Lab 01 — ChatOps with Slack¶

Format

Duration: 1 hours (guided lab)
Objective: Get every student onboarded to Slack, organized into teams, and familiar with ChatOps basics.
Tools: Slack (web or desktop app), MS Forms (for team registration).
Pre-requisites: None. This is your first hands-on lab.

Objectives¶

By the end of this lab, you will: - Join the course Slack workspace.
- Understand Slack’s structure: workspaces, channels, and direct messages.
- Work inside your team’s private channel.
- Explore public channels (#announcements, #q-and-a, etc.).
- Practice 1-on-1 and group chats.
- Learn how Slack will integrate with project tools (Jira, GitHub, Jenkins) in future labs.

Step 1 — Register your team¶

Your instructor will share a Microsoft Forms link.
Fill in:
- Full name
- Email ID (use the same one you’ll use for Slack)
- Assigned team name (Company A, B, C… as given)
Submit the form and wait for confirmation.
This ensures you are properly placed into your company team of 8–10 members.

Step 2 — Install or open Slack¶

Go to: https://slack.com/downloads
Choose:
- Desktop app (Windows/Mac/Linux) → recommended
- Mobile app (optional, good for notifications)
- Web version (via browser, but limited offline features)
- Install and open Slack.
- Sign in using the invite link your instructor provides.

Invite Link: https://join.slack.com/t/ditiss2025/shared_invite/zt-3f29pl275-qgUA67iSVLSHi9Q5o3BPZw

QR Code:

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Step 3 — Join the workspace¶

Click the invite link → accept.
Enter your full name (first + last).
Upload a profile picture (optional but recommended for team recognition).
You are now inside the course Slack workspace.

Step 4 — Explore Slack interface¶

Take a few minutes to look around: - Left sidebar: Channels, DMs, Apps.
- Top search bar: Search across messages, files, people.
- Message box: Write messages, attach files, add emojis.
- Threads: Reply in context to keep conversations organized.

Step 5 — Join your team channel¶

Your instructor will create a private team channel for each company (e.g., #team-alpha, #team-beta).
Navigate to the left sidebar → “Channels” → join your team’s channel.

Post a short intro message:

Hi team, I’m <Your Name>. Excited to start!

Pin a message with your team name, members list, and roles (assigned later).

Step 6 — Explore public channels¶

#announcements: For course-wide updates (read-only).
#q-and-a: Ask course-related questions.
#helpdesk: Report issues during labs.
#general: Open discussion, not specific to any team.

Post a short message in #q-and-a like:

Test message: Hello everyone, I can post here!

Step 7 — Practice 1-on-1 & group chat¶

Click Direct Messages (DMs) in the left sidebar.
Start a DM with one teammate:
“Hi , testing 1-on-1 chat!”
Start a group DM with 2–3 teammates.

Step 8 — Explore Slack features¶

Reactions: Add emoji to messages (👍, ✅, 🚀).
Threads: Reply inside a message thread to keep discussions neat.
Files: Upload a screenshot or a PDF into your team channel.
Search: Try searching for your own message with a keyword.
Pinning: Pin an important message in your team channel (like “Team Charter”).

Step 9 — Post your first Lab update¶

In your team channel, post a short lab update using this format:

Lab 01 completed ✅
- Joined workspace
- Introduced myself
- Tested 1:1 chat
- Posted in #q-and-a

This format will be used in every lab going forward (mini status update = part of DevOps culture).

Deliverables¶

Successfully joined Slack workspace.
Posted intro in team channel.
Posted test message in #q-and-a.
Sent at least one DM to a teammate.
Posted first Lab 01 update in team channel.

✅ Key Takeaways¶

Slack = your company’s communication hub.
Public channels for common info; private team channels for company work.
DMs for private conversations, but most discussions should stay in channels.
Every lab will end with a Slack lab update in your team channel.

✅ This lab sets up the ChatOps foundation — from here, all teamwork will flow through Slack.