Developing Local Chef Cookbooks on Windows from Pluralsight

Developing Chef cookbooks requires an understanding of the many tools which are available to you via Chef Workstation. This course leverages hands-on demos to explore the options available for developing cookbook solutions for Windows.

The Chef repo, with its patterns of cookbooks and accompanying assets, is the foundation for building robust solutions to deploy to your managed infrastructure.

In this course, Developing Local Chef Cookbooks on Windows, you'll learn in-depth skills critical to your role as a developer and engineer, exploring what’s possible with the Chef Workstation tools and testing platforms which are available to you, and implementing the foundational concepts of Chef, including test-driven development and automation.

First, you’ll look at the core components of the Chef repo, cookbook structure, and the tools available with Chef Workstation. Next, you’ll explore test-driven development with the full range of testing platforms, including Test Kitchen and Cookstyle, ChefSpec, and InSpec. Finally, you’ll build out solutions using more advanced concepts including custom resources, templates, and data bags.

When you’re finished with the course, you’ll have the skills and knowledge to effectively use Chef Workstation to develop cookbooks which are designed to configure and manage Windows systems, which is needed to effectively manage a Windows-based infrastructural ecosystem.

What's inside

Syllabus

Course Overview

Authoring Chef Cookbooks

Working with Chef Workstation

Working with Test Kitchen

Working with Chef Cookbook Components

Working with Chef Cookbook Testing Frameworks

Working with Data Bags

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Specifically designed for developers and engineers in the Windows ecosystem, helping them with automation of system management

Teaches foundational concepts in Chef, including test-driven development and automation

Provides hands-on demos for better understanding of windows cookbook solutions

Focuses on developing local chef cookbooks on windows

Requires prior experience with the Chef workstation tools and testing platforms

Leverages Test Kitchen, Cookstyle, ChefSpec, and InSpec for full range of testing platforms

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Developing Local Chef Cookbooks on Windows with these activities:

Course Materials Review

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Refresh and reinforce knowledge acquired during the course by reviewing course materials.

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Revisit lecture notes to refresh understanding of concepts
Review lab exercises and practice assignments to solidify skills

Follow Chef Cookbook Development Tutorials

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Enhance your skills by following online tutorials on Chef cookbook development and Chef Workstation.

Browse courses on Chef Workstation

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Identify reputable sources for Chef cookbook development tutorials.
Select tutorials that align with your learning goals.
Follow the instructions carefully and implement the techniques demonstrated in the tutorials.

Follow Tutorials on Chef Workstation

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Follow video tutorials to gain a practical understanding of the Chef Workstation tools and techniques.

Browse courses on Chef Workstation

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Find video tutorials on Chef Workstation
Watch the tutorials and take notes
Apply what you learn to your own projects

Five other activities

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Lab Exercises

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Practice working with Chef Workstation tools and testing platforms through hands-on lab exercises.

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Set up Chef Workstation and configure a test environment.
Create basic Chef cookbooks using the Chef Development Kit.
Test cookbooks using Test Kitchen and Cookstyle.

Practice Developing Chef Cookbooks

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Practice developing Chef cookbooks to build a strong foundation in using the Chef Workstation tools.

Browse courses on Chef Cookbooks

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Create a new cookbook
Set up a Chef Workstation environment
Add recipes to the cookbook
Test the cookbook using Test Kitchen
Deploy the cookbook to a target system

Write Technical Blog Posts

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Showcase your understanding of Chef Workstation and cookbook development by writing technical blog posts.

Browse courses on Chef Workstation

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Choose a specific aspect of Chef Workstation or cookbook development to focus on.
Research the topic thoroughly and gather relevant information.
Write a well-structured blog post that clearly explains the topic.

Master Test-Driven Development with ChefSpec

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Enhance your ability to write robust and reliable cookbooks by mastering test-driven development with ChefSpec. This activity will elevate your testing skills and ensure your code meets expectations.

Browse courses on ChefSpec

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Install ChefSpec and its dependencies
Write unit tests for your recipes
Practice using ChefSpec matchers
Integrate ChefSpec into your development workflow

Cookbook Development Project

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Apply acquired skills to a real-world project, solidifying cookbook development knowledge.

Browse courses on Custom Resources

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Analyze the project requirements for a Windows-based infrastructure.
Design and develop a set of Chef cookbooks to automate the infrastructure setup and management
Test and validate the cookbooks to ensure reliability and efficiency

Career center

Learners who complete Developing Local Chef Cookbooks on Windows will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Chef Engineer

Chef Engineers are experts in using Chef, an open-source DevOps tool, to manage infrastructure.

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Cloud Architect

Cloud Architects design, build, and manage cloud computing systems. Skills in developing Chef cookbooks are essential for Windows system management in cloud computing systems.

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Infrastructure Architect

Infrastructure Architects are responsible for designing, building, and maintaining an organization's infrastructure.

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DevOps Engineer

DevOps Engineers combine software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops) to oversee the entire lifecycle of building and maintaining software systems.

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Cloud Automation Engineer

Cloud Automation Engineers are responsible for automating processes within cloud computing systems. The automation of software testing is a critical component to ensure successful automation in the cloud. This course teaches learners how to implement test-driven development to create automated solutions, which is an essential skill for a successful Cloud Automation Engineer.

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Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and maintain software systems.

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Test Automation Engineer

Test Automation Engineers are responsible for automating the testing of software applications.

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Systems Administrator

Systems Administrators are responsible for the upkeep, configuration, and maintenance of computer systems.

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Cloud Security Analyst

Cloud Security Analysts are responsible for securing cloud computing systems.