Enhance your knowledge of the rising DevOps culture

Microsoft

DevOps is not just a buzzword. Traditional approaches to rolling out technology updates are challenged by the rapid pace of change in the cloud. In our research last year, the topic of “DevOps” came up frequently among IT Pros, many of whom indicated their organizations were introducing new DevOps teams to help keep pace with technology rollouts.

 

While there is still uncertainty around the adoption of a Devops culture, the approach undoubtedly embraces lean and agile principles, which have been in the IT world for much longer. For IT Career Path and Skills month, we wanted to share some links for learning about DevOps fundamentals and ways you can use the approach in a variety of scenarios.

 

Microsoft Virtual Academy – DevOps for IT Pros

What it is

Free Microsoft online training with 6 courses, totaling over 20 hours of video, specifically designed for IT Pros. You can link the training to your Microsoft Learning Path and track your progress.

 

Why we like it

The courses provide detailed demos taught by experts, but the learning doesn’t end at the end of the video. Videos are accompanied by resources, assessments and next steps, including free trials of products and platforms (e.g., free Azure trial), public forums for Q&A, and free downloadable content.

 

Lynda - DevOps Fundamentals

What it is

Select from an online catalogue of over 5,600 courses, including pre-defined learning pathways (i.e., “Become a cloud developer”) and one-off deep dive topics. Courses cover a range of skills from beginner to advanced and are broken down into smaller lessons, allowing you to skip ahead in the course. Lynda provides two levels of monthly memberships – basic and premium, as well as a 10-day free trial. Basic membership starts at $20 per month and premium runs at $30 per month.

 

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Why we like it

Lynda provides more high-level content than some of the other sites—focusing on more basic, introductory topics—so it’s a good place to start. The site is optimized for several different learning channels (computer, phone, TV), and with a premium membership, content can be accessed offline. You also have the flexibility to watch courses at a higher speed and see transcripts for the courses.

 

Linux Academy - DevOps Courses

What it is

Online learning for IT Pros in a variety of formats—scenario-based labs, instructor mentorship, personal lab servers, and certificates of completion, note cards, and a course scheduler to help you plan your learning goals. The library also includes over 600 hours of video, practice exams & quizzes. A monthly subscription runs at $30 a month and includes a free 7-day trial.

 

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Why we like it

The site is cloud-focused, built for IT Professionals, and provides training specifically aimed at DevOps. The training is very certificate, goal-oriented and includes quizzes, practice exams, certificates of completion, study guides and note cards. The extensive list of features provides engaging, do-at-your-own pace, yet structured learning.

 

PluralSight - DevOps Courses

What it is

A paid online forum of over 5,000 courses, taught by industry experts, that deep dive into a wide array of topics. Monthly memberships run at $30 a month but like Lynda, PluralSight offers a 10-day free trial.

 

Why we like it

In addition to the easy searchability, the DevOps courses provide examples of real world implementation and a range of courses from big picture beginner courses to advanced engineer-oriented technical courses. Instructors are also available around the clock to answer questions. This site also has one of the largest catalogues of courses online.

 

 

CBT Nuggets - DevOps

What it is

CBT Nuggets, like many other online learning platforms, provides self-paced training, specifically aimed at IT Professionals. Content is delivered through either online streaming-video or offline through the CBT Nuggets app. This site is the most expensive of our recommended learning sites, at $84 per month. A free week is also provided.

 

Why we like it

The learning is intuitive—courses are searchable by learning path, vendor (i.e., Microsoft) or CBT Nugget Trainer. For DevOps, there are 15 courses associated with the DevOps learning path—both entry level and intermediate options are included. Another feature of the website is the resources page which provides additional content including; motivation for training, reasons for choosing online training, infographics on professional development, and study guides.

 

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Do you use these resources?  How have they helped you in your role?  Do you know of other helpful DevOps resources?  Share by replying in the thread below.

1 Reply

Read about @Jared Matfess's take on Dev Ops in his Friday Feature here

 

As Jared says, "We have been having conversations with our clients about DevOps is using it as the catalyst for their digital transformation. The traditional barriers of overcomplicated, multi-step, non-value added processes which hinder our clients to execute efficiently are prime candidate for DevOps automation."