The purpose behind the Certified Kubernetes Administrator program or CKA Certification is to assure and validate the knowledge, skills, and competency of a Kubernetes Administrator. It assesses the candidate’s understanding of Kubernetes and its components. But, what is Kubernetes, and why is it so popular? Besides, is the CKA Certification worth your time? If you are still wondering what the Kubernetes hype is all about, you will get the answers right here.
There are four Kubernetes certification programs in all. But, we will focus on the CKA Certification and its benefits. So, let’s get started on how you can scale up your career with a Kubernetes Certification.
Table of Contents
What is Kubernetes?
Running several applications on a single physical server was quite problematic in traditional systems. Resource allocation became an issue – there was no way to specify the number of CPU resources that an application would consume. As a result, applications would consistently underperform. Virtualized deployment was introduced as a solution to the existing problems. Virtualization enabled multiple virtual machines (VMs) to run on one physical server’s CPU. The scalable technology of virtualized deployment paved the way for the container deployment technique. VMs had their own operating systems and resources. But, the container deployment era saw the sharing of the operating system amongst the applications that run on a single server. As a result, the containers became lightweight.
But, why are we talking about the past days? All these developments led to the origin of the Certified Kubernetes technology – a portable and extensible way to manage containerized services and workloads. Kubernetes is an open-source platform for container orchestration. It can automate the manual processes involved in the deployment, management, and scaling of containerized applications. It’s a framework that deals with containers and how to run distributed systems. Kubernetes comes quite handy in optimizing application development for the cloud; it provides the platform for scheduling and running containers on clusters of physical or VMs. But, it doesn’t end here because Kubernetes can do a lot more. Its features have been discussed in the following section.
Features of Kubernetes
Why do we need Kubernetes? Well, the benefit of Kubernetes stems from the utility that containers provide. Containerization is an excellent way to run applications. But, the containers themselves need to be managed efficiently to make sure that there is no downtime. Say, if a container fails, another container should back it up immediately. While it could be done manually, a more practical alternative would be to automate the process. That’s where Kubernetes comes in! The following are the Kubernetes features that resiliently take care of scaling, deploying and running distributed systems.
- Orchestration of storage: With Kubernetes, you can automatically mount a storage system of your likings such as public cloud providers, network storage systems, and more.
- Container discovery and load-balancing: Kubernetes allows container discovery using its IP address or DNS name. For stable deployment, Kubernetes can load-balance across containers for distribution of the network traffic.
- Rollouts and rollbacks are all automated: Kubernetes allows the progressive implementation of changes to your containers or their configurations. In case of any glitches, Kubernetes will roll back the changes.
- Configuration and secret management: Kubernetes allows the storage and management of sensitive information such as SSH keys and passwords. You can carry out the update and deployment of application configuration and secret without rebuilding the containers or exposing the stack configuration secrets.
- Automated bin packing: Kubernetes optimizes resource utilization by automatically fitting containers onto nodes. All you got to do is provide a cluster of nodes on which Kubernetes will run the containers and tell how much memory and CPU each container needs.
- Health check-up and self-healing: Using Kubernetes, failed applications can self-heal with auto-restart and auto-replacement.
All about the CKA Certification
Kubernetes technology is the new guy on the block. So, while online learning platforms are aplenty, only a single authorized body offers the prestigious CKA Certification. The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) currently offers certification programs in Kubernetes.
The CKA Certification exam is an online, proctored test where the aspirant is required to work out multiple problems using the command line. The CKA exam tests the candidate’s knowledge in the following domains:
- Management of application lifecycle
- Core concepts
- Security
- Networking
- Scheduling
- Installation, configuration and management
- Logging and monitoring
- Maintenance of clusters
- Troubleshooting and storage
The CKA Certification is valid for three years. Candidates will have to retake and pass the exam before the validity period of their previous certification ends. The exam duration is 3 hours. Candidates must secure at least 74% marks to pass the test. There are no specific prerequisites to take the exam. The test is available in English, Japanese, German, Spanish, simplified Chinese, and Portuguese.
Benefits of getting certified
It may seem quite the hassle to get CKA certified. But, the benefits you can reap from it are worth all the hard work.
- The certification will make you a Kubernetes expert.
- Collaboration by the CNCF and The Linux Foundation, the CKA Certification will make you ready for several job titles such as Cloud Engineer, DevOps Engineer, Systems Engineer, Python Developer, Java Architect, and more.
- Your expertise in Kubernetes will be an asset since most companies are adopting this new technology. You will stand out amidst the crowd.
- A CKA Certification assures companies that you are not just capable but also knowledgeable about the platform. Hence, passing this exam could lead to a potential pay hike.
- The certification program is an excellent opportunity to expand your skill set. Also, it contributes towards personal growth and gives you more confidence to face the ever-competitive job market.
Conclusion
Kubernetes is emerging as a desirable OS for the cloud. It is becoming the platform of choice for major cloud giants. Naturally, new and exciting job roles are emerging that demand a comprehensive knowledge of Kubernetes. So, learning Kubernetes and getting a CKA Certification are quite the fascinating options of the hour for rewarding career prospects.