> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://notes.kodekloud.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Course Introduction > Hands-on course teaching Cilium networking, security, observability, installation, multi-cluster and exam prep for Kubernetes operators using eBPF Welcome to the Cilium Certified Associate course. I’m Sanjeev — in this lesson I’ll walk you through the practical skills required to operate Cilium in production Kubernetes environments with confidence. Cilium is a leading Kubernetes networking and security project powered by eBPF and used by organizations such as Adobe, Google, and Datadog. Many managed Kubernetes offerings support Cilium (for example, [AWS EKS](https://learn.kodekloud.com/user/courses/aws-eks) and [GKE — Google Kubernetes Engine](https://learn.kodekloud.com/user/courses/gke-google-kubernetes-engine)), and companies like GitHub use it to enhance security and observability. This course follows a learn-by-doing approach: concepts are introduced, then immediately reinforced with hands-on labs where you can experiment, troubleshoot, and validate real-world scenarios. What you’ll learn (high level) * Kubernetes networking fundamentals and where Cilium fits into the stack. * Cilium architecture and the role of eBPF in modern networking and security. * Installation and lifecycle management with CLI and Helm. * Core networking: IPAM modes, routing, kube-proxyless operation, and internal traffic flow. * Advanced security with Cilium Network Policies (CNPs) beyond standard Kubernetes NetworkPolicies. * Service mesh capabilities, integration with Ingress and the [Gateway API](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/), and TLS/encryption patterns. * Multi-cluster connectivity using Cluster Mesh — global services and cross-cluster policies. * Observability and troubleshooting with Hubble, Prometheus, and Grafana. * Advanced topics: egress gateways, LoadBalancer IPAM, and BGP integration. * Mock exams to measure readiness for certification. This course includes step-by-step demos and labs so you can try each feature hands-on. A slide titled "Cilium Certified Associate" with bullet points about Kubernetes networking and Cilium topics is shown on the left. On the right, a presenter wearing a KodeKloud shirt speaks into a microphone. Install and configure Cilium You’ll see detailed demos that show the components Cilium deploys and how to maintain them. The demos include both quick CLI installs and Helm-based installations so you can use the approach that matches your environments. Example — adding the official Cilium Helm repository: ```bash theme={null} # Add the Cilium repository helm repo add cilium https://helm.cilium.io helm repo update ``` After adding the repo, we’ll cover customizing Cilium via Helm values, performing upgrades, validating installations, and common troubleshooting commands. Course modules (concise overview) | Module | Key Topics | Hands-on Labs | | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | | Fundamentals | Kubernetes networking basics, eBPF, Cilium architecture | Explore packet flow and Cilium components | | Installation & Upgrades | CLI vs. Helm installs, Helm values, validation | Install Cilium; perform an upgrade and health checks | | Networking | IPAM choices, routing modes, kube-proxyless, services | Test pod-to-pod and service traffic flows | | Network Security | Kubernetes NetworkPolicy vs. Cilium NetworkPolicy | Create and troubleshoot Cilium policies | | Service Mesh & Gateway | Cilium as mesh dataplane, Gateway API, TLS | Deploy ingress, enforce policies, configure TLS | | Multi-cluster | Cluster Mesh, global services, cross-cluster policies | Configure Cluster Mesh and verify connectivity | | Observability | Hubble flows, Prometheus metrics, Grafana dashboards | Trace flows, build dashboards, debug issues | | Advanced Topics | Egress gateways, LoadBalancer IPAM, BGP | Configure advanced routing and IPAM scenarios | | Exam Prep | Mock exams and practical checks | Take timed practice exams | Cilium networking details We’ll deep-dive into IP Address Management (IPAM) choices, routing modes (e.g., direct routing vs. encapsulation), and how kube-proxyless service handling works inside a Cilium-enabled cluster. Understanding traffic flow is essential for debugging, performance tuning, and designing network policies. Cilium Network Policies provide richer intent and layer-aware rules compared to standard Kubernetes NetworkPolicies. You’ll learn patterns for allowing/denying traffic, writing L7 policies, and troubleshooting policy enforcement. Cluster Mesh — cross-cluster connectivity The multi-cluster section explains how Cluster Mesh provides global services and cross-cluster connectivity. You’ll see configuration steps, an explanation of required components, and policy considerations for secure multi-cluster traffic. A presentation slide titled "Cluster Mesh — Features" showing a diagram of three Kubernetes clusters with frontend and backend pods and arrows indicating cross-cluster connectivity. A small circular video thumbnail of a presenter appears in the bottom-right. Observability and troubleshooting Observability is a major focus: we’ll introduce Hubble for flow visibility and show how to scrape metrics with Prometheus and visualize them with Grafana. Labs will walk you through tracing service-to-service traffic, inspecting flows, identifying policy drops, and resolving common misconfigurations. Mock exams and certification readiness To help you prepare for the Cilium Certified Associate exam, the course provides practice questions and full mock exams that mirror the certification format. These are designed to test both conceptual knowledge and practical troubleshooting skills. A screenshot of an online "Cilium Certified Associate" mock exam question asking "What is the main responsibility of the Cilium Operator component?" with four multiple-choice answers and a Submit button. A small circular video thumbnail of a presenter appears in the bottom-right corner. Community and next steps Join the KodeKloud community forums to connect with other learners, ask questions, and share lab results. Practice consistently in a suitable Kubernetes environment (local kind/minikube, a cloud cluster, or a sandbox) to get the most from the labs. Resources and references * [Cilium documentation](https://docs.cilium.io/) * [eBPF overview](https://ebpf.io/) * [Hubble (Cilium observability)](https://cilium.io/projects/hubble/) * [Prometheus](https://prometheus.io/) * [Grafana](https://grafana.com/) * [Gateway API](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/) * [Kubernetes Concepts](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/overview/what-is-kubernetes/) This course emphasizes hands-on labs. Make sure you have a suitable Kubernetes environment available (local kind/minikube, cloud cluster, or sandbox) to complete the exercises.