Course Curriculum

Below is the full breakdown of modules and their primary focus areas:

1. Installation & Configuration

We begin with the foundation:

• Sizing & System Requirements: RAM, CPU, and OS compatibility
• Installing Docker Engine: Official packages, repository setup
• Swarm Setup: Initializing a Swarm cluster, manager/worker roles
• Docker Enterprise Components: UCP and DTR overview and deployment
• User & Team Management: Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
• Daemon Configuration: JSON configs, daemon.json options, TLS certs
• Namespaces & cgroups: Resource isolation fundamentals
• Troubleshooting & DR: Backup strategies, disaster recovery planning

2. Image Management

Master image lifecycle and optimization:

• Writing Efficient Dockerfiles
• Multi-Stage Builds & Build Cache best practices
• Docker CLI: docker push, pull, rmi, inspect
• Tagging & Layer Inspection: docker history, layer minimization
• Registry Operations: Deploying a private registry, searching, and cleanup

3. Storage & Volumes

Understand how containers persist and share data:

• Storage Drivers: overlay2, aufs, aufs alternatives per OS
• Inspecting Image Layers on the host filesystem
• Volume Management: Creating, mounting, pruning unused volumes
• Kubernetes Storage: Persistent Volumes (PV), Persistent Volume Claims (PVC), Storage Classes

4. Networking

Dive into container connectivity and service exposure:

• Linux Network Namespaces & CNM
• Built-in Drivers: bridge, host, overlay
• Port Publishing & External DNS setup
• Overlay Networks: Deploying multi-host services
• Network Troubleshooting: docker network inspect, packet captures
• Kubernetes Traffic Routing: Services, Ingress Controllers, Network Policies

5. Security

Implement best practices to harden your container environment:

• Docker Content Trust & Image Signing
• Engine & Swarm Security: TLS, mutual auth, secret management
• Identity & RBAC with UCP managers and workers
• Image Scanning: Static analysis tools, vulnerability reports
• Integrating UCP with LDAP/AD for centralized auth

6. Orchestration

Compare and contrast Docker Swarm with Kubernetes:

• Swarm Architecture: Managers, workers, Raft consensus
• Swarm Services & Stacks: Compose file v3, rolling updates
• Kubernetes Fundamentals: Pods, Deployments, ReplicaSets, Services
• Advanced K8s: Horizontal Pod Autoscaling, liveness/readiness probes
• Integration with Docker Enterprise: UCP scheduling, DTR-based images

The curriculum is organized into four progressive sections:

1. Docker Engine – Core installation, config, and basic operations
2. Docker Swarm – Native orchestration model
3. Kubernetes – Industry-standard orchestration
4. Docker Enterprise – UCP/DTR integrations and advanced management

Each technology module revisits installation, management, storage, networking, and security in context.

To maximize your learning experience, we recommend:

• Completion of Docker for Beginners
• Completion of Kubernetes for Beginners

If you’re already familiar with:

• Docker Swarm fundamentals
• Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)

you can breeze through the orchestration sections. Otherwise, all core concepts are introduced from the ground up.

In the next lesson, we’ll start with Module 1: Docker Engine Installation & Configuration.

Links and References

• Docker Documentation
• Kubernetes Documentation
• Docker Certified Associate Exam Domains
• Docker Content Trust Guide