How to Get Certified in DevOps, DevSecOps, and SRE

Published: August 26, 2020
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These days, any business that expects to compete by creating and releasing code ought to be at least tangentially aware of DevOps. The management approach has built up a global following over the last few decades, with its focus on bridging departments, establishing collaborative cultures, and encouraging automation leading to quicker, safer, and higher-quality releases.

With optimized development and operations pipelines often being crucial for satisfying the expectations of end-users and stakeholders, there is an ever-increasing demand for certified DevOps engineers. Freelance DevOps engineers exist, and many organizations are keen to hire external practitioners. Others invest in internal training, turning managers into DevOps Leaders to help create or sustain optimized DevOps cultures.

This latter option can be particularly advantageous given the fact that staff from a variety of backgrounds can pursue DevOps training, regardless of their experience or existing skill sets. In other words, companies don’t need to shell out to find their ideal experts – they can create them instead!

The potential benefits of DevOps, combined with the career potential available to practitioners, has gotten many people asking questions like “How do you get certified in DevOps?”, “Who offers the best DevOps certification training?”, or “What does the DevOps certification path look like?”

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Luckily, there are numerous answers to these questions. The widespread popularity of the DevOps methodology has led to the creation of several potential DevOps qualifications, as well as a number of training paths.

So, what do you need to know about studying DevOps in order to get certified?

Free DevOps training online

An important thing to get through off the bat is that you do not HAVE to get certified in DevOps in order to practice it. Technically, there is no single qualifying or controlling body. DevOps is an organic management style with several distinctive qualities and practices. These elements can be studied for free, and many beginners will do this while learning actively with DevOps teams. A proportion of DevOps students are actually fairly experienced, and simply want official recognition for their level of expertise.

The problem with this approach is the lack of any training structure. If you are learning in an environment where more experienced coworkers will encourage and help you, a free approach may be appropriate. If you are studying on your own, however, then the lack of an official syllabus or course outline could make it difficult to get into the right mindset.

You will want to remember that, while experience in DevOps is highly valuable, not being officially certified with a respected DevOps qualification can still go against a candidate. This is particularly true when it comes to working with larger organizations, which typically want simple proof of a practitioner’s knowledge, experience, and competence.

Any free DevOps articles, videos, or webinars you can find online will still be valuable before, during, and after your training is completed. It can also help candidates to stay up to speed with further developments in the methodology itself, as practitioners will often discuss new topics and challenges online.

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How experienced are you?

The nature of DevOps means that there are many practitioners who are not officially certified but still have highly valid expertise. At the same time, you also have newcomers who need an introduction to the bulk of the methodology itself, as well as how to apply it in practice.

Luckily, you will find that there are suitable options for students of various backgrounds and experience levels. This is highly relevant for corporate trainers, as they may want to upskill different students to specific levels or in certain areas of DevOps. Most DevOps exams do not even have prerequisites relating to other certifications, giving students a great deal of freedom once they have the right course in mind.

The DevOps Institute, for example, offers a nuanced DevOps qualification path:

  • DevOps Foundation certification (DOFD) – This course introduces students to the essential elements of DevOps, including its main principles and practices and how to track DevOps metrics. The DevOps Foundation course is ideal for students less experienced or knowledgeable regarding the methodology
  • DevOps Leader certification (DOL) – While there are no prerequisites for this higher-level certification, it is not for beginners. The syllabus looks at upper-tier DevOps management, including how to become a DevOps organization and continually maintain energy and momentum in a DevOps culture. The DevOps Leader (DOL) course is ideal for DevOps thought leaders and senior DevOps engineers
  • DevSecOps Engineering (DSOE) certification – Security has been integrated into DevOps in various forms, including Rugged DevOps and DevSecOps. DevSecOps optimizes security with the same level of prioritization, collaboration, and efficiency as Development and Operations. A DevSecOps certification course can be the perfect choice for businesses wanting to optimize their security and compliance operations by integrating security as code
  • Site Reliability Engineering Foundation (SREF) certification – SRE is a practice often used to enhance DevOps cultures. It focuses on the ‘reliability’ of services targeted at end-users, ensuring that development and operations teams can collaborate and automate their work in a way that prioritizes satisfying client expectations. The SRE Foundation certification course is ideal for businesses that want to build on their DevOps practices, as well as DevOps engineers who want to gain specialized skills
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Choosing the right provider

There is no shortage of DevOps course providers on the market, not all of them well-respected. Earning a highly valued qualification with a well-reviewed organization will not only optimize the positive impression made by a candidate’s achievement, but it will also ensure that they come out of their course with a strong understanding of how to apply their training in practice.

To see whether a training provider is suitable or not, start by checking that their DevOps courses are fully accredited. This will ensure that the course meets the standards of the official accreditation providers. The provider should also have positive reviews, along with a competitive price for each course.

You should keep your training requirements in mind when looking for providers. Are you looking to become certified yourself, or are you investing in DevOps training for a team? How long will your users require course access, so they have enough time to study without having to sabotage their work schedule?

You should also consider who you will be reporting their success to, and what they will want to hear about. Remember, your provider should meet your needs in terms of accommodating student numbers, required languages, different courses, preferred training activities, and performance metrics at the very least.

Studying DevOps online with Good e-Learning

Good e-Learning is an award-winning online training provider with a diverse portfolio of DevOps and SRE courses. We are also a Trusted Learning Partner for the DevOps Institute, the global DevOps organization behind several highly sought-after DevOps qualifications. We do everything we can to ensure that DevOps certification costs are fully justified – including offering students FREE exam vouchers and resits.

Each of our courses is developed with help from highly experienced practitioners. This allows us to offer practical insight while also covering more niche but nonetheless practical points such as those found in the DevSecOps Foundation course. Our options suit a range of backgrounds and levels of experience, and students can even access courses via mobile phones and tablets for learning on daily commutes.

Want to find out more? Try a free trial of one of our DevOps and SRE courses today, or contact a member of our team.