I'm currently working at a company that is pretty traditional with its tech stack—mainly using Apache, Nginx, and Docker Compose for deployments. Unfortunately, there's no exposure to AWS, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, or any of the more modern DevOps tools that are increasingly sought after. While I appreciate the foundational knowledge I've gained about Linux and server management, I can't shake the feeling that I'm falling behind in the DevOps field. I'm eager to dive deeper into practical learning with tools like AWS (especially EC2, S3, IAM, and CloudFormation), Kubernetes (including EKS, Helm, and ArgoCD), Terraform, and CI/CD solutions like Jenkins and GitLab CI.
The challenge is that using AWS can get pricey quickly when you're learning, and I'm trying to be budget-conscious with my self-study in my evenings. So, I'm reaching out for your recommendations and advice, especially from those who might have been in a similar position. Thanks for any tips!
1 Answer
One approach is to set aside a budget of around $100 to create a lab environment where you can practice without worrying about costs. I did this years ago and it paid off tremendously in terms of the knowledge I gained. You can always tear down your setup at night to save money. Don’t forget to keep your resources minimal to avoid hefty bills!
Quick question, are you suggesting a lab setup running Linux? I’m considering using a Red Hat developer license to set up RHEL and work through some Udemy courses since my workplace doesn't cover these tools.