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Syllabus

Phase 0 - Sessions & Labs

Session 1: Agile

Objectives

  • Understand the principles of Agile.
  • Explore the Agile Manifesto and its 12 principles.
  • Compare Agile with traditional (waterfall) methodologies.

Topics

  • Origins and need for Agile.
  • Agile Manifesto values.
  • Benefits and challenges in adopting Agile.

Session 2: Agile Methodologies

Objectives

  • Learn different Agile frameworks and practices.
  • Distinguish between Scrum, Kanban, and Extreme Programming (XP).
  • Understand where and how to apply each methodology.

Topics

  • Scrum roles, ceremonies, and artifacts.
  • Kanban principles and visual workflow.
  • XP practices (pair programming, TDD, continuous integration).
  • Agile at scale (SAFe, LeSS).

Session 3: Lean in DevOps

Objectives

  • Connect Lean principles to Agile and DevOps practices.
  • Understand waste reduction and continuous improvement.
  • Apply Lean thinking to IT and software delivery.

Topics

  • The 5 Lean principles.
  • Eliminating waste in software processes.
  • Value stream mapping for DevOps pipelines.
  • Case studies: Lean transformation in IT.

Session 4: Understanding Labs

Objectives

  • Familiarize with lab environment, tools, and submission workflow.
  • Learn how labs integrate into Agile and DevOps practices.

Topics

  • Lab submission via GitHub.
  • Lab evaluation process (peer + instructor review).
  • Setting up collaboration tools (Slack/Taiga).

Lab 00: Environment Setup

Goal: Set up collaboration and task management tools.

Tasks

  • Join TechOps Inc. Slack workspace.
  • Set up Taiga board for Agile project management.
  • Create GitHub repo for lab submissions.
  • Expected Outcome
  • Students onboarded with communication and project tracking tools.

Lab 01: Agile Project Simulation

Goal: Simulate a Scrum sprint using Taiga.

Tasks

  • Define product backlog with at least 5 user stories.
  • Create sprint backlog and assign tasks.
  • Run a sprint planning session.
  • Conduct a daily standup (mock).
  • Expected Outcome
  • Students experience Agile ceremonies and backlog management.

Lab 02: Kanban Workflow

Goal: Implement a Kanban workflow.

Tasks

  • Set up Kanban board in Taiga.
  • Define WIP (Work In Progress) limits.
  • Track at least one feature from “To Do” → “In Progress” → “Done.”
  • Expected Outcome
  • Students understand flow-based Agile execution and bottleneck visualization.

Checkpoints & Quizzes

  • Checkpoint 1: Submit GitHub repo link and Taiga board screenshot after Lab 00.
  • Quiz 1: Multiple-choice on Agile Manifesto values and Lean principles.
  • Checkpoint 2: Peer review of Lab 01 backlog and sprint plan.
  • Quiz 2: Scenario-based questions on choosing Scrum vs Kanban.

Phase 1 – Data Center Management

Part A: Data Center Management

Session 1: Overview

Objectives

  • Define the role and importance of data centers in IT infrastructure.
  • Understand types of data centers (enterprise, colocation, cloud).

Topics

  • What is a Data Center?
  • Evolution of data centers.
  • Core functions and services.

Session 2: Data Center Architecture

Objectives

  • Learn the high-level architecture of a data center.
  • Identify tiers of components (compute, storage, networking).

Topics

  • Logical vs. physical design.
  • Standard reference architectures.
  • Redundancy and fault tolerance.

Session 3: Physical Area

Objectives

  • Understand space requirements for servers, racks, and facilities.
  • Plan floor layouts for scalability and safety.

Topics

  • Rack layout and hot/cold aisles.
  • Raised floor vs slab floor.
  • Floor space utilization metrics.

Session 4: Power

Objectives

  • Learn power distribution in data centers.
  • Identify redundancy strategies (UPS, generators).

Topics

  • Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE).
  • UPS systems, backup generators.
  • Dual power feeds and fault tolerance.

Session 5: Cooling

Objectives

  • Explore cooling mechanisms and efficiency.
  • Design airflow for optimal performance.

Topics

  • CRAC units and liquid cooling.
  • Hot aisle/cold aisle containment.
  • Cooling efficiency metrics.

Session 6: Networks

Objectives

  • Understand networking inside a data center.
  • Design connectivity and traffic flow.

Topics

  • LAN and SAN.
  • Top-of-rack vs. end-of-row switches.
  • Core, aggregation, and access layers.

Session 7: Weight Considerations

Objectives

  • Learn about structural load constraints in data centers.
  • Plan safe rack and equipment placement.

Topics

  • Floor loading capacities.
  • Equipment weight distribution.

Session 8: Geo-Location

Objectives

  • Evaluate site selection criteria for data centers.
  • Understand geographic, climatic, and risk factors.

Topics

  • Seismic zones, flood zones.
  • Connectivity to ISPs.
  • Proximity to users and compliance regulations.

Session 9: Budget

Objectives

  • Understand CAPEX vs OPEX in data center design.
  • Balance cost with performance and redundancy.

Topics

  • Budgeting for facilities, equipment, staff.
  • ROI considerations.

Session 10: Good Design

Objectives

  • Apply design best practices.
  • Evaluate trade-offs in design choices.

Topics

  • Modularity and scalability.
  • Efficiency vs redundancy.
  • Emerging design trends.

Session 11: Classification & Ratings

Objectives

  • Learn about data center standards and tiers.
  • Classify data centers based on uptime and resilience.

Topics

  • Uptime Institute Tier I–IV.
  • ISO/IEC standards.
  • Energy Star and green data center metrics.

Session 12: Knowledge Check

  • Format: Quiz / checkpoint on Sessions 1–11.
  • Objective: Reinforce understanding of architecture, power, cooling, and design principles.

Part B: Infrastructure in a Data Center

Session 13: Infrastructure Overview

Objectives

  • Identify key infrastructural elements inside a data center.

Topics

  • Compute, storage, and networking infrastructure.

Session 14: Modular Cabling Design

Objectives

  • Understand structured cabling principles.

Topics

  • Cable management systems.
  • Fiber vs copper.
  • Scalability and modularity.

Session 15: Points of Distribution

Objectives

  • Learn cabling distribution methods.

Topics

  • Main Distribution Area (MDA).
  • Horizontal and Vertical Distribution Areas.

Objectives

  • Plan WAN connectivity for redundancy.

Topics

  • ISP diversity.
  • Bandwidth provisioning.
  • SLAs and peering.

Session 17: Network Operations Center (NOC)

Objectives

  • Role of NOC in monitoring and management.

Topics

  • Incident management.
  • Performance monitoring.
  • 24x7 operations.

Session 18: Physical & Logical Security + Cleaning

Objectives

  • Apply security best practices in data centers.

Topics

  • Physical access controls (biometrics, CCTV).
  • Logical access controls.
  • Facility maintenance and cleaning.

Session 19: Reasons for Consolidation

Objectives

  • Understand drivers for data center consolidation.

Topics

  • Cost efficiency.
  • Energy savings.
  • Simplified management.

Session 20: Consolidation Opportunities

Objectives

  • Explore real opportunities to consolidate infrastructure.

Topics

  • Virtualization.
  • Storage consolidation.
  • Cloud migration.

Session 21: Data Center Servers

Objectives

  • Understand server roles and configurations.

Topics

  • Rack servers, blade servers.
  • High-density configurations.

Session 22: Server Capacity Planning

Objectives

  • Forecast compute needs effectively.

Topics

  • CPU, memory, and storage planning.
  • Workload analysis.
  • Capacity planning tools.

Session 23: Disaster Recovery

Objectives

  • Implement disaster recovery in data centers.

Topics

  • RPO and RTO.
  • Backup strategies.
  • DR sites and replication.

Session 24: Data Center Security Guidelines

Objectives

  • Learn security frameworks and guidelines.

Topics

  • ISO 27001.
  • NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
  • Vendor security practices.

Session 25: Internet Security Guidelines

Objectives

  • Address security for data center internet access.

Topics

  • Firewalls and IDS/IPS.
  • DDoS protection.
  • Zero trust.

Session 26: Source Security Issues

Objectives

  • Identify common security issues in data centers.

Topics

  • Insider threats.
  • Malware and vulnerabilities.
  • Supply chain risks.

Session 27: Best Practices in System Administration

Objectives

  • Apply administration best practices.

Topics

  • Patch management.
  • Backup/restore.
  • Documentation and change management.

Session 28: System Administration Automation

Objectives

  • Automate routine system administration tasks.

Topics

  • Scripting basics.
  • Tools for automation (Ansible, Puppet, Chef).
  • Automation benefits and risks.

Phase 2 – Virtualization & Cloud

Part A: Virtualization

Session 1: Overview

Objectives

  • Understand the role of virtualization in IT infrastructure.
  • Learn how virtualization underpins cloud computing.

Topics

  • Definition and benefits of virtualization.
  • Types: server, storage, network, desktop virtualization.

Session 2: Introduction to Virtualization

Objectives

  • Explore historical context and evolution of virtualization.

Topics

  • From mainframes to hypervisors.
  • Virtualization use cases in enterprises.

Session 3: Virtualization Concepts

Objectives

  • Master key technical concepts of virtualization.

Topics

  • Hypervisors: Type 1 vs Type 2.
  • VM lifecycle and snapshots.
  • Resource sharing and overhead.

Session 4: OS Virtualization

Objectives

  • Learn how OS-level virtualization differs from hardware virtualization.

Topics

  • Containers vs VMs.
  • Namespace and cgroups.
  • Use cases: Docker, LXC.

Session 5: Virtual Clusters

Objectives

  • Understand virtualization in clustered environments.

Topics

  • High availability clusters.
  • Load balancing.
  • Resource pooling.

Lab 03: Install and Configure VirtualBox

Goal: Set up VirtualBox on host system.

Tasks

  • Install VirtualBox.
  • Create a Linux VM.
  • Test VM networking.
  • Expected Outcome
  • Working VM ready for labs.

Lab 04: Deploy Multiple VMs

Goal: Practice managing multiple virtual machines.

Tasks

  • Deploy 2+ VMs.
  • Configure networking between them.
  • Expected Outcome
  • Students can simulate cluster basics.

Part B: Storage Area Network (SAN)

Session 6: SAN Overview

Objectives

  • Understand what SAN is and why it is used.

Topics

  • SAN vs NAS vs DAS.
  • Enterprise storage challenges.

Session 7: SAN High Availability

Objectives

  • Explore redundancy and failover in SAN.

Topics

  • Multipathing.
  • Failover clustering.
  • RAID levels.

Session 8: SAN Components

Objectives

  • Identify SAN hardware and software components.

Topics

  • HBAs, switches, storage arrays.
  • Fibre Channel, iSCSI protocols.

Labs 05–09: SAN Hands-On

  • Lab 05: Configure FreeNAS storage.
  • Lab 06: Connect host to SAN using iSCSI.
  • Lab 07: Configure multipath and redundancy.
  • Lab 08: Test high availability failover.
  • Lab 09: Benchmark SAN performance.

Expected Outcome: Students gain practical SAN setup and troubleshooting experience.

Part C: Cloud Computing

Session 9: Introduction to Cloud Computing

Objectives

  • Define cloud computing models and services.

Topics

  • NIST definition of cloud.
  • Service models: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS.
  • Deployment models: Public, Private, Hybrid.

Session 10: Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI)

Objectives

  • Learn how compute, storage, and networking converge in HCI.

Topics

  • HCI vs traditional data centers.
  • Benefits and challenges.

Session 11: OpenStack

Objectives

  • Explore OpenStack as an open-source cloud platform.

Topics

  • Keystone, Nova, Glance, Swift, Neutron.
  • OpenStack architecture and use cases.

Session 12: Software-Defined Networking (SDN)

Objectives

  • Understand SDN concepts in cloud environments.

Topics

  • Control plane vs data plane.
  • OpenFlow and network programmability.

Lab 10: Deploy OpenStack with DevStack

Goal: Set up OpenStack on a VM.

Tasks

  • Install DevStack.
  • Configure Keystone and Nova.
  • Launch a VM instance.
  • Expected Outcome
  • Students get exposure to cloud platform deployment.

Session 13: Public Cloud Overview

Objectives

  • Explore major public cloud providers.

Topics

  • AWS, Azure, GCP basics.
  • Regional availability.

Session 14: Services of Public Cloud

Objectives

  • Understand common cloud services.

Topics

  • Compute (EC2, VM), Storage (S3, Blob).
  • Networking, Databases.

Session 15: Cloud Services Comparison

Objectives

  • Compare offerings across AWS, Azure, GCP.

Topics

  • Pricing.
  • Feature availability.
  • Strengths and limitations.

Lab 11: Launch Instances in AWS Free Tier

Goal: Work with public cloud services.

Tasks

  • Create AWS Free Tier account.
  • Launch and connect to EC2.
  • Expected Outcome
  • Students gain first exposure to cloud workloads.

Session 16: Cloud API & SDK

Objectives

  • Learn programmatic access to cloud.

Topics

  • AWS SDK, Azure CLI, GCP SDK.
  • REST APIs and automation.

Session 17: Cloud Migration & Disaster Recovery

Objectives

  • Understand cloud migration strategies.

Topics

  • Lift and shift vs re-architect.
  • Cloud-based DR solutions.

Session 18: Configuration Management in Cloud

Objectives

  • Explore tools for managing cloud infra.

Topics

  • Ansible, Terraform, CloudFormation.
  • Infrastructure as Code.

Session 19: Cloud Migration Deep Dive

Objectives

  • Execute migration planning and steps.

Topics

  • Assessment tools.
  • Data transfer methods.

Labs 12–13: Cloud Migration Practice

  • Lab 12: Simulate lift-and-shift migration.
  • Lab 13: Set up backup and restore for DR.

Session 20: Cloud Logging & Monitoring

Objectives

  • Monitor cloud resources effectively.

Topics

  • CloudWatch, Azure Monitor, GCP Stackdriver.
  • Logging and alerting.

Labs 14–15: Cloud Monitoring

  • Lab 14: Configure CloudWatch alarms.
  • Lab 15: Create monitoring dashboards.

Expected Outcome: Students gain cloud operations and monitoring skills.

Phase 3 – DevOps

Part A: DevOps Foundations

Session 1: DevOps Foundations

Objectives

  • Understand the principles and culture of DevOps.
  • Connect DevOps to Agile and Lean practices.

Topics

  • DevOps definition and goals.
  • Key benefits: faster delivery, collaboration, automation.
  • DevOps lifecycle stages (Plan → Code → Build → Test → Release → Deploy → Operate → Monitor).

Session 2: DevOps Basic Tools

Objectives

  • Explore tools that form the DevOps ecosystem.
  • Learn categories: version control, CI/CD, monitoring, automation.

Topics

  • Git & GitHub.
  • Jenkins, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • Ansible, Terraform, Prometheus, Nagios.

Labs 16–21: DevOps Foundations Tools

  • Lab 16: Git Basics – Create repo, push/pull, branching.
  • Lab 17: GitHub Collaboration – Forking, pull requests, issues.
  • Lab 18: Jenkins Setup – Install and run a sample pipeline.
  • Lab 19: Docker Basics – Build and run containers.
  • Lab 20: Docker Compose – Multi-container application.
  • Lab 21: Kubernetes (Minikube) – Deploy containerized application.

Expected Outcome: Students gain practical experience with the DevOps toolchain.

Part B: Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Session 3: Infrastructure as Code

Objectives

  • Understand why IaC is critical for DevOps.
  • Compare declarative vs imperative approaches.

Topics

  • IaC benefits: consistency, speed, scalability.
  • Popular IaC tools.

Session 4: Terraform

Objectives

  • Learn how to define and deploy infrastructure with Terraform.

Topics

  • Providers, resources, and state files.
  • Terraform workflow: init, plan, apply, destroy.
  • Modules and reusability.

Labs 22–23: Terraform

  • Lab 22 (Optional): Install Terraform and explore CLI.
  • Lab 22: Deploy EC2 instance with Terraform (AWS Free Tier).
  • Lab 23: Manage multiple resources with Terraform (VPC, subnets, EC2).

Expected Outcome: Students can provision cloud infrastructure declaratively.

Part C: Container Orchestration & Microservices

Session 5: Container Orchestration

Objectives

  • Explore orchestration tools and concepts.

Topics

  • Kubernetes architecture.
  • Pods, services, deployments.
  • Scaling and rolling updates.

Session 6: Microservices Deployment

Objectives

  • Deploy microservices in containerized environments.

Topics

  • Microservices vs monoliths.
  • Deployment pipelines for microservices.
  • Service discovery and load balancing.

Labs 24–25: Containers & Microservices

  • Lab 24: Build custom Docker image for Nginx app and push to Docker Hub.
  • Lab 25: Deploy multi-service application on Kubernetes (Minikube).

Expected Outcome: Students understand end-to-end container orchestration for microservices.

Part D: Configuration Management with Ansible

Session 7: Ansible

Objectives

  • Automate server configuration and application deployment.

Topics

  • Ansible architecture and inventory.
  • Playbooks and roles.
  • Common modules.

Labs 26–27: Ansible

  • Lab 26: Install Ansible and configure SSH for target nodes.
  • Lab 27: Write playbooks to install and start web servers (Apache/Nginx).

Expected Outcome: Students automate infrastructure tasks with Ansible.