In aligning with the ever-increasing market expectations, DevOps set of practices has been widely adopted and automation is taking position within production pipelines. Automation because consistency both in production processes and in the products has become a significant function of quality. As such, as demand for DevOps goes up, professionals with in-depth knowledge of automation tools like Jenkins, Travis, TeamCity, and others have their special place in software production. If competency is anything to go by, Jenkins certification among others would be the proper demonstration of competency.
7 reasons why is DevOps popular
DevOps is a culture but more than that, it is an ecosystem featuring different technologies that facilitate a streamlined software development process. What makes DevOps popular?
1. A shift from development-focused to synchronized workflows
Previous frameworks tended to focus on the development’s workflows more than operations workflows. In DevOps, success means breaking down the silos between the development and operations team and integrating them in a single workflow with a common focus on speed, value, and customer satisfaction.
2. All-encompassing mindset shift
DevOps is a culture whose realization starts from the mind. The main challenge with previous frameworks was not quite the technological but the people element. Successful implementation of DevOps means cultivating a culture of constant collaboration and communication between software engineers and developers on one side and QA and IT professionals on the other.
3. Principle of continuity
DevOps emphasizes the principle of continuity throughout its phases so that all phases take place continuously. This allows developers to make fast frequent deployments with minimal failures and react fast to issues and changes.
4. Automated deployment and Version control quality checks
In DevOps, both deployment and testing are automated processes. This allows code to be built, tested, and deployed into the production machines or rolled back for fixing when errors are detected. This offers the advantage of faster frequent releases and easy detection of errors.
5. DevOps in the cloud – New age configuration management technology
The frequency with which code is deployed and the need for on-demand scaling has compelled businesses to move their production servers to the cloud. The cloud has a robust capacity to host a large number of servers. Configuration management tools like Puppet are used to create configurations and manage the servers with an easy-to-use language, which are stored in the repository. When needed, they are easily retrieved and applied to a large number of servers. These tools also facilitate changes in configurations easily.
6. Integration of security from the onset
DevSecOps is a concept within DevOps that aims to integrate security features throughout the production pipelines. Security then becomes the responsibility of the development and operations team rather than that of management once applications have been released to the end-users. Security, just like the development phases, is continuous and automated using tools like InSpec.
7. Managing complexities, DevOps abstractions
DevOps has succeeded in achieving more consistency and less variability in a framework that brings together the right practices, tools, and principles. A competent DevOps professional is considered to be one with a broad skill set and an ability to apply them all effectively. The latter can be a challenge and this is where abstraction comes in. Abstraction is a single technological tool that manages all other tools and processes within a production system through scheduling for a smooth flow of tasks. This way, an engineer would only be required to be skilled in operating an abstraction technology rather than all the technologies in the system. Such technologies include Cloud Foundry and Sonatype.
What is Jenkins?
Jenkins is a free open-source continuous integration (CI) tool popularly used in DevOps for developing and testing applications continuously. It is written in Java and runs on Windows and Mac operating systems. Jenkins can be hosted both on on-premise servers and on the cloud. Jenkins boasts over a million users across the globe and active community support. The Jenkins community holds the renowned DevOps World | Jenkins World conference annually.
Why use Jenkins?
- Jenkins is free
- It is easy to install.
- Jenkins integrates with technologies for most development processes including building, testing, documenting, staging, deploying, analysis, and others. It also integrates with container technologies like Docker and Kubernetes for packaging to deliver faster frequent releases.
- It is easy to configure and highly customizable. Jenkins boasts a rich library of more than 1,000 plugins including Git, Selenium, Kira, Slack, and Git allowing you to configure specific requirements for continuous integration and delivery across different platforms.
- Jenkins runs on all platforms and is compatible with different OSs including Windows, Linux, macOS.
- It is open-source and enjoys immense support from its resourceful online community.
- Most tasks are automated to achieve consistency and fewer issues. This also saves time.
- Code errors are detected easily and resolved immediately they are detected which presents an advantage for large projects.
Benefits of getting Jenkins certified
Acquiring certification is a demonstration that an individual possesses the skills and experience for the certificate he/she is holding.
There are two certifications available for Jenkins
- Certified Jenkins engineer certification – This certification shows that a professional has practical knowledge on the basics of Jenkins, its pipeline, and administration.
- Certified CloudBees Jenkins Engineer certification – This certification, in addition to equipping one the basic knowledge of Jenkins, its pipeline, and administration, also includes CloudBees Core knowledge.
Why should you get a Jenkins certification?
DevOps adoption is high and rising. This is because businesses are becoming more aware of how this framework can increase deployment rates and product value through continuous development, deployment, and delivery as well as through collaboration between development and operations teams.
Jenkins is a widely used CI technology thanks to its flexibility, capacity to be used on large projects, and its ability to automate processes. Jenkins certification is necessary for developers who want to launch their careers or increase their chances for higher positions in the DevOps field.
Here are three reasons why you need to get Jenkins certification.
1. Recognition of your skills and experience
Jenkins certification means that your skills and both the theoretical and practical knowledge you have acquired will be recognized. The certification proves that you understand CI/CD Jenkins concepts and that you can operate and maintain Jenkins pipelines.
2. The demand for certified professionals is high
Depending on the Jenkins certification you have acquired, you will have proved your ability to handle tasks in higher positions thus positioning yourself for a promotion. A promotion comes with higher responsibilities and higher perks. With a high demand for certified professionals, achieving this should not be a far off dream.
3. Shows that you are committed to upgrading your knowledge
Like other technologies, Jenkins is also evolving. Whichever time you choose to take your certification exam, it is important to know that exams are structured with a consideration of the evolution of the technology. This way, you will be testing your knowledge on the latest in Jenkins which keeps you up to date.
The best way to prepare for the Jenkins certification exam is to enroll in a training course. This is because the exam is challenging. There are also plenty of study resources you could use in addition including Jenkins tutorials.
