Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineer (CNPE)
Comprehensive preparation for the CNCF Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineer (CNPE) certification. Master platform architecture, GitOps workflows with Argo CD and Flux, self-service provisioning with Crossplane and Kubernetes operators, observability with Prometheus and OpenTelemetry, and security policy enforcement with OPA Gatekeeper and Kyverno. This hands-on course covers all five exam domains with 65% practical lab exercises, preparing you for senior platform engineering roles.
Course Preview
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
30 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
Design and implement platform architectures that optimize networking, storage, and compute resources
Build GitOps-driven deployment pipelines using Argo CD and Flux
Implement progressive delivery strategies including blue/green and canary deployments
Create Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs) and Kubernetes Operators for platform automation
Design self-service provisioning workflows using platform APIs and Crossplane
Deploy comprehensive observability solutions with Prometheus, Grafana, and OpenTelemetry
Configure service mesh security with mTLS and zero-trust networking using Istio
Implement policy enforcement using OPA Gatekeeper and Kyverno
Integrate security scanning and compliance checks into deployment pipelines
Measure and optimize platform performance using deployment metrics and SLIs/SLOs
Configure cost management and visibility using OpenCost
Implement multi-tenant resource isolation and quota management
Course Curriculum
SECTION 1 – PLATFORM ARCHITECTURE AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Master platform architecture best practices for networking, storage, and compute. Learn multi-tenancy patterns, cost management with OpenCost, scaling strategies, and self-service infrastructure provisioning with Crossplane.
- •Community
- •Platform Engineering Principles and Multi-Tenancy
- •Platform Networking, Storage, and Compute
- •Namespace Isolation, Quotas, and Limit Ranges
- •Network Policies, Hierarchical Namespaces, and Virtual Clusters
- •Multi-Tenant Resource Isolation for PlatformsLab
- •Kubernetes Cost Challenges and OpenCost Architecture
- •Cost Optimization and FinOps Practices
- •Implementing Platform Cost Management with OpenCostLab
- •HPA and VPA for Pod Scaling
- •Cluster Autoscaler and KEDA
- •Configuring HPA, VPA, and Cluster AutoscalerLab
- •Crossplane Overview, Architecture, and Providers
- •Crossplane XRDs and Compositions
- •Crossplane Claims and GitOps Integration
- •Building Self-Service Platform Infrastructure with CrossplaneLab
- •Platform Architecture and Infrastructure QuizQuiz
SECTION 2 – GITOPS AND CONTINUOUS DELIVERY
Implement GitOps workflows with Argo CD and Flux CD. Build CI/CD pipelines with Tekton, and deploy applications using progressive delivery strategies including canary and blue/green deployments with Flagger and Argo Rollouts.
- •GitOps Principles and Reconciliation
- •GitOps Repository Strategies and Environment Promotion
- •Argo CD Architecture and Core Components
- •Argo CD Sync Policies and Health Assessment
- •Argo CD Multi-Cluster Management and RBAC
- •Deploying Production-Grade Argo CDLab
- •Argo CD App-of-Apps and Sync Waves
- •Argo CD Self-Healing, Drift Detection, and Secrets
- •Deploying Applications Using GitOps PatternsLab
- •Flux CD Architecture and Source Controllers
- •Flux Helm Controller, Notifications, and Image Automation
- •Implementing GitOps Workflows with Flux CDLab
- •Tekton Architecture, Tasks, and Pipelines
- •Tekton Triggers and GitOps Integration
- •Building CI Pipelines with Tekton and GitOpsLab
- •Progressive Delivery Concepts and Canary Analysis
- •Flagger Rollback, Webhooks, and Load Testing
- •Argo Rollouts Blue/Green and Canary Strategies
- •Argo Rollouts Analysis Templates and Experiments
- •Implementing Canary Deployments with FlaggerLab
- •Blue/Green Deployments with Argo RolloutsLab
- •GitOps and Continuous Delivery QuizQuiz
SECTION 3 – PLATFORM APIS AND SELF-SERVICE CAPABILITIES
Design platform CRDs, build Kubernetes operators for automation, implement self-service provisioning workflows, and create event-driven automation with Argo Workflows and Events.
- •Designing Platform CRDs: Fundamentals and Schema Validation
- •CRD Versioning, Status Subresources, and Printer Columns
- •CRD Best Practices for Platform Services
- •Designing and Implementing Platform CRDsLab
- •Operator Pattern and Reconciliation Design
- •Operator Event Handling and Maturity Model
- •Operator SDK: Setup, Scaffolding, and CRD Types
- •Operator SDK: Controller Logic, Testing, and Distribution
- •Building a Kubernetes Operator for Platform AutomationLab
- •Platform API Design: Self-Service Principles and Admission Control
- •Quota Management, Audit Logging, and API Discovery
- •Crossplane Composition Functions and Dynamic Provisioning
- •Crossplane Secrets, Dependencies, and Composition Revisions
- •Building Self-Service Database Provisioning PlatformLab
- •Argo Workflows: Architecture and Templates
- •Argo Workflows: Parameters, Artifacts, and Scheduling
- •Automating Platform Tasks with Argo WorkflowsLab
- •Event-Driven Automation with Argo Events
- •Implementing Event-Driven Platform AutomationLab
- •Platform APIs and Self-Service QuizQuiz
SECTION 4 – OBSERVABILITY AND OPERATIONS
Deploy comprehensive observability solutions with Prometheus, Grafana, AlertManager, OpenTelemetry, Jaeger, and Loki. Define SLIs/SLOs and implement error budgets for platform reliability.
- •Prometheus Architecture and Data Model
- •Prometheus Operator, Federation, and Scaling
- •PromQL Selectors, Functions, and Aggregations
- •PromQL Binary Operators, Platform Patterns, and Recording Rules
- •Implementing Platform Monitoring with PrometheusLab
- •Grafana Architecture, Data Sources, and Panel Types
- •Grafana Variables, Provisioning, and Dashboard Patterns
- •Creating Platform Dashboards in GrafanaLab
- •AlertManager Architecture, Routing, and Receivers
- •AlertManager Inhibitions, Silences, and Incident Response
- •Configuring Platform AlertingLab
- •Distributed Tracing Fundamentals and Context Propagation
- •OpenTelemetry SDK and Collector Pipeline Patterns
- •Trace Backends, Sampling Strategies, and Correlation
- •Implementing Distributed Tracing with OpenTelemetryLab
- •Logging Architecture, Loki, and Collection Agents
- •LogQL Queries, Log-Based Alerting, and Correlation
- •Implementing Centralized Logging with LokiLab
- •SLIs, SLOs, Error Budgets, and Burn Rate Alerting
- •DORA Metrics, Incident Diagnosis, and Continuous Improvement
- •Defining and Measuring Platform SLOsLab
- •Observability and Operations QuizQuiz
SECTION 5 – SECURITY AND POLICY ENFORCEMENT
Configure service mesh security with Istio and Linkerd mTLS, implement multi-tenant RBAC, enforce policies with OPA Gatekeeper and Kyverno, integrate security scanning, and configure audit logging for compliance.
- •Zero-Trust Networking and Istio Security
- •Linkerd Security and Service Mesh Comparison
- •Configuring Zero-Trust Security with IstioLab
- •Securing Services with Linkerd mTLSLab
- •Kubernetes RBAC Fundamentals and Platform Patterns
- •Network Policies and Pod Security Standards
- •Implementing Multi-Tenant RBACLab
- •OPA Gatekeeper: Architecture and ConstraintTemplates
- •Gatekeeper: Common Policies and Operations
- •Kyverno: Architecture, Validation, and Mutation
- •Kyverno: Generation, Image Verification, and Gatekeeper Comparison
- •Implementing Policy Governance with GatekeeperLab
- •Implementing Policies with KyvernoLab
- •Image and IaC Security Scanning in Pipelines
- •Supply Chain Security, SBOMs, and Admission Control
- •Integrating Security Scanning into CI/CDLab
- •Kubernetes Audit Logging and Security Alerting
- •Compliance Frameworks and Runtime Security
- •Implementing Audit and Compliance ControlsLab
- •Security and Policy Enforcement QuizQuiz
SECTION 6 – CAPSTONE AND EXAM PREPARATION
Apply all learned skills in a comprehensive capstone lab building a production-ready platform, practice exam scenarios, and prepare for the CNPE certification exam.
- •CNPE Exam Overview and Strategies
- •Building a Production-Ready PlatformLab
- •CNPE Exam Practice ScenariosLab
- •CNPE Comprehensive AssessmentQuiz
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
See what others are saying about our Courses
“I like the Crossplane 101 course a lot. I think it is one of the best online courses I have taken (and I've taken a lot in the last 2 years, transitioning into DevOps). The labs are phenomenal – every task has a long tutorial with lots of explanations, gotchas, and recaps, and you always provide the reasoning for implementing a certain solution.”
“I just completed the Crossplane 101 course! Managing infrastructure as Kubernetes resources is a total game-changer. A huge thanks to TeKanAid and Sam Gabrail for the incredible training and insights.”
“Although I've worked with Crossplane in real production environments, I always felt there were gaps in my understanding. Completing this course filled those gaps perfectly. I had to unlearn and relearn quite a few things, especially around Crossplane v2.0 concepts. Well structured and thoughtfully put together. Highly recommended for building a strong, foundational understanding of Crossplane.”
“Dear Sam, I hope this email finds you well. If you remember before the end of last year I register for one your courses Terraform 101 – Certified Terraform Associate, I must admit that I learned a lot even though I was not patient enough for all videos to be available. All in all I enjoy the way you structured the course and how you went through it. The main reason of this email, to send you my gratitude for the content you created and to let you know that I passed my exam/test last week.”
“This course was a perfect introduction to Terraform and Infrastructure as Code. Loved the gitpod, saving me a lot of time for developer environment setup. We have a project at work where we want to go from a click-ops version of server-deploy to a more automated flow using ci/cd and terraform for deploying virtual servers.”
“I want to thank you for such wonderful courses. They are more comprehensive than other courses I have taken in the past. You take the time to explain every detail of the code and what it does exactly, further enforcing your student's understanding and confidence in what they are learning. Your methods are very effective and set you apart from other instructors.”
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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
Verify my certificate
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
Verify my certificate
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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