- [Instructor] Here's my last next step
that you should consider.
We've gained some exposure
to fundamental Kubernetes concepts,
like the control plane components,
the container networking interface,
and using Pods to run our smoke tests.
However, Kubernetes is a very powerful
and very capable system.
We've only just begun to scratch the surface
of what it's capable of.
If you're really interested in beginning
to master Kubernetes,
getting a certified Kubernetes certification
is a great way to do just that.
There are three Kubernetes certifications available
from the Linux Foundation at this time of writing.
The Certified Kubernetes Administrator, or CKA,
demonstrates that you are capable
of operating a Kubernetes cluster at an intermediate level.
It covers just about everything that you need
to manage a Kubernetes cluster of nearly any size.
The Certified Kubernetes
Application Developer certification, or CKAD,
demonstrates that you can start common types of workloads
within Kubernetes clusters,
like three-tier web apps,
back-end microservices, and databases.
You'll see much less emphasis in how Kubernetes works
and much more emphasis on the vast sea of APIs
that Kubernetes provides
to support containerized applications.
Finally, the Certified Kubernetes
Security Specialist Certification, or CKS,
proves that you know how to secure Kubernetes clusters
and the workloads within them.
Since Kubernetes clusters are bound
to be rich targets for adversaries looking
to break into company networks,
preparing for a CKS shows that you know
how to harden your cluster and its apps.
Speaking of getting prepared, these exams cover a lot.
It personally took me three tries for me to get my CKA.
Fortunately, there are many more ways of preparing
for these exams than there were when I got mine.
Killer.sh, or Killer Shell, is an awesome website
that is dedicated to nothing but helping engineers prepare
for these three exams.
They offer courses and practice exams
that are extremely similar to the real thing.
In fact, some people have found the killer.sh exams
to be even more difficult than the real ones.
Check it out at killer.sh.
Another great place to prepare for these exams
is right here on LinkedIn Learning.
LinkedIn Learning has a wide selection of courses
on all things Kubernetes.
From the excellent Learning Kubernetes beginner course
to courses dedicated to preparing you
for the Certified Kubernetes exams.
Finally, an excellent resource for preparing for the CKA
is working through Kelsey Hightower's
Kubernetes the Hard Way.
In fact, working through Hard Way will allow you
to experience what installing Kubernetes was like
before any of these tools even existed.
While the guide itself is several major releases old,
some of the 12,000 or so forks of this guide
are much more recent.
At the moment, Mohammad Masshad's fork shown
on the top of this image is the most recent fork,
though it focuses on installing Kubernetes
into a virtual box instead of on Google Cloud
like the original guide does.
There are forks for just about every cloud provider
and local installation type, so dig in and enjoy.