Crossplane 101: Platform Engineering with Cloud-Native Infrastructure as Code
Master Crossplane, the open-source Kubernetes add-on that transforms your cluster into a universal control plane for platform engineering. Learn to build Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs) that enable self-service infrastructure provisioning using Kubernetes APIs, enabling true platform engineering practices with GitOps workflows.
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
7 practical labs with real-world scenarios in pre-configured cloud environments
Expert-Led
Learn from Sam Gabrail, Former HashiCorp Sr. Solutions Engineer with 15+ years experience
Community Support
Join our community where members help each other and collaborate on learning
What You'll Master
Understand Crossplane architecture and core platform engineering concepts
Configure Kubernetes clusters for Crossplane-based platforms
Install and configure AWS providers for cloud resource management
Create and manage AWS resources using Crossplane managed resources
Design reusable infrastructure compositions for platform abstractions
Build Composite Resource Definitions (XRDs) for developer self-service
Implement multi-tenant resource provisioning with claims and RBAC
Apply patch and transform patterns for dynamic configurations
Package platform abstractions using Configuration Packages
Distribute platforms across environments using OCI registries
Manage package versions and dependencies in production environments
Leverage composition functions for advanced platform logic
Build GitOps-enabled internal developer platforms
Apply platform engineering security best practices
Understand Crossplane v2.0 evolution and migration strategies
Implement operational workflows using Crossplane Operations
Migrate platform abstractions from Claims to namespaced XRs
What You'll Build
Real portfolio artifacts you can put on your GitHub and show hiring managers.
Crossplane-based AWS internal developer platform
Build a complete internal developer platform using Crossplane that allows developers to provision AWS databases, networking, and compute resources through Kubernetes-native APIs without needing direct AWS access. Demonstrates the self-service infrastructure pattern that is rapidly becoming standard for platform engineering teams.
Reusable Crossplane Composition Package for multi-tenant provisioning
Design and package Composite Resource Definitions and Compositions into an OCI-distributable Configuration Package that can be installed across multiple Kubernetes clusters. Shows how to treat platform abstractions as versioned, shareable artifacts — the foundation for multi-team platform engineering.
Course Curriculum
SECTION 1 – PLATFORM ENGINEERING WITH CROSSPLANE
Understanding platform engineering principles and Crossplane architecture
- •Course Introduction
- •Community
- •Platform Engineering Fundamentals
- •What is Crossplane?
- •Crossplane Architecture Overview
- •Crossplane Architecture Whiteboard
- •Platform Engineering Fundamentals QuizQuiz
SECTION 2 – CONFIGURING KUBERNETES FOR CROSSPLANE
Setting up Kubernetes clusters, installing Crossplane, and mastering essential CLI tools for platform engineering
- •Kubernetes Setup for Crossplane
- •Installing Crossplane
- •Crossplane CLI Tools and Debugging
- •Setting Up Your Crossplane PlatformLab
- •Kubernetes Platform Configuration QuizQuiz
SECTION 3 – AWS PROVIDERS AND MANAGED RESOURCES
Installing AWS providers and working with managed resources
- •Understanding Crossplane Providers
- •Installing and Configuring AWS Providers
- •Working with AWS Managed ResourcesLab
- •AWS Providers and Managed Resources QuizQuiz
SECTION 4 – COMPOSITIONS AND PLATFORM ABSTRACTIONS
Building platform abstractions with XRDs, compositions, claims, and multi-tenancy patterns
- •Understanding Compositions and Composite Resources
- •XRDs and Claims: Platform APIs and Multi-Tenancy
- •Building Compositions with Patch and Transform
- •Connection Details for Secure Credential Management
- •Building Your First CompositionLab
- •Compositions and Platform Abstractions QuizQuiz
SECTION 5 – PACKAGING AND DEPLOYMENT
Packaging platform abstractions and distributing them across environments using Configuration Packages
- •Introduction to Configuration Packages
- •Building and Deploying Configuration Packages
- •Image Configs for Package Management
- •Package and Deploy Crossplane CompositionsLab
- •Packaging and Deployment ConceptsQuiz
SECTION 6 – ADVANCED FEATURES
Advanced platform logic with composition functions
- •Introduction to Composition Functions
- •Advanced Composition FunctionsLab
- •Advanced Features QuizQuiz
SECTION 7 – GITOPS OPERATIONS
GitOps workflows with ArgoCD for S3 platform management using Crossplane
- •GitOps Fundamentals and Setup
- •GitOps Operations and Management
- •GitOps with CrossplaneLab
- •GitOps Operations QuizQuiz
SECTION 8 – CROSSPLANE V2.0 EVOLUTION AND MIGRATION
Understanding Crossplane v2.0's changes, migration patterns, and new operational capabilities
- •Crossplane v2.0: The Evolution of Platform Engineering
- •From Claims to Namespaced Composite Resources
- •Operations: Beyond Infrastructure Provisioning
- •Crossplane v2.0 Migration LabLab
- •Crossplane v2.0 Concepts AssessmentQuiz
SECTION 9 – COURSE COMPLETION AND NEXT STEPS
Celebrating your achievement and charting your path forward in platform engineering
- •Congratulations and Next Steps
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
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this enough to start building a real internal developer platform with Crossplane?
Yes. By the end of the course you will have built a working Crossplane-based platform that exposes self-service AWS infrastructure provisioning through Kubernetes APIs. The course covers the full lifecycle — from installing Crossplane and configuring providers through to building Composite Resource Definitions, packaging platform abstractions, and distributing them across environments using OCI registries. This is production-applicable knowledge, not just a conceptual overview.
How long does this course realistically take?
Most students complete the 25-lesson course in 4-6 weeks at 6-8 hours per week. The 7 hands-on labs cover real Crossplane operations and the lab time scales with how deeply you explore each concept. The course is rated at approximately 15 hours of content, but hands-on platform engineering work typically takes 2-3x longer.
What if I have no Crossplane experience?
The course starts with Crossplane fundamentals — what it is, how it differs from Terraform, and how the Kubernetes control plane model applies to infrastructure provisioning. You need basic Kubernetes knowledge (pods, deployments, services) and AWS familiarity, but no prior Crossplane experience is required.
Are the labs current with the latest Crossplane version?
Yes. The course targets Crossplane v2 and includes dedicated content on the v2 evolution and migration strategies from Claims to namespaced XRs. Labs are updated when Crossplane releases breaking changes. All labs run in the TeKanAid academy lab system with AWS accounts provisioned automatically.
Do I need a cloud account to follow along?
No. All labs run in the TeKanAid academy lab system which provisions real AWS accounts automatically for each lab session. You do not need your own AWS account or credit card. The lab environments are pre-configured with the IAM permissions required for Crossplane provider operations.
What happens when I cancel my subscription?
You lose access to the labs and future content updates. Your progress and quiz scores are saved so you can resume if you resubscribe. A Lifetime plan is available at academy.tekanaid.com for permanent access without a subscription.
What is the difference between Pro and Premium for this course?
Pro gives you all 25 lessons and quizzes. Premium adds the 7 hands-on labs in the TeKanAid academy lab system where you build a real Crossplane platform against live AWS infrastructure. Platform engineering is a deeply practical discipline — the labs are where conceptual understanding becomes deployable expertise.
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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Purchase Crossplane 101: Platform Engineering with Cloud-Native Infrastructure as Code for a one-time fee of $79.00. Full access to course content, quizzes, certificates, and community features — lab access is not included.
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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.
- 15+ 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)
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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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I'm confident you'll get everything you need from this course and be 100% satisfied. But in the unlikely event you decide it's not for you just ask for a refund any time during the first 30 days and you'll get your money back with no questions asked.