DevOps has become one of the most in-demand skills in the IT industry. Organizations are rapidly adopting DevOps methodologies to improve collaboration between their development and operations teams. This increases efficiency and enables faster release of software updates. As DevOps continues to grow in popularity, certifications have emerged for professionals to demonstrate their DevOps skills and knowledge. This article looks at some of the best DevOps certifications available today and the key reasons to get certified.

Benefits of DevOps Certification

Here are some of the major benefits of obtaining certification in DevOps:

  • Validate your DevOps skills and knowledge - Certifications prove you have the required competency in DevOps principles, processes, and tools. They validate your hands-on skills.
  • Enhance your career prospects - Certified DevOps professionals are in high demand today. Best DevOps certifications can help you secure DevOps jobs, transition to DevOps roles from admin/developer roles, and negotiate higher salaries.
  • Learn the latest DevOps tools and technologies - The certification courses teach you leading DevOps tools like Docker, Kubernetes, Jenkins, Ansible, Terraform, etc. You get exposure to DevOps on cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP.
  • Credibility - Certifications from reputable organizations show your dedication to DevOps innovation. They prove you are a qualified DevOps practitioner.
  • Expand your DevOps network - Through certification programs, you get to connect with instructors, mentors, and fellow learners, which expands your professional network.
  • Boost your confidence - Gaining certifications gives you the confidence to handle real-world DevOps projects. It also makes your resume stand out.

Best DevOps Certifications

Here are some of the best DevOps certifications for IT professionals:

Post Graduate Program in DevOps 

The Post Graduate Program in DevOps by Simplilearn is a comprehensive certification course that equips learners with the key skills needed to establish and advance a career in DevOps. This intensive program takes a multi-faceted approach to ensure a well-rounded understanding of DevOps methodologies.

Throughout the course, students gain hands-on experience with industry-leading tools like Docker, Kubernetes, Git, Jenkins, Puppet, Ansible, and Nagios. The curriculum is designed to provide the fundamental and advanced concepts of DevOps lifecycle management, highlighting automation, integration, monitoring, delivery, and collaboration.

Key topics covered include:

  • DevOps processes, methodologies, and tools
  • Infrastructure and configuration management using Ansible/Puppet
  • Containerization with Docker and orchestration with Kubernetes
  • CI/CD pipeline creation using Jenkins
  • Monitoring and logging using tools like Nagios and Splunk
  • Public/Private Cloud services and deployment
  • Agile, Scrum methodologies
  • Real-life use cases, best practices, and common pitfalls

By the end of the program, learners will have built an impressive DevOps portfolio and be prepared for certifications like the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer, Scrum Master, and Jenkins Engineer. The skills and knowledge gained are strong foundations for lucrative careers in DevOps engineering, site reliability engineering, DevSecOps engineering, and cloud architecture roles across various industries.

DevOps Engineer

The DevOps Engineer Master's Program from Simplilearn is a comprehensive certification course that helps you gain in-demand skills to excel as a DevOps engineer.

This intensive boot camp provides over 40 hours of blended learning with live instructor-led sessions, self-paced videos, industry projects, capstones, and masterclasses from experts. The curriculum takes a hands-on, practical approach to equip learners with DevOps competencies.

Key topics covered include DevOps culture, Git, Docker, Kubernetes, infrastructure automation using Ansible/Chef/Puppet, CI/CD pipelines, logging, monitoring, and cloud platforms like AWS/GCP/Azure.

The program includes professional certifications like Docker Certified Associate and Kubernetes Administrator to validate your skills. Electives allow you to customize your learning path according to your experience and interests.

On successful completion, you earn a Master's certificate proving your expertise across the DevOps lifecycle. The skills and hands-on exposure make this program ideal for IT professionals looking to kickstart a career in DevOps engineering.

The training is powered by cloud-based labs and real-world projects for applied learning. You also get 24/7 learning support, mock interviews, and resume reviews to boost your confidence. Join the Master's in DevOps Engineering program today and take the next step in your technology career.

Docker Certified Associate Training Course

Simplilearn’s Docker Certified Associate Training course is curated in alignment with the Docker Certified Associate Examination. The course lays a special focus on various Docker technologies such as Docker Hub, Docker Compose, Docker Swarm, Dockerfile, Docker Containers, Docker Engine, Docker Images, Docker Network, Docker Daemon, and Docker Storage in addition to the real-life case studies.

The course includes 24 hours of instructor-led training, 2 course-end assessments, 3 lesson-end projects, Ebooks, Lesson-end knowledge checks, Industry-recognized course completion certificate and 6+ hours of Online Self Learning content.

This Docker Certified Associate Training Course is offered in blended mode through Live Virtual Classroom and Online self-paced learning. Upon completing the course, you will receive a ‘Docker Certified Associate (DCA) Certification Training Course’ certificate. Thecourse is highly suitable for you if you are a fresher, software developer, software engineer, technical lead or a  system administrator.

Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)

The CKA certification is the gold standard for Kubernetes administration, recognizing professionals proficient in managing Kubernetes clusters and containerized workloads. In today's containerized ecosystem, Kubernetes reigns supreme as the de facto orchestration platform, making CKA certification invaluable for DevOps professionals. By attaining CKA certification, individuals demonstrate mastery in deploying, maintaining, and troubleshooting Kubernetes clusters, ensuring the reliable and efficient operation of containerized applications. This certification equips professionals with the skills to optimize resource utilization, enhance scalability, and streamline deployment workflows, thereby driving organizational agility and innovation.

Puppet Certified Professional

The Puppet Certified Professional certification validates expertise in Puppet, a leading configuration management tool used to automate infrastructure provisioning and deployment. In the DevOps paradigm, automation is key to accelerating software delivery pipelines and ensuring infrastructure consistency at scale. As Puppet Certified Professionals, individuals possess the knowledge and skills to leverage Puppet's capabilities effectively, automating configuration management tasks, enforcing infrastructure policies, and driving operational efficiency. 

By streamlining configuration management processes and enabling infrastructure as code practices, Puppet certification empowers DevOps teams to deliver reliable and scalable infrastructure solutions, fostering agility and collaboration across the organization.

Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert

The Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert certification demonstrates proficiency in implementing DevOps practices using Microsoft Azure technologies. In today's cloud-centric landscape, organizations are increasingly leveraging Azure's robust suite of tools and services to accelerate software delivery and drive digital transformation. With this certification, professionals showcase their ability to design and implement DevOps strategies tailored to Azure environments, leveraging Azure DevOps tools for continuous integration, delivery, and deployment. 

By architecting resilient and scalable DevOps pipelines on Azure, certified engineers optimize application delivery workflows, improve agility, and foster innovation. Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert certification positions professionals as catalysts for organizational success, enabling them to drive business value and competitive advantage through DevOps practices.

Tips for Choosing a DevOps Certification

Here are some useful tips to guide your selection of the right DevOps certification:

  • Match the certification to your experience level – entry, mid, or advanced.
  • Select the best DevOps certifications covering theory and hands-on practical DevOps skills on real projects.
  • Look for credentials recognized by the industry and aligned with your tools.
  • Ensure the certification provider/platform has a strong reputation and proven success record in upskilling IT professionals.
  • Opt for top DevOps certifications that teach in-demand tools like Docker, Kubernetes, and Terraform.
  • Evaluate exam costs, training fees, accessibility, and flexibility of schedules.
  • Check if exam vouchers are offered for additional vendor-neutral certifications.
  • Research the instructor's expertise, support systems, and learner community.

Conclusion

As organizations scale DevOps adoption, certified professionals will be in high demand. The top DevOps certifications, including reputable programs like the Post Graduate Program In DevOps offered by Simplilearn, AWS, and Microsoft, among others, can help IT personnel gain the optimal skills and mindset to thrive in DevOps-driven environments. Professionals should carefully assess their experience, tool skills, and career aspirations before selecting a DevOps certification. The credentials validate expertise, enhance employability, and enable progress to leadership roles, expanding DevOps practices across the enterprise.

FAQs

1. Who should consider DevOps certification?

DevOps certifications are ideal for IT professionals, including developers, operations engineers, QA specialists, system/network admins, and managers looking to upskill and gain expertise in DevOps culture, processes, methodologies, and tools. The credentials validate hands-on skills to excel in DevOps roles.

2. What are the prerequisites for DevOps certification?

A basic understanding of Linux, scripting, networking concepts, virtualization, and cloud platforms helps prepare for DevOps certifications. Some hands-on experience in areas like software development lifecycle, Git, Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery, and infrastructure as code is recommended before undertaking certification.

3. What are the career benefits of having a DevOps certification?

DevOps certification helps professionals gain specialized skills to thrive in DevOps-driven environments. The credentials enable transitioning to DevOps roles from admin/developer backgrounds, earning higher salaries, advancing one's career through promotions, and gaining an edge in highly competitive job markets. Certified professionals prove expertise and emerge as leaders championing DevOps.

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