Becoming a 'cloud-native' operation: 8 essential tips for enterprises Watch Now

At The Linux Foundation's Open Source Summit in Los Angeles, Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Foundation, said, "Kubernetes is the Linux of the cloud." I wouldn't go that far, but Kubernetes is the most popular, open-source DevOps container manager. It's now available on all cloud-platforms including the late-to-the-Kubernetes-party Amazon Web Services (AWS). Now, if only we have enough Kubernetes experts to run it!

As the GitHub team recently discovered, Kubernetes' documentation isn't very good. That makes setting up a Kubernetes cluster difficult.

To address that need, The Linux Foundation recently started a free online Introduction to Kubernetes class. Now, the open-source group behind Kubernetes, the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), is backing this up with the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) program and exam.

CNCF also offers online training that teaches the skills needed to create and configure a real-world Kubernetes cluster. The Kubernetes Fundamentals course maps directly to the requirements for the CKA exam.

The CKA program requires the passing of an online, proctored, performance-based exam that tests one's ability to solve multiple issues in a hands-on, command-line environment. The CKA exam is available for anyone to take and costs $300.

As Zemlin explained, "This is no multiple-choice test, you must actually set up and run a Kubernetes cluster."

Companies with more than three CKAs are allowed to call themselves Kubernetes Certified Service Providers (KCSPs). This ensures businesses that need help setting up and running Kubernetes can get assistance from a partner that understands the program.

The founding class of KCSPs includes the following CNCF and LF members: Accenture, Booz Allen Hamilton, Bitnami, Canonical, CoreOS, Mirantis, and Samsung SDS.

"The founding class of KCSPs represents the maturation of the Kubernetes ecosystem and demonstrates that Kubernetes is ready for widespread use with enterprises of all sizes," said Dan Kohn, the CNCF's executive director. "As Kubernetes has grown, so has the demand from enterprises needing expert services and support. Enterprises working with KCSPs can be confident the partner they've chosen to work with has the training and skills needed to help them succeed with Kubernetes."

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