5 Years In Devops And Im Choosing Between 2 Certifications

# 5 Years In Devops And Choosing Between Two Certifications

Welcome to another insightful blog post! Today we’re discussing a common dilemma faced by many seasoned DevOps engineers like myself: choosing between two highly-regarded certifications as our careers progress. We’ll focus on the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional (aws_devops) and the Red Hat Certified Engineer in Cloud (RHCEC) for self-hosted, open-source, and infrastructure automation expertise.

Before diving into the details of each certification, let’s ensure your environment is properly set up to follow along:

Prerequisites

• Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or later
• Docker CE 19.03.13 or later (apt install docker-ce=5.0.8)
• Kubernetes 1.20.6 or later (deploy with kubeadm)
• AWS CLI version 2 (pip install awscli)
• RHEL or CentOS system for RHCEC hands-on exercises

AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional (aws_devops)

The aws_devops certification validates your ability to design, manage, and implement tooling for continuous integration and deployment of cloud resources. Here’s a breakdown of the process:

Step 1: Understand the Exam Structure

The exam consists of multiple choice and multiple response questions, drag-and-drop exercises, and case study analysis (Official AWS Documentation).

Step 2: Study Key Concepts

Some essential topics to cover include:

• Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with AWS CloudFormation and Terraform
• Configuration Management using AWS Systems Manager, Ansible, or Puppet
• Monitoring and Logging with Amazon CloudWatch, ELK stack, and Grafana
• Containerization with Amazon ECS, Kubernetes, and Docker
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines using AWS CodePipeline, AWS CodeBuild, AWS CodeDeploy, and Jenkins
• Security best practices, including IAM roles, VPCs, and network security groups

Step 3: Hands-On Practice

Set up your own self-hosted homelab on virtual machines or cloud services to practice the concepts you’ve learned. Deploying an IaC solution, configuring a CI/CD pipeline, and implementing monitoring and logging are essential hands-on activities.

Troubleshooting

• Be aware of AWS service limits when deploying infrastructure (Official AWS Documentation)
• Ensure you have the necessary access to your account for exam simulations (IAM user with administrative privileges)

Conclusion

The aws_devops certification will give you a deep understanding of AWS services and best practices for infrastructure automation, CI/CD, and DevOps methodologies. This can lead to better career opportunities in cloud-based environments.

Red Hat Certified Engineer in Cloud (RHCEC)

The RHCEC certification demonstrates your expertise in deploying, configuring, and managing open-source cloud infrastructure solutions. Let’s examine the process:

Step 1: Understand the Exam Structure

The exam consists of performance-based tasks, multiple choice questions, and case study analysis (Official Red Hat Documentation).

Step 2: Study Key Concepts

Some critical topics to cover include:

• Infrastructure as Code with Ansible, Terraform, or other IaC tools
• Configuration Management using Ansible, Puppet, or SaltStack
• Monitoring and Logging with ELK stack, Prometheus, and Grafana
• Containerization with OpenShift, Kubernetes, and Docker
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines using Jenkins or Tekton
• Security best practices, including SELinux, FirewallD, and RBAC

Step 3: Hands-On Practice

Set up your own self-hosted homelab on virtual machines or cloud services to practice the concepts you’ve learned. Deploying an IaC solution, configuring a CI/CD pipeline, and implementing monitoring and logging are essential hands-on activities.

Troubleshooting

• Be aware of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) service limits when deploying infrastructure (Official Red Hat Documentation)
• Ensure you have the necessary access to your account for exam simulations (RHEL or CentOS system with administrative privileges)

Conclusion

The RHCEC certification will validate your skills in deploying, configuring, and managing open-source cloud infrastructure solutions. This can lead to better career opportunities in organizations that prioritize the use of open-source technologies.

Comparison

Both certifications require a strong understanding of IaC, configuration management, containerization, CI/CD pipelines, and security best practices. The primary difference lies in the cloud provider (AWS or open-source solutions like RHEL). Ultimately, the choice depends on your career goals, the technologies used by your current or prospective employers, and your personal preferences.

Performance Optimization Tips

Regardless of the certification you choose, optimize your performance by:

• Keeping your systems up-to-date with the latest patches and security updates
• Regularly backing up your data to prevent loss in case of failure or disaster
• Implementing caching solutions (e.g., Redis) to reduce database load times
• Monitoring system resources, including CPU usage, memory, and network traffic

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

• Avoid hard-coding sensitive information such as credentials directly into your code or configuration files
• Regularly test your infrastructure deployments in a sandbox environment before implementing them in production
• Keep your IaC repositories organized, versioned, and easily accessible for collaboration with other team members