Learning Platform | Total Time: 3-4 hours | 11 Tutorials
A comprehensive DevOps tutorial series for Microsoft Azure — a step-by-step learning experience designed to build hands-on skills with modern cloud-native tools.
- Realistic time estimates for effective learning planning
- Step-by-step validation with automated testing scripts
- Comprehensive troubleshooting for independent problem-solving
- Knowledge checks with quizzes and deep-dive questions
- Progress tracking with interactive checkboxes
- Real-world scenarios based on actual industry practices
- Security-first approach with best practices throughout
- Modern tool versions (Kubernetes 1.35, Terraform 1.14.0, Python 3.13)
- Production-ready configurations you can use in your organization
- Comprehensive documentation that rivals premium training platforms
Scenario: You've joined a company trapped in legacy infrastructure:
- Bare metal servers consuming resources and creating bottlenecks
- Manual deployments causing delays and human errors
- Outdated IT practices hindering innovation and growth
Your Mission: Lead a complete digital transformation using modern DevOps practices, containerization, and cloud-native technologies.
Transform the thomasthornton.cloud application from legacy infrastructure to a cloud-native, containerized, auto-scaling solution with:
- Infrastructure as Code for repeatable, version-controlled deployments
- Container orchestration with Kubernetes for high availability
- Automated CI/CD pipelines for rapid, reliable releases
- Security scanning and compliance automation
- Comprehensive monitoring and observability
Focus: As a DevOps/Platform Engineer, you're the infrastructure architect and automation specialist — transforming how applications are deployed, scaled, and maintained.
| Technology | Purpose | Version |
|---|---|---|
| Azure | Cloud platform & services | Latest |
| Terraform | Infrastructure as Code | >= 1.14.0 |
| azurerm Provider | Azure Terraform provider | 4.68.0 |
| Docker | Containerization | Latest |
| Kubernetes (AKS) | Container orchestration | v1.35 |
| ALB Controller | Azure Load Balancer for K8s | v1.9.16 |
| Python | Application runtime | v3.13 |
| Flask | Web framework | v3.1.3 |
| Werkzeug | WSGI utility library | v3.1.8 |
| GitHub Actions | CI/CD automation | Latest |
| Checkov | Security scanning | v3.2.4+ |
| Terraform-docs | Documentation automation | Latest |
Each tutorial includes validation scripts, troubleshooting guides, and knowledge checks.
Essential prerequisites for all subsequent tutorials:
- Prerequisites Guide - Complete setup checklist
- Configure Terraform Remote Storage (10-15 min)
- Secure state management for team collaboration
- Create Azure AD Group for AKS Admins (8-12 min)
- Identity management and RBAC foundation
Build production-ready Azure infrastructure with Terraform:
- Create Azure Container Registry (ACR) (15-20 min)
- Secure container image storage with premium features
- Create Azure Virtual Network (VNET) (25-30 min)
- Network segmentation with NSGs and load balancing
- Create Log Analytics Workspace (15-20 min)
- Centralized monitoring and container insights
- Create AKS Cluster with IAM Roles (25-35 min)
- Production-ready Kubernetes with auto-scaling and Azure AD integration
Transform applications into portable, scalable containers:
- Create Docker Image (20-25 min)
- Multi-stage builds with security best practices
- Push Image to ACR (20-25 min)
- Secure image distribution and vulnerability scanning
Deploy and manage applications in production Kubernetes:
- Connect to AKS (10-15 min)
- Cluster authentication and kubectl configuration
- Create Kubernetes Manifest (20-25 min)
- Production-ready deployments with health checks
- Deploy Application to AKS (20-30 min)
- Live application deployment with monitoring
Implement security scanning and compliance:
- Checkov Security Scanning (15-20 min)
- Automated infrastructure security analysis
- tfsec Static Analysis (10-15 min)
- Deep Terraform security scanning with detailed rule explanations
Implement continuous integration and deployment:
- GitHub Actions CI/CD Pipeline (25-35 min)
- Automated testing, building, and deployment
- Terraform Documentation Automation (20-25 min)
- Auto-generated documentation with GitHub Actions
After each section, validate your understanding:
🏗️ Foundation Knowledge:
- Why is remote state crucial for Terraform team collaboration?
- How does Azure AD integration enhance AKS security?
🐳 Containerization Mastery:
- What are the benefits of multi-stage Docker builds?
- How does container registry security impact deployment pipelines?
☸️ Kubernetes Expertise:
- How do health checks improve application reliability?
- What's the difference between Deployments and Services?
🔒 Security Implementation:
- How does static code analysis prevent security vulnerabilities?
- Why is policy-as-code important for compliance?
🚀 DevOps Excellence:
- How do CI/CD pipelines accelerate time-to-market?
- What role does automated documentation play in maintenance?
Can you now:
- Deploy infrastructure using Infrastructure as Code?
- Containerize applications with security best practices?
- Manage Kubernetes clusters in production?
- Implement automated security scanning?
- Build CI/CD pipelines for continuous delivery?
- Automate documentation and compliance processes?
- Cloud-native architecture design and implementation
- Infrastructure as Code mastery with Terraform
- Container orchestration expertise with Kubernetes
- DevOps pipeline creation and optimization
- Security automation and compliance practices
- Portfolio projects demonstrating real-world DevOps capabilities
- Industry-standard practices applicable to any organization
- Modern toolchain proficiency in high-demand technologies
- Problem-solving skills through comprehensive troubleshooting experience
- Reduced deployment time from hours to minutes
- Increased reliability through automated testing and monitoring
- Enhanced security with continuous scanning and compliance
- Improved scalability with cloud-native architecture
- Lower operational costs through automation and optimization
This repository contains tutorial content and examples. The GitHub Actions workflows are disabled to prevent accidental execution. To use the CI/CD pipelines:
- Fork this repository to your own GitHub account
- Enable Actions in your forked repository
- Configure secrets as described in the CI/CD tutorial
- Follow the tutorial instructions for deployment
This tutorial uses Azure services that incur costs. Estimated costs:
- Development/Learning: $50-100/month
- Production-equivalent: $200-500/month
Use the Azure Pricing Calculator for accurate estimates.
Begin with Prerequisites and follow the sequential learning path. Each tutorial builds on the previous, creating a comprehensive skillset that directly translates to real-world DevOps work.
Questions or Issues? Open an issue or submit a pull request — your feedback helps improve this for everyone.
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