Book Image

Becoming KCNA Certified

By : Dmitry Galkin
Book Image

Becoming KCNA Certified

By: Dmitry Galkin

Overview of this book

The job market related to the cloud and cloud-native technologies is both growing and becoming increasingly competitive, making certifications like KCNA a great way to stand out from the crowd and learn about the latest advancements in cloud technologies. Becoming KCNA Certified doesn't just give you the practical skills needed to deploy and connect applications in Kubernetes, but it also prepares you to pass the Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA) exam on your first attempt. The book starts by introducing you to cloud-native computing, containers, and Kubernetes through practical examples, allowing you to test the theory out for yourself. You'll learn how to configure and provide storage for your Kubernetes-managed applications and explore the principles of modern cloud-native architecture and application delivery, giving you a well-rounded view of the subject. Once you've been through the theoretical and practical aspects of the book, you'll get the chance to test what you’ve learnt with two mock exams, with explanations of the answers, so you'll be well-prepared to appear for the KCNA exam. By the end of this Kubernetes book, you'll have everything you need to pass the KCNA exam and forge a career in Kubernetes and cloud-native computing.
Table of Contents (22 chapters)
1
Part 1: The Cloud Era
4
Part 2: Performing Container Orchestration
7
Part 3: Learning Kubernetes Fundamentals
12
Part 4: Exploring Cloud Native
16
Part 5: KCNA Exam and Next Steps

Kubernetes certification path

At the time of writing, CNCF offers four Kubernetes certification exams:

  • Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA)
  • Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)
  • Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
  • Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS)

CKA was the first exam to be launched in 2017 and was valid for 2 years, but later, the validity period was extended to 3 years. CKAD and KCNA also have a 3-year validity period; only the CKS exam is valid for 2 years after passing.

Out of all of the exams, CKS is the hardest and requires a candidate to hold a valid, non-expired CKA certification to demonstrate that they already possess sufficient K8s expertise. This means that while you can purchase CKS at any time, you won’t be able to take it unless you first pass CKA. All the other exams can be attempted in any order; however, the recommended path is shown in the following diagram:

Figure 2.1 – CNCF Kubernetes certification path

Figure...