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Continuous Integration

Learn Continuous Integration through Harness University

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Instructor-Led Training

Intensive two-day courses are designed for engineers looking to deepen their understanding and expertise in Harness.

Certifications

Test and validate your knowledge of Harness by becoming a Harness Certified Expert.

Continuous Integration - Developer

Continuous Integration - Developer badge

Product version: Harness CI Free Plans

Assesses the fundamental skills to deploy CI projects.

Review Study Guide

Objective
Material

1. Understanding of CI/CD Concepts and Best Practices

Distinguish between Continuous Integration, Continuous Delivery, and Continuous Deployment

Identify key concepts related to CI/CD pipelines and their steps

Recognize best practices for implementing CI/CD in software development workflows

2. Harness CI Pipeline Creation and Optimization

Construct a Harness CI pipeline and establish its stages and steps

Diagnose and resolve common errors and issues within the CI pipeline

Implement strategies to optimize pipeline execution and minimize build times

3. Utilization and Management of Harness Connectors and Integrations

Configure and manage various Harness Connectors (e.g., Docker, Git)

Understand and implement integration with different platforms and OS

4. Implementing and Managing Docker and Containerization in Harness CI

Establish Docker connectivity and manage Docker connectors

Develop and optimize Dockerfile configurations and image handling

Diagnose and mitigate common Docker-related issues and errors

5. Harness CI Configuration and Codebase Management

Understand and implement the configuration of Harness CI Codebase

Optimize and manage code repository, connectors, and trigger settings

6. Authentication and Security Management in Harness CI

Configure and manage authentication methods for various connectors (e.g., Git, Docker)

Implement and utilize Secrets Management tools with Harness CI

Understand and implement access control using Harness RBAC configurations

7. Implementing and Utilizing Test Intelligence in Harness CI

Configure and synchronize Harness Test Intelligence with main/master branches

Implement strategies to improve and optimize test execution times

8. Advanced CI Features and Troubleshooting in Harness

Implement and utilize advanced features like caching and conditional executions in CI

Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve common issues and errors in CI stages

9. Implementation of Plugins and Extensions in Harness CI

Understand, install, and manage plugins in the Harness CI environment

Implement use-cases using various Harness CI and third-party plugins

Register for Exam

Exam Details

The Continuous Integration Developer exam tests your knowledge and skills of the Harness Integration Delivery module.

Prerequisites

  • Basic terminal skills

  • Basic understanding of on-premise or cloud architecture

Exam Details

Exam Duration: 90 minutes

Question Type: Multiple choice

Covered Domain
% of Coverage

1. Understanding of CI/CD Concepts and Best Practices

12%

2. Harness CI Pipeline Creation and Optimization

11%

3. Utilization and Management of Harness Connectors and Integrations

11%

4. Implementing and Managing Docker and Containerization in Harness CI

11%

5. Harness CI Configuration and Codebase Management

11%

6. Authentication and Security Management in Harness CI

11%

7. Implementing and Utilizing Test Intelligence in Harness CI

11%

8. Advanced CI Features and Troubleshooting in Harness

11%

9. Implementation of Plugins and Extensions in Harness CI

11%

Exam Objectives

List of Objectives

The following is a detailed list of exam objectives:

#
Objective

1

Understanding of CI/CD Concepts and Best Practices

1.1

Distinguish between Continuous Integration, Continuous Delivery, and Continuous Deployment

1.2

Identify key concepts related to CI/CD pipelines and their steps

1.3

Recognize best practices for implementing CI/CD in software development workflows

2

Harness CI Pipeline Creation and Optimization

2.1

Construct a Harness CI pipeline and establish its stages and steps

2.2

Diagnose and resolve common errors and issues within the CI pipeline

2.3

Implement strategies to optimize pipeline execution and minimize build times

3

Utilization and Management of Harness Connectors and Integrations

3.1

Configure and manage various Harness Connectors (e.g., Docker, Git)

3.2

Understand and implement integration with different platforms and OS

4

Implementing and Managing Docker and Containerization in Harness CI

4.1

Establish Docker connectivity and manage Docker connectors

4.2

Develop and optimize Dockerfile configurations and image handling

4.3

Diagnose and mitigate common Docker-related issues and errors

5

Harness CI Configuration and Codebase Management

5.1

Understand and implement the configuration of Harness CI Codebase

5.2

Optimize and manage code repository, connectors, and trigger settings

6

Authentication and Security Management in Harness CI

6.1

Configure and manage authentication methods for various connectors (e.g., Git, Docker)

6.2

Implement and utilize Secrets Management tools with Harness CI

6.3

Understand and implement access control using Harness RBAC configurations

7

Implementing and Utilizing Test Intelligence in Harness CI

7.1

Configure and synchronize Harness Test Intelligence with main/master branches

7.2

Implement strategies to improve and optimize test execution times

8

Advanced CI Features and Troubleshooting in Harness

8.1

Implement and utilize advanced features like caching and conditional executions in CI

8.2

Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve common issues and errors in CI stages

9

Implementation of Plugins and Extensions in Harness CI

9.1

Understand, install, and manage plugins in the Harness CI environment

9.2

Implement use-cases using various Harness CI and third-party plugins

Next Steps

The Continuous Integration Developer exam can start immediately after registering. Please allow up to 90 mins for the exam.

  1. Create an account in Harness University

  2. Register for an exam

  3. Take the exam

Register for Exam

Continuous Integration - Administrator

Continuous Integration - Administrator badge

Product version: Harness CI Paid Plans

Assesses the fundamental skills to deploy and maintain CI projects and the overall Harness Platform. This exam builds upon the CI Developer Certification.

Review Study Guide

Topic
Material

1. Introduction to Harness and Key Concepts

Understand continuous integration fundamentals, including critical stages or steps

Grasp the core concepts: "Pipeline, Stages, Step Groups, Steps" and Harness hierarchy "Account, Organizations, Projects"

Familiarize with Harness Manager and the role of Harness Delegate for CI capability

2. Harness Build Infrastructure and Configuration

Explore Harness Cloud supported platforms, OS, and build infrastructures

Dive into CI Build Infrastructures and their diverse options

Understand Ephemeral Environments and the specific requirements for a K8s Build environment

3. Artifact Management and Connectivity

Grasp Artifacts and Packages spanning from jar to container image, helm, and more

Describe and configure Artifact Repositories like cont registry, object store, jfrog, nexus, etc

Delve into Harness Connectors: configuration of Git, DockerHub, and more

4. Harness CI Pipelines and Advanced Features

Master Codebase configuration, shared paths, and step library, including plugin configurations

Understand and set up advanced features like caching intelligence, test intelligence, and flow control

Configure pipeline features, including triggers, input sets, failure strategies, looping, and notifications

5. Pipeline Execution Strategies

Get to grips with execution environments: running steps on host vs. containers

Manage outputs, PR status updates, and understand chained pipelines

Delve into advanced options like timeouts, selective stage executions, and stage context sharing

6. Security and Access Control

Understand RBAC with user groups, roles, role bindings, and service account considerations

Configure access and permissions, including tags and resource groups

Grasp the implications of anonymous Docker image pulls and other security considerations

7. Authentication and User Management

Deep dive into OAuth, SAML, and SCIM integrations

Set up and manage credentials, user and group permissions, and more

Delve into debugging and troubleshooting techniques, including running pipeline steps locally

8. Policy-Based Governance and Compliance

Explore and configure policy as code with OPA and Rego

Enforce governance within pipelines and understand templates for Harness CI

Familiarize with account audit trails and their respective use cases

9. Enterprise Features and Dashboards

Delve into Enterprise dashboards, including custom options like Looker

Explore Pipeline Studio's execution history and other related features

Get a handle on pipeline templatization for scalable CI solutions

Register for Exam

Exam Details

The Continuous Integration Administrator exam tests your knowledge and skills of the Harness Continuous Integration module.

Prerequisites

  • Intermediate terminal skills

  • Basic understanding of on-premise or cloud architecture

  • This exam builds upon the CI Developer Exam

Exam Details

Exam Type
Duration

Knowledge Exam

90 minutes

Hands On Exam

120 minutes

Covered Domain
% of Coverage

1. Understanding and Managing Pipelines in Harness CI

12%

2. Configuring Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) in Harness

12%

3. Implementing and Managing Authentication and Security

12%

4. Working with Harness CI/CD Integration and Infrastructure

12%

5. Utilizing and Managing Harness Connectors

12%

6. Implementing and Leveraging Harness Variables and Expressions

12%

7. Leveraging Harness Secret Management and Secret Usage

12%

8. Managing Harness CI/CD Artifacts and File Store

12%

9. Harness Delegate Configuration and Management

16%

Exam Objectives

List of Objectives

The following is a detailed list of exam objectives:

#
Objective

1

Understanding and Managing Pipelines in Harness CI

1.1

Define and work with Background Steps and Pipeline Chains

1.2

Explore Child Pipelines and their transitions in Chaining

1.3

Identify best practices for CI Pipeline Templates and breaking changes management

2

Configuring Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) in Harness

2.1

Setup RBAC configurations for executing Chained Pipelines

2.2

Understand the hierarchy level and scope where Roles can be created

2.3

Explain how permissions are granted to a Service Account within the RBAC model

3

Implementing and Managing Authentication and Security

3.1

Implement various methods to increase Authentication security level

3.2

Understand and work with different supported SSO methods

3.3

Apply Harness Policy as Code to enforce governance and security practices

4

Working with Harness CI/CD Integration and Infrastructure

4.1

Comprehend how Harness CI integrates with GitHub Actions and other Git providers

4.2

Discern how Harness Cloud deals with build infrastructures and related maintenance

4.3

Know how to choose and configure build infrastructure options, including the use of Kubernetes

5

Utilizing and Managing Harness Connectors

5.1

Manage connectors for various platforms like GitHub, Docker Hub, and Artifact Repositories

5.2

Determine settings for returning codebase variables to Harness via code repo connectors

5.3

Develop strategies to avoid rate/throttling limiting issues when interacting with external repositories and platforms

6

Implementing and Leveraging Harness Variables and Expressions

6.1

Utilize JEXL expressions within pipeline variables for dynamic functionality

6.2

Establish and reference variables across different hierarchy levels within Harness

6.3

Recognize suitable scenarios for the utilization of built-in/custom variables in CI processes

7

Leveraging Harness Secret Management and Secret Usage

7.1

Recognize benefits and applications of secrets management within Harness CI

7.2

Identify and rectify incidents involving the unintended exposure of Secrets

7.3

Integrate external Secrets Management technologies into the Harness platform

8

Managing Harness CI/CD Artifacts and File Store

8.1

Understand and apply best practices for tagging and managing CI artifacts

8.2

Identify and utilize the primary functionalities of the Harness File Store

8.3

Determine appropriate methods for handling and storing different CI artifacts and dependencies

9

Harness Delegate Configuration and Management

9.1

Understand and explain the main role and function of the Harness Delegate

9.2

Identify available options and best practices for installing and configuring the Harness Delegate

9.3

Manage Delegate tags and utilize them effectively within CI processes and selectors

Next Steps

The Continuous Integration Administrator exam can start immediately after registering. Please allow 90 mins for the knowledge exam and approximately 90 minutes for the hands on exam.

  1. Create an account in Harness University

  2. Register for an exam. There is a $50 fee for the exam

  3. Take the exams

    1. There will be a knowledge and hands on portion.

Register for Exam

Continuous Integration - Architect

Continuous Integration - Architect badge

Product version: Harness CI Paid Plans

Assess key technical job functions and advanced skills in design, implementation and management of CI. This exam builds upon the CI Admin Certification

Review Study Guide

Objective
Material

1. Understanding and Troubleshooting Harness Delegates

Manage and troubleshoot Kubernetes Delegates

Implement and troubleshoot networking and connectivity issues

2. Managing Build Environments and Dependencies

Navigate and solve issues in Docker-in-Docker build environments

Implement and troubleshoot dependency caching mechanisms

3. Implementing and Managing CI Pipelines

Develop and troubleshoot pipeline triggers

Optimize CI pipeline efficiency and speed

4. Ensuring Security and Compliance in CI Pipelines

Implement secrets management and ensure secure build processes

Adhere to the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) in CI/CD

5. Utilizing Test Intelligence in CI

Implement and manage Test Intelligence for optimizing testing

Understand and troubleshoot test visualization and metrics

6. Managing and Troubleshooting Custom Build Tools and Binaries

Navigate issues with custom binary installations on Delegates

Manage custom build tools and dependencies

7. Implementing Pipeline Optimizations and Strategies

Implement multilayer caching for pipeline optimizations

Utilize matrix and looping strategies for test execution

8. Managing Connectivity and Networking in CI Pipelines

Ensure effective communication between Delegates, Harness Manager, and external services

Troubleshoot connectivity issues in webhook triggers and pipeline steps

9. Implementing and Managing CI in Diverse Infrastructures

Manage and troubleshoot CI in Kubernetes build infrastructures

Implement and manage CI pipelines for MacOS and Windows build environments

Register for Exam

Exam Details

The Continuous Integration Architect exam tests your knowledge and skills of the Harness Continuous Integration module.

Prerequisites

Exam Details

Exam Type
Duration

Knowledge Exam

90 minutes

Hands On Exam

120 minutes

Covered Domain
% of Coverage

1. Understanding and Troubleshooting Harness Delegates

12%

2. Managing Build Environments and Dependencies

12%

3. Implementing and Managing CI Pipelines

12%

4. Ensuring Security and Compliance in CI Pipelines

12%

5. Utilizing Test Intelligence in CI

12%

6. Managing and Troubleshooting Custom Build Tools and Binaries

12%

7. Implementing Pipeline Optimizations and Strategies

12%

8. Managing Connectivity and Networking in CI Pipelines

8%

9. Implementing and Managing CI in Diverse Infrastructures

8%

Exam Objectives

List of Objectives

The following is a detailed list of exam objectives:

#
Objective

1

Understanding and Troubleshooting Harness Delegates

1.1

Manage and troubleshoot Kubernetes Delegates

1.2

Implement and troubleshoot networking and connectivity issues

2

Managing Build Environments and Dependencies

2.1

Navigate and solve issues in Docker-in-Docker build environments

2.2

Implement and troubleshoot dependency caching mechanisms

3

Implementing and Managing CI Pipelines

3.1

Develop and troubleshoot pipeline triggers

3.2

Optimize CI pipeline efficiency and speed

4

Ensuring Security and Compliance in CI Pipelines

4.1

Implement secrets management and ensure secure build processes

4.2

Adhere to the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) in CI/CD

5

Utilizing Test Intelligence in CI

5.1

Implement and manage Test Intelligence for optimizing testing

5.2

Understand and troubleshoot test visualization and metrics

6

Managing and Troubleshooting Custom Build Tools and Binaries

6.1

Navigate issues with custom binary installations on Delegates

6.2

Manage custom build tools and dependencies

7

Implementing Pipeline Optimizations and Strategies

7.1

Implement multilayer caching for pipeline optimizations

7.2

Utilize matrix and looping strategies for test execution

8

Managing Connectivity and Networking in CI Pipelines

8.1

Ensure effective communication between Delegates, Harness Manager, and external services

8.2

Troubleshoot connectivity issues in webhook triggers and pipeline steps

9

Implementing and Managing CI in Diverse Infrastructures

9.1

Manage and troubleshoot CI in Kubernetes build infrastructures

9.2

Implement and manage CI pipelines for MacOS and Windows build environments

Next Steps

The Continuous Integration Architect exam can start immediately after registering. Please allow up to 90 mins for the knowledge exam and up to 2 hours for the hands-on exam.

  1. Create an account in Harness University

  2. Register for an exam. There is a $50 fee for the exam

  3. Take the exams

    1. There will be a knowledge and hands-on portion.

Register for Exam

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