (e.g., automation) and stay informed about industry advancements (e.g., new tools like Raygun).
Here’s how you can be a successful DevOps engineer.
- Understand DevOps principles and tools
Develop a strong understanding of the DevOps culture and principles. This includes collaboration between development and operations teams and automation of manual processes.
Example: Read the DevOps manifesto to understand the core values of collaboration, communication, and continuous delivery.
- Gain experience with cloud platforms and automation tools
Gaining hands-on experience with popular cloud platforms and automation tools will significantly improve your DevOps skills.
Example: Setting up a virtual server on AWS and using Terraform to automate its configuration.
- Learn CI/CD pipelines and deployment processes
Learning how to set up and manage CI/CD pipelines will help you automate testing, building, and deploying applications.
Example: Learn how to deploy applications in an automated way using deployment strategies like canary releases.
Also Read: Continuous Delivery vs. Continuous Deployment: Difference Between
- Build skills in monitoring, feedback, and troubleshooting
Learn how to monitor the performance of systems, applications, and infrastructure to ensure high availability and optimal performance.
Example: Practice troubleshooting issues such as server outages by using log aggregators like ELK stack.
- Continuously upgrade your skills to stay relevant in the industry
Join online courses, attend conferences, and join industry communities to learn about new DevOps tools and techniques. Explore opportunities to work on new challenges in the field.
Example: Attend DevOps Meetups to network with professionals.
- Develop Hands-on Experience with Real-World Projects
Take up internships, personal projects, or freelance work that enables you to apply DevOps practices in real-world environments.
Example: You can contribute to open-source projects on GitHub to gain exposure to industry-standard practices.
Also read: Top 20 DevOps Practice Projects for Beginners with Source Code in 2025
Now that you've explored the path to success as a DevOps engineer, let's take a look at the career growth available in this role.
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Career Opportunities and Salaries for DevOps Engineers
As more companies adopt DevOps practices, skilled DevOps engineers are needed to manage cloud infrastructure, automate deployment pipelines, and ensure the reliability of systems.
Here’s an overview of salaries, career growth prospects, and opportunities across various industries for DevOps engineers.
Salary Insights
The salary of a DevOps engineer can vary widely depending on factors such as location, years of experience, and skill set.
Here’s the salary of a DevOps engineer based on experience.
Experience | Average Annual Salary |
Entry-level | INR 5.6L |
Mid-level | INR 7.9L |
Senior | INR 11.3L |
Source: Ambitionbox
DevOps engineers in tech hubs and major cities typically earn higher salaries due to the increased cost of living and higher demand for their skills.
Here’s the salary of a DevOps engineer based on their location.
Location | Average Annual Salary |
Bengaluru | INR 8.5L |
Hyderabad | INR 8.3L |
Gurgaon | INR 8.5L |
Pune | INR 8.6L |
Mumbai | INR 8L |
Source: Ambitionbox
Career Path
With the right skills and experience, a DevOps engineer can advance to roles such as cloud architect, DevOps consultant, or automation engineer.
Here are the future career roles for a DevOps engineer.
Career Roles | Average Annual Salary |
Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) | INR 13L |
Cloud Architect | INR 20.3L |
DevSecOps Engineer | INR 12L |
Automation Engineer | INR 7L |
DevOps Consultant | INR 9L |
Platform Engineer | INR 12L |
Source: Glassdoor
Also Read: DevOps Career Path: 6 Demanding & Diverse Roles
Industries Hiring DevOps Engineers
The demand for DevOps engineers is strong across industries like IT, FinTech, and Healthcare, where the need for automation and efficient software delivery is critical.
Here’a list of industries and potential roles for DevOps engineers.
Industry | Potential Roles |
Technology and Software |
|
E-commerce |
|
FinTech |
|
Healthcare |
|
Media and Entertainment |
|
Future of DevOps
In the future, emerging technologies such as AI, serverless computing, and edge computing will drive DevOps.
Here’s how technological advancements will shape DevOps in the future.
- Integration with AI and Machine Learning
In the future, you may have to use AI and machine learning tools to automate repetitive tasks like CI/CD pipeline management, monitoring, and anomaly detection. You’ll require skills in using AI and machine learning tools to train, deploy, and monitor ML models as part of the pipeline.
- Serverless Computing
There will be no need to manage traditional servers, allowing the teams to focus on deploying and scaling applications efficiently. You can focus more on managing serverless security, cost optimization, and performance monitoring.
- Focus on Security
There will be a greater focus on integrating automated security checks into every stage of development. You can implement zero-trust models to protect cloud-native and hybrid environments.
- Low-code and No-code Platforms
Low-code/no-code platforms will enable non-technical users to contribute to workflows, requiring DevOps to manage these platforms effectively.
- Edge Computing
DevOps roles will expand to manage distributed systems near the end devices, ensuring low latency and high-performance deployments.
Now that you've explored the career opportunities and future for DevOps engineer roles, let's examine the reasons why pursuing a career in this field is a great choice.
Is a Career in DevOps Right for You? Here's Why You Should Consider It
Jobs for DevOps engineers are expected to grow by 21% between 2018 and 2028. Given the high demand, DevOps is an excellent choice for tech enthusiasts and professionals seeking a career in software development and operations.
Here’s why a career in DevOps is the right choice for you.
- High Demand
DevOps engineers are in high demand due to their role in development processes, improving system reliability, and accelerating product delivery.
- Attractive Salaries
DevOps engineers enjoy some of the top-paying roles in the IT industry, with opportunities to earn substantial compensation with experience.
- Career Growth Opportunities
With experience, DevOps engineers can progress into senior roles such as DevOps Architect, Site Reliability Engineer (SRE), or even Cloud Architect.
- Diverse Skill Development
DevOps engineers work with a variety of technologies, including automation tools, cloud platforms, and CI/CD pipelines. This makes them highly versatile and valuable in the tech landscape.
- Collaboration and Impact
DevOps promotes collaboration between development, operations, and security teams, allowing engineers to work across multiple functions and contribute to improving products and services.
- Flexible Work Opportunities
DevOps engineers have the flexibility to work from anywhere. Many organizations offer remote positions, enabling professionals to balance their work and personal lives.
Also Read: Future Scope of DevOps – 15 Reasons To Learn DevOps
Now that you understand why a career as a DevOps engineer is lucrative, let's explore the steps to secure a job in this field.
How upGrad Can Help You Excel as a DevOps Engineer?
Companies across industries are seeking skilled DevOps engineers to help streamline operations, improve system reliability, and ensure faster software delivery. However, to land a job, you need the right knowledge, hands-on experience, and certifications.
upGrad offers courses with industry-relevant certifications, foundational knowledge, and practical experience. They will equip you with skills and tools that are essential for building a successful career as a DevOps engineer.
Here are some courses offered by upGrad in DevOps.
Boost your career with our popular Software Engineering courses, offering hands-on training and expert guidance to turn you into a skilled software developer.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the role of a DevOps engineer?
A DevOps engineer synchronizes development and operations by automating processes, managing infrastructure, and ensuring continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) of software applications.
2. What are the skills needed for a DevOps engineer?
Key skills for a DevOps engineer include cloud platform expertise, automation tools, scripting knowledge, and proficiency in CI/CD pipelines.
3. Does a DevOps engineer require coding?
Yes, you need coding for automating tasks, creating scripts, managing CI/CD pipelines, and configuring infrastructure as code.
4. Is DevOps easy to learn?
DevOps can be challenging to learn due to its broad scope, covering areas such as automation, cloud, and system monitoring.
5. Which language is best for DevOps?
Python is considered the best language for DevOps due to its simplicity, versatility, and extensive library support.
6. Is SQL needed for DevOps?
SQL can be helpful for DevOps engineers, especially when dealing with databases, querying logs, and managing data pipelines.
7. Is Python mandatory for DevOps?
While Python is not strictly mandatory, it is widely used in DevOps for scripting, automation, and cloud management.
8. Which tool is mostly used in DevOps?
Jenkins is one of the most widely used tools in DevOps for continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) automation.
9. What are CI and CD in DevOps?
CI (Continuous Integration) is the practice of frequently merging code changes into a shared repository. CD (Continuous Delivery) automates the deployment process, ensuring reliable and frequent releases.
10. Which country is good for DevOps?
Countries like the USA, Germany, India, and Canada are great for DevOps professionals due to high demand, excellent career opportunities, and a thriving tech ecosystem.
11. What is Jenkins used for?
Jenkins is used for automating the process of building, testing, and deploying applications.
References:
https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/site-reliability-engineer-salary-SRCH_KO0,25.htm
https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/cloud-architect-salary-SRCH_KO0,15.htm
https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/devsecops-engineer-salary-SRCH_KO0,18.htm
https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/automation-engineer-salary-SRCH_KO0,19.htm
https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/devops-consultant-salary-SRCH_KO0,17.htm
https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/platform-engineer-salary-SRCH_KO0,17.htm
https://www.ambitionbox.com/profile/devops-engineer-salary?experience=2
https://www.ambitionbox.com/profile/devops-engineer-salary?experience=4
https://www.ambitionbox.com/profile/devops-engineer-salary?experience=6
https://www.ambitionbox.com/profile/devops-engineer-salary/bengaluru-location
https://www.ambitionbox.com/profile/devops-engineer-salary/hyderabad-location
https://www.ambitionbox.com/profile/devops-engineer-salary/gurgaon-location
https://www.ambitionbox.com/profile/devops-engineer-salary/pune-location
https://www.ambitionbox.com/profile/devops-engineer-salary/mumbai-location
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/demand-devops-skills-accelerating-skillup-online/
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