Cilium Certified Associate (CCA) Exam Preparation
Master eBPF-powered Kubernetes networking with Cilium and prepare for the CNCF Cilium Certified Associate (CCA) certification exam. This comprehensive course covers all eight exam domains including Cilium architecture, network policies, service mesh with Gateway API, Hubble observability, Cluster Mesh for multi-cluster connectivity, and BGP external networking. Through hands-on labs and practical exercises, you'll gain the skills needed to deploy, configure, and troubleshoot Cilium in production Kubernetes environments.
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Why This Course is Different
Get everything you need to master platform engineering and advance your career
Certificate of Completion
Earn a certificate while gaining real-world skills that go beyond traditional certification prep
Hands-on Labs
10 practical labs with real-world scenarios in pre-configured cloud environments
Expert-Led
Learn from Sam Gabrail, Former HashiCorp Sr. Solutions Engineer with 18+ years experience
Community Support
Join our community where members help each other and collaborate on learning
What You'll Master
Explain Cilium architecture and its role in Kubernetes networking
Understand eBPF technology and its advantages over iptables-based solutions
Install, configure, and manage Cilium using the Cilium CLI
Create and apply Cilium Network Policies for identity-based security
Configure service mesh capabilities including Gateway API and traffic encryption
Use Hubble for network observability and troubleshooting
Implement Cluster Mesh for multi-cluster connectivity
Configure BGP and external networking for egress connectivity
Compare different IPAM modes and select appropriate options
Understand datapath models (VXLAN, Geneve, native routing) and their trade-offs
Implement Layer 7 network policies for HTTP, gRPC, and DNS filtering
Enable and configure transparent encryption with WireGuard
Monitor and troubleshoot Cilium clusters using connectivity tests
Course Curriculum
SECTION 1 – ARCHITECTURE (20%)
Master Cilium's architecture, understand its role in Kubernetes networking, and learn about IPAM, component roles, and datapath models
- •Introduction to Cilium and Cloud Native Networking
- •Community
- •Cilium Architecture Deep Dive
- •Cilium Component Roles
- •IP Address Management (IPAM) with Cilium
- •Datapath Models in Cilium
- •Exploring Cilium ArchitectureLab
- •Cilium Architecture Knowledge CheckQuiz
SECTION 2 – NETWORK POLICY (18%)
Learn to create and interpret Cilium Network Policies, understand identity-based security, and compare with Kubernetes native policies
- •Introduction to Cilium Network Policies
- •Identity-Based Network Security Model
- •Policy Enforcement Modes
- •Policy Rule Structure
- •Kubernetes Network Policies vs Cilium Network Policies
- •Implementing Cilium Network PoliciesLab
- •Layer 7 Network PoliciesLab
- •Network Policy AssessmentQuiz
SECTION 3 – SERVICE MESH (16%)
Implement service mesh capabilities using Gateway API, understand traffic encryption, and compare sidecar vs sidecarless architectures
- •Service Mesh Fundamentals and Use Cases
- •Ingress Routing with Cilium
- •Gateway API for Ingress Routing
- •Benefits of Gateway API over Ingress
- •Encrypting Traffic in Transit with Cilium
- •Sidecar-based vs Sidecarless Architectures
- •Configuring Gateway API with CiliumLab
- •Enabling Transparent EncryptionLab
- •Service Mesh Knowledge CheckQuiz
SECTION 4 – NETWORK OBSERVABILITY (10%)
Master Hubble for network observability, enable Layer 7 visibility, and use both CLI and UI for troubleshooting
- •Hubble Observability Overview
- •Enabling Layer 7 Protocol Visibility
- •Using Hubble CLI
- •Hubble UI for Visual Observability
- •Network Observability with HubbleLab
- •Network Observability AssessmentQuiz
SECTION 5 – INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION (10%)
Install and configure Cilium using the CLI, run connectivity tests, and manage Cilium configuration
- •Cilium CLI Overview
- •Installing Cilium with the CLI
- •Querying and Modifying Configuration
- •Connectivity Tests and Health Monitoring
- •Installing and Configuring CiliumLab
- •Installation and Configuration QuizQuiz
SECTION 6 – CLUSTER MESH (10%)
Implement multi-cluster connectivity with Cluster Mesh for service discovery and load balancing across clusters
- •Introduction to Cluster Mesh
- •Cluster Mesh Architecture
- •Service Discovery Across Clusters
- •Load Balancing with Cluster Mesh
- •Implementing Cluster MeshLab
- •Cluster Mesh Knowledge CheckQuiz
SECTION 7 – EBPF (10%)
Understand eBPF technology, its role in Cilium, and how it compares to traditional iptables-based networking
- •Introduction to eBPF
- •The Role of eBPF in Cilium
- •eBPF Key Benefits
- •eBPF-based vs IPtables-based Platforms
- •Exploring eBPF in CiliumLab
- •eBPF Fundamentals QuizQuiz
SECTION 8 – BGP AND EXTERNAL NETWORKING (6%)
Configure egress connectivity and connect Cilium-managed clusters with external networks using BGP
- •Egress Connectivity Requirements
- •BGP with Cilium
- •Connecting to External Networks
- •Configuring Egress and BGPLab
- •External Networking QuizQuiz
Course Features
Hands-on Labs
Lots of hands-on labs to learn by doing
Join our Community
Community support to ask questions and collaborate
Test Your Knowledge
Quizzes to help you grasp the material well
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Hi there, I'm Sam
I'm a husband and father of two wonderful boys. I'm also very passionate 🔥 about all things technology. From when I was 10, I had a dream to become a computer 💻 engineer one day. Here I am today living the dream!
Thanks for visiting TeKanAid Academy. My goal is to teach you all things DevOps. Below are some of the things I've done over the years. I'm confident that I can help you achieve your dreams too.
- 18+ years of experience in various Information Technology fields from Telecommunications, Computer Networks, Digital Transformation, DevOps, Cybersecurity, and IoT
- President of TeKanAid Solutions Inc. building online content in the DevOps space
- Previous – Sr. Solutions Engineer at HashiCorp
View my Certifications
Terraform: Authorized HashiCorp Instructor
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HashiCorp Authorized Instructors are experienced DevOps professionals who deliver official HashiCorp training courses in person and virtually.
Issued by HashiCorp Partner Network (HPN)
Vault: Authorized HashiCorp Instructor
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HashiCorp Authorized Instructors are experienced DevOps professionals who deliver official HashiCorp training courses in person and virtually.
Issued by HashiCorp Partner Network (HPN)
HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate (002)
Verify my certificate
Earners of the HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate certification know the basic concepts, skills, and use cases associated with open source HashiCorp Terraform.
Issued by HashiCorp
HashiCorp Certified: Vault Associate (002)
Verify my certificate
Earners of the HashiCorp Certified: Vault Associate certification know the basic concepts, skills, and use cases associated with open source HashiCorp Vault.
Issued by HashiCorp
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