Introduction to DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering from edX

As Agile practices started revolutionizing software development, there has been an increasing need to bridge the gap between faster development vs. slower deployment and operational practices. With its modern principles, practices and an array of state-of-the-art automation tools, DevOps provides a path to bring your operations into the Agile manifold, ultimately resulting in faster software delivery, without compromising on quality.

As DevOps processes mature, there is a growing need for professionals with expertise in the key practices and tools. DevOps has not only opened up new opportunities for Operations personnel, but also provides them with a logical career progression. There is also an emergence of Site Reliability Engineering as a specific implementation of DevOps. This course has been designed as a first step in the journey of transforming operations into an all round DevOps expert.

If you are a manager looking for guidelines on how to start transforming organizations, and understand where to start, this course is for you. If you aspire to make a career in the world of DevOps and Site Reliabilty Engineering, this course is your starting point. Upon completion, you should have a good understanding of the foundation, principles, and practices of DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering.

The 2018 Open Source Jobs Report from Dice and the Linux Foundation highlighted the strong popularity of DevOps practices, along with cloud and container technologies. DevOps skills are in high demand, and DevOps jobs are among the highest paid tech jobs. Be at the forefront of revolutionizing technology advancements and of the learning curve. Get the knowledge and skills to understand how to deploy software with confidence, agility and high reliability using modern DevOps and SRE practices.

What you'll learn

How DevOps is influencing software delivery and why it is important for IT operations personnel to skill up with DevOps practices.
How Cloud Computing has enabled organizations to rapidly build and deploy products and expand capacity.
How the open container ecosystem, with Kubernetes in the lead, is truly revolutionizing software delivery and what role an Operations Engineer plays in it.
The why, what and how of writing Infrastructure as a Code.
The role played by Continuous Integration in software delivery.
What is Continuous Deployment and Continuous Delivery and how does a deployment pipeline look like.
The role played by Observability systems, what to observe and why.

What's inside

Learning objectives

How devops is influencing software delivery and why it is important for it operations personnel to skill up with devops practices.
How cloud computing has enabled organizations to rapidly build and deploy products and expand capacity.
How the open container ecosystem, with kubernetes in the lead, is truly revolutionizing software delivery and what role an operations engineer plays in it.
The why, what and how of writing infrastructure as a code.

The role played by continuous integration in software delivery.
What is continuous deployment and continuous delivery and how does a deployment pipeline look like.
The role played by observability systems, what to observe and why.

How devops is influencing software delivery and why it is important for it operations personnel to skill up with devops practices.
How cloud computing has enabled organizations to rapidly build and deploy products and expand capacity.
How the open container ecosystem, with kubernetes in the lead, is truly revolutionizing software delivery and what role an operations engineer plays in it.
The why, what and how of writing infrastructure as a code.
The role played by continuous integration in software delivery.
What is continuous deployment and continuous delivery and how does a deployment pipeline look like.
The role played by observability systems, what to observe and why.

Syllabus

Chapter 1. Welcome!

Chapter 2. Introduction to DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering

Chapter 3. Cloud

Chapter 4. Containers

Chapter 5. Infrastructure as a Code

Chapter 6. Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery

Chapter 7. Observability

Chapter 8. Site Reliability Engineering (SRE)

Final Exam (Verified Certificate track only)

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Provides comprehensive coverage of DevOps principles, practices, and tools, making it an excellent starting point for aspiring DevOps professionals

Prepares learners for high-demand DevOps roles, aligning with current industry needs

Facilitates a smooth transition from traditional operations to Agile methodologies, enhancing software delivery efficiency

Helps professionals navigate the complexities of Cloud Computing and its impact on DevOps practices

Emphasizes the importance of Infrastructure as Code, a crucial skill for modern DevOps engineers

Provides a solid foundation in Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery, key components of DevOps pipelines

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 Introduction to DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering with these activities:

Follow video tutorials on specific DevOps tools and technologies

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Enhance your hands-on skills by following guided tutorials on specific DevOps tools and technologies.

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Identify specific tools or technologies related to DevOps
Find high-quality video tutorials on these tools
Follow the tutorials and complete the exercises

Review software development life cycle (SDLC)

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Review the different phases of the SDLC to strengthen your understanding of the software development process.

Browse courses on SDLC

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Read articles or watch videos on the SDLC
Review your notes or past coursework on the SDLC
Complete practice questions or exercises on the SDLC

Identify mentors in the DevOps field

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Connect with experienced professionals in DevOps to seek guidance and support.

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Attend DevOps meetups or conferences
Reach out to potential mentors via LinkedIn or email
Establish a mutually beneficial mentoring relationship

Five other activities

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Join a DevOps study group

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Join a study group to discuss DevOps concepts, share knowledge, and work on projects together.

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Find or create a DevOps study group (e.g., on platforms like Meetup or Discord)
Attend regular study sessions
Participate in discussions and share your knowledge

Attend DevOps meetups or conferences

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Network with other professionals in the DevOps field and learn about the latest trends and innovations.

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Find local DevOps meetups or conferences
Register and attend the events
Network with other attendees and speakers

Solve coding challenges

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Practice your coding skills by solving coding challenges on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank.

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Choose a coding challenge platform (e.g., LeetCode, HackerRank)
Select a challenge that aligns with the course topics
Solve the challenge on your own or with a study group
Review your solution and identify areas for improvement

Start a blog on DevOps best practices

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Start a blog to share your understanding of DevOps best practices and engage in discussions with the community.

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Choose a blogging platform and create a blog
Identify topics related to DevOps best practices
Research and write blog posts on these topics
Promote your blog and engage with readers

Build a small DevOps project

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Apply your DevOps knowledge by building a small project that includes elements of continuous integration, continuous delivery, and infrastructure automation.

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Identify a project idea that aligns with your interests and learning goals
Choose appropriate tools and technologies for your project
Implement DevOps practices in your project (e.g., CI/CD, IaC)
Test and refine your project
Present or share your project with others

Career center

Learners who complete Introduction to DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

DevOps Engineer

A DevOps Engineer is responsible for bridging the gap between development and operations teams, ensuring that software is delivered quickly and reliably. This course provides a solid foundation in DevOps principles and practices, including cloud computing, containerization, and continuous integration/continuous delivery. By completing this course, you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as a DevOps Engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for DevOps Engineer

Site Reliability Engineer (SRE)

A Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) is responsible for ensuring the reliability and performance of software systems. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to SRE principles and practices, including observability, incident management, and capacity planning. By completing this course, you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as an SRE.

See salaries and explore the career path for Site Reliability Engineer (SRE)

Cloud Engineer

A Cloud Engineer is responsible for designing, building, and managing cloud-based infrastructure. This course provides a foundation in cloud computing concepts and technologies, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. By completing this course, you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as a Cloud Engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cloud Engineer

Container Engineer

A Container Engineer is responsible for building, deploying, and managing container-based applications. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to containerization technologies, including Docker and Kubernetes. By completing this course, you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as a Container Engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Container Engineer

IT Operations Manager

An IT Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of an IT department. This course provides a foundation in DevOps principles and practices, as well as cloud computing and containerization technologies. By completing this course, you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as an IT Operations Manager.

See salaries and explore the career path for IT Operations Manager

Systems Engineer

A Systems Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining computer systems. This course provides a foundation in DevOps principles and practices, as well as cloud computing and containerization technologies. By completing this course, you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as a Systems Engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Systems Engineer

Software Engineer

A Software Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and testing software applications. This course provides a foundation in DevOps principles and practices, as well as cloud computing and containerization technologies. By completing this course, you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as a Software Engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Data Scientist

A Data Scientist is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to solve business problems. This course provides a foundation in cloud computing and containerization technologies, which are essential for managing and processing large datasets. By completing this course, you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as a Data Scientist.

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Machine Learning Engineer

A Machine Learning Engineer is responsible for developing and deploying machine learning models. This course provides a foundation in cloud computing and containerization technologies, which are essential for managing and processing large datasets. By completing this course, you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as a Machine Learning Engineer.

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Security Engineer

A Security Engineer is responsible for protecting computer systems and networks from security threats. This course provides a foundation in cloud computing and containerization technologies, which are essential for managing and securing IT infrastructure. By completing this course, you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as a Security Engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Engineer

Network Engineer

A Network Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining computer networks. This course provides a foundation in cloud computing and containerization technologies, which are essential for managing and securing IT infrastructure. By completing this course, you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as a Network Engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Network Engineer

Database Administrator

A Database Administrator is responsible for managing and maintaining databases. This course provides a foundation in cloud computing and containerization technologies, which are essential for managing and securing IT infrastructure. By completing this course, you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as a Database Administrator.

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Business Analyst

A Business Analyst is responsible for understanding business needs and translating them into technical requirements. This course provides a foundation in DevOps principles and practices, which can help Business Analysts to better understand the software development process.

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Project Manager

A Project Manager is responsible for planning, managing, and executing projects. This course provides a foundation in DevOps principles and practices, which can help Project Managers to better understand the software development process.

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Technical Writer

A Technical Writer is responsible for creating technical documentation, such as user manuals and white papers. This course provides a foundation in DevOps principles and practices, which can help Technical Writers to better understand the software development process.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Writer