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Developers and IT operations professionals can obtain formal certification for their DevOps skills and know-how starting March 15.
CloudBees, which makes an enterprise platform and tools for continuous software delivery, disclosed to eWEEK that it will begin a professional certification program for both Jenkins and CloudBees Jenkins engineers March 15.
Though the open-source Jenkins server and the CloudBees Jenkins Platform are used in more than 128,000 projects globally by numerous engineers, no formal certification for these skills existed until now.
San Jose, Calif.-based CloudBees developed the certification program in collaboration with an advisory board comprised of Jenkins subject-matter experts, as well as CloudBees customers and partners. Registration opens on March 15, and engineers can take the exam at one of more than 100 Prometric test centers around the world as of May 12.
“There are no prerequisites,” Francois Dechery, vice president of customer success at CloudBees, told eWEEK. “Candidates register online at Prometric, where there are clear instructions about how they can prepare. They then can download our detailed study guides, which tell them exactly what kind of questions and subjects are covered in the exam.”
CloudBees also provides training on advanced Jenkins topics, Dechery said, although the sessions are not specifically focused on the exams.
Freely available Jenkins is an open-source continuous integration server written in Java that runs in a servlet container, such as Apache Tomcat. It supports source-control management tools that include AccuRev, Concurrent Versions Systems (CVS), Subversion, Git, Mercurial, Perforce, Clearcase and Rational Team Concert (RTC).
Why DevOps Is Growing
Enterprise IT is now all about automating the continuous development of software, especially in mobile applications. This has been prompted by increasing demands for newer, better, faster applications. Nothing has impacted software development more than the advent of mobile, social, big data, the Internet of things and cloud environments, where rapid development of apps is a must.
This is where the relatively new phenomenon of DevOps comes into play. DevOps (a mash-up of the terms “development” and “operations”) is a business process aimed at overcoming complexities that IT, systems administrators and developers face daily. It is catching on more than ever among more agile IT groups.
With DevOps, developers and line-of-business operations are able to work together to develop faster-than-traditional methods of developing software by integrating all organizational systems, simplifying testing and quality assurance, and providing faster access to feedback. This allows the continuous delivery of apps through more intelligent use of app analytics, better management of projects, increased ability for market tests and a more rapid release schedule of new features.
CloudBees has stepped forward as a leader in this new software development discipline. CA, BMC, VMware (with partner CloudMunch), Red Hat and Compuware are also among the early leaders in marketing tools and services for this sector.
Two Certification Levels
The new CloudBees program offers two options for certifications:
—Certified Jenkins Engineer, for demonstrated knowledge and hands-on experience in the use of the open-source Jenkins server and plug-in ecosystem; and
—Certified CloudBees Jenkins Platform Engineer, for certification of additional, specific knowledge and hands-on experience in the use of the CloudBees Jenkins Platform, which adds enterprise functionality on top of the open-source Jenkins server.
Achieving certification can benefit engineers in several important ways, Dechery said. Along with recognizing them for their Jenkins skills, certification helps engineers build credibility with colleagues, differentiate themselves from their peers and gain additional knowledge through the certification preparation process.
The certification program offers benefits to employers and organizations, as well. Hiring managers can more easily identify qualified candidates and have confidence that they are acquiring an employee with a documented level of expertise, Dechery said.
The certification exam fee is $200, Dechery said, but for the first year of the Jenkins Certification Program, the exam fee is based on registration date, as follows:
–Early bird: $50 for registrations from March 15 to March 31, 2016;
–Extended early bird: $150 for registrations from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017; and
–Ongoing: $200 for registrations as of April 1, 2017.
Go here to learn more about Jenkins certification and register to take the exam.
Go here to Locate a Prometric test center near you.
Go here to get the Certified Jenkins Engineer Study Guide (PDF format).
Go here to get the Certified CloudBees Jenkins Platform Engineer Study Guide.