Nowadays, software development is more than just writing code. Multiple languages, frameworks, architectures, and discontinuous interfaces between tools for each stage of the lifecycle add enormous complexity. Docker facilitates and accelerates workflow while allowing developers to innovate with their preferred tools, application stacks, and deployment environments for each project. Let us know the worth of Docker Certified Associate!
Let us begin with a brief explanation of the exam!
About Docker Certified Associate
This exam is based on critical job activities performed by a Docker Certified Associate. The knowledge and skills validated by this exam represent a level of expertise at which a certified Docker Associate can:
- Use pre-existing images from a centralised registry to run containerized applications.
- Distribute images across the cluster.
- Issue reports from stakeholders are triaged and resolved.
- Setup one UCP manager, one DTR replica, and one worker node on Enterprise clusters.
- Traditional applications should be migrated to containers.
- Set up and troubleshoot the Docker engine.
- General maintenance and configuration should be performed.
Exam Details
The Docker Certified Associate exam consists of 13 multiple-choice questions and 42 discrete option multiple-choice questions that must be completed in 90 minutes by the candidate. The exam is only available in English. In addition, the Docker Certified Associate exam costs USD 195 or Euro €175. Furthermore, the outcome will be delivered right away.
Benefits of the Docker Certification
- An official Docker credential will recognize your Docker skills.
- Docker Certified Associate logo and digital certificate
- Potential employers can verify your Docker Certified status online.
- Access to the Docker Certified professional network on LinkedIn, as well as invitations to certified-only events
Let us now move to the main point of the article –
Is It worth taking the Docker certification?
Docker is useful not only for developers but also for system administrators, making it an essential component of DevOps toolchains. For developers, this means that they can concentrate on writing code without worrying about the system on which it will ultimately run.
Docker provides operational flexibility and may reduce the number of systems required due to its small footprint and lower overhead.
The annual Developer Survey conducted by Stack Overflow is widely regarded as one of the most credible and well-researched in the industry. In 2019, they published their annual Developer Survey reports, which show that while Linux and Windows are the most popular platforms, Docker was the third most widely used platform for container technologies. As a result, Docker certification is unquestionably valuable.
Let us now look at the exam detailed course outline to get a better picture of the exam –
Docker Certified Associate Exam Course Outline
Docker has divided the curriculum into several sections. The Docker Certified Associate exam covers the exam’s objectives and sub-topics. The following are the Docker Certified Associate exam objectives:
Domain 1: Orchestration (25% of exam)
- Complete the setup of a swarm mode cluster, with managers and worker nodes. (Documentation: Create a swarm)
- Describe and demonstrate how to extend the instructions to run individual containers into running services under the swarm. (Documentation: Deploy service to the swarm)
- Describe the importance of quorum in a swarm cluster.
- Describe the difference between running a container and running a service.
- Interpret the output of “docker inspects” commands. (Documentation: Inspect a service on the swarm)
- Convert an application deployment into a stack file using a YAML compose file with “docker stack deploy” (Documentation: docker stack deploy)
- Manipulate a running stack of services. (Documentation: Related commands)
- Describe and demonstrate orchestration activities.
- Increase the number of replicas. (Documentation: docker service scale)
- Add networks, publish ports. (Documentation: Networking overview)
- Mount volumes. (Documentation: Use volumes)
- Describe and demonstrate how to run replicated and global services. (Documentation: Replicated and global services)
- Apply node labels to demonstrate the placement of tasks. (Documentation: docker node update)
- Describe and demonstrate how to use templates with “docker service create”. (Documentation: Create services using templates)
- Identify the steps needed to troubleshoot a service not deploying. (Documentation: Deploy a service to the swarm)
- Describe how a Dockerized application communicates with legacy systems. (Documentation: Container networking)
- Describe how to deploy containerized workloads as Kubernetes pods and deployments.
- Describe how to provide configuration to Kubernetes pods using config maps and secrets.
Domain 2: Image Creation, Management, and Registry (20% of exam)
- Describe the use of Dockerfile.
- Describe options, such as add, copy, volumes, expose, entry point. (Documentation: FROM)
- Identify and display the main parts of a Dockerfile. (Documentation: Dockerfile)
- Describe and demonstrate how to create an efficient image via a Dockerfile. (Documentation: Best practices for writing Dockerfiles)
- Describe and demonstrate how to use CLI commands to manage images, such as list, delete, prune, rmi. (Documentation: Usage)
- Describe and demonstrate how to inspect images and report specific attributes using filter and format (Documentation: Extended description)
- Describe and demonstrate how to tag an image. (Documentation: docker tag)
- also, Describe and demonstrate how to apply a file to create a Docker image.
- furthermore, Describe and demonstrate how to display layers of a Docker image
- moreover, Describe and demonstrate how to modify an image to a single layer.
- also, Describe and demonstrate registry functions. (Documentation: Copy an image from Docker Hub to your registry)
- furthermore, Deploy a registry. (Documentation: Deploy a registry server)
- moreover, Log into a registry. (Documentation: Parent command)
- also, Utilize search in a registry.
- furthermore, Push an image to a registry.
- Sign an image in a registry.
- Pull and delete images from a registry.
Domain 3: Installation and Configuration (15% of exam)
- Describe sizing requirements for installation.
- also, Describe and demonstrate the setup of the repo, selection of a storage driver, and installation of the Docker engine on multiple platforms.
- furthermore, Describe and demonstrate the configuration of logging drivers (Splunk, journals, etc.). (Documentation: Configure logging drivers)
- moreover, Describe and demonstrate how to set up a swarm, configure managers, add nodes, and set up the backup schedule.(Documentation: Administer and maintain a swarm of Docker Engines)
- also, Describe and demonstrate how to create and manage user and teams.
- furthermore, Describe and demonstrate how to configure the Docker daemon to start on boot. (Documentation: Configure and troubleshoot the Docker daemon)
- also, Describe and demonstrate how to use certificate-based client-server authentication to ensure a Docker daemon has the rights to access images on a registry. (Documentation: Verify repository client with certificates)
- Describe the use of namespaces, groups, and certificate configuration.
- also, Describe and interpret errors to troubleshoot installation issues without assistance.
- furthermore, Describe and demonstrate the steps to deploy the Docker engine, UCP, and DTR on AWS and on-premises in an HA configuration.
- moreover, Describe and demonstrate how to configure backups for UCP and DTR.
Domain 4: Networking (15% of exam)
- Describe the Container Network Model and how it interfaces with the Docker engine and network and IPAM drivers.
- also, Describe the different types and use cases for the built-in network drivers.
- furthermore, Describe the types of traffic that flow between the Docker engine, registry and UCP controllers.
- moreover, Describe and demonstrate how to create a Docker bridge network for developers to use for their containers. (Documentation: Use bridge networks)
- Describe and demonstrate how to publish a port so that an application is accessible externally.
- also, Identify which IP and port a container are externally accessible on.
- furthermore, Compare and contrast “host” and “ingress” publishing modes.
- moreover, Describe and demonstrate how to configure Docker to use external DNS.
- also, Describe and demonstrate how to use Docker to load balance HTTP/HTTPs traffic to an application (Configure L7 load balancing with Docker EE).
- Understand and describe the types of traffic that flow between the Docker engine, registry, and UCP controllers
- Describe and demonstrate how to deploy a service on a Docker overlay network. (Documentation: Use overlay networks)
- Describe and demonstrate how to troubleshoot container and engine logs to resolve connectivity issues between containers. (Documentation: Logs and troubleshooting)
- Describe how to route traffic to Kubernetes pods using ClusterIP and NodePort services.
- Describe the Kubernetes’ container network model.
Domain 5: Security (15% of exam)
- Describe security administration and tasks. (Documentation: Docker security)
- Describe the process of signing an image. (Documentation: Content trust in Docker)
- also, Describe default engine security.
- furthermore, Describe swarm default security. (Documentation: Manage swarm security with public key infrastructure (PKI))
- also, Describe MTLS.
- furthermore, Describe identity roles.
- moreover, Compare and contrast UCP workers and managers.
- Describe the process to use external certificates with UCP and DTR.
- also, Describe and demonstrate that an image passes a security scan.
- furthermore, Describe and demonstrate how to enable Docker Content Trust.
- moreover, Describe and demonstrate how to configure RBAC with UCP.
- also, Describe and demonstrate how to integrate UCP with LDAP/AD.
- Describe and demonstrate how to create UCP client bundles.
Domain 6: Storage and Volumes (10% of exam)
- Identify the correct graph drivers to uses with various operating systems.
- Describe and demonstrate how to configure device mapper. (Documentation: Use the Device Mapper storage driver)
- also, Compare and contrast object and block storage and when they should be used.
- furthermore, Describe how an application is composed of layers and where these layers reside on the filesystem.
- moreover, Describe the use of volumes is used with Docker for persistent storage.
- also, Identify the steps to take to clean up unused images on a filesystem and DTR. (Documentation: docker image prune)
- Describe and demonstrate how storage can be used across cluster nodes.
- Also, Describe how to provision persistent storage to a Kubernetes pod using persistent volumes.
- furthermore, Describe the relationship between container storage interface drivers, storage class, (Documentation: Docker storage drivers)
- Persistent volume claim and volume objects in Kubernetes.
Let us now look at some resources that will help you ace the exam in one go!
Docker Training
The candidate may also choose to participate in Docker training programs. Docker provides training programs for all exams. The training programs for a specific exam include all exam information such as the Docker Certified Associate exam syllabus, description, intended audience, delivery method, duration, and so on. To become a Docker Certified Associate, the candidate should enroll in a training program.
Practice Test
Practice tests are the ones that ensure the candidate’s preparation. The Docker Certified Associate practice exam will assist candidates in identifying their weak points so that they can work on them. There are numerous Docker Certified Associate (DCA) practice tests available on the internet these days, so the candidate can select whichever one they prefer.
Study Groups
Participating in a group study will also benefit the candidate. It will motivate them to work harder. Furthermore, studying in a group will allow them to stay connected with other people who are on the same path as them. Furthermore, the discussion of such study groups will help students in their exams.
Conclusion
You will need to put in a lot of practice time for this exam. Even though this is not a performance-based exam, the more you practice, the easier it will be to remember in the exam. Docker has published the Docker Certified Associate exam agenda or syllabus. If you are motivated enough, you can do self-study, but if you are not, there are several platforms where you can get training for this exam. Start Practicing now!
