Docker Certified Associate (DCA)

The Docker Certified Associate (DCA) exam emphasizes the essential tasks a Docker Certified Associate operates in day-to-day activities. So, clearing the exam certifies that a Docker Certified Associate has the knowledge and a level of where a certified Docker Associate can:

• Run containerized apps from the previously-stored images in a centralized registry
• Deploy images across the cluster
• Prioritize and resolve issue reports from stakeholders and resolve
• Migration of traditional applications to containers
• Configure and troubleshoot Docker engine
• Perform configuration and general maintenance

Docker Certified Associate (DCA) Certification Benefits

Docker is the highly demanded technology in the Industry now. DCA is the most preferred certification, due to the increase in demand for the Docker Professionals. Docker Certification is globally recognized and highly valued.

Content:

• Domain 1: Orchestration (25% of exam)
• Complete the setup of a swarm mode cluster, with managers and worker nodes
• State the differences between running a container vs running a service
• Demonstrate steps to lock a swarm cluster
• Extend the instructions to run individual containers into running services under swarm
• Interpret the output of “docker inspect” commands
• Convert an application deployment into a stack file using a YAML compose file with “docker stack deploy”
• Manipulate a running stack of services
• Increase number of replicas
• Illustrate running a replicated vs global service
• Mount volumes
• Add networks, publish ports
• Identify the steps needed to troubleshoot a service not deploying
• Apply node labels to demonstrate placement of tasks
• Sketch how a Dockerized application communicates with legacy systems
• Paraphrase the importance of quorum in a swarm cluster
• Demonstrate the usage of templates with “docker service create”
• Domain 2: Image Creation, Management, and Registry (20% of exam)
• Describe Dockerfile options(add, copy, volumes, expose, entrypoint, etc)
• Show the main parts of a Dockerfile
• Give examples on how to create an efficient image via a Dockerfile
• Use CLI commands such as list, delete, prune, rmi, etc to manage images
• Inspect images and report specific attributes using filter and format
• Demonstrate tagging an image
• Utilize a registry to store an image
• Display layers of a Docker image
• Apply a file to create a Docker image
• Modify an image to a single layer
• Describe how image layers work
• Deploy a registry (not architect)
• Configure a registry
• Log into a registry
• Utilize search in a registry
• Tag an image
• Push an image to a registry
• Sign an image in a registry
• Pull an image from a registry
• Describe how image deletion works
• Delete an image from a registry
• Domain 3: Installation and Configuration (15% of exam)
• Demonstrate the ability to upgrade the Docker engine
• Complete setup of repo, select a storage driver, and complete installation of Docker engine on multiple platforms
• Configure logging drivers (splunk, journald, etc)
• Setup swarm, configure managers, add nodes, and setup backup schedule
• Create and manager user and teams
• Interpret errors to troubleshoot installation issues without assistance
• Outline the sizing requirements prior to installation
• Understand namespaces, groups, and configuration of certificates
• Use certificate-based client-server authentication to ensure a Docker daemon has the rights to access images on a registry
• Consistently repeat steps to deploy Docker engine, UCP, and DTR on AWS and on premises in an HA config 1, 2, 3
• Complete configuration of backups for UCP and DTR
• Configure the Docker daemon to start on boot
• Domain 4: Networking (15% of exam)
• Create a Docker bridge network for a developer to use for their containers
• Troubleshoot container and engine logs to understand a connectivity issue between containers
• Publish a port so that an application is accessible externally
• Identify which IP and port a container is externally accessible on
• Describe the different types and use cases for the built-in network drivers
• Understand the Container Network Model and how it interfaces with the Docker engine and network and IPAM drivers
• Configure Docker to use external DNS
• Use Docker to load balance HTTP/HTTPS traffic to an application (Configure L7 load balancing with Docker EE)
• Understand and describe the types of traffic that flow between the Docker engine, registry, and UCP controllers
• Deploy a service on a Docker overlay network
• Describe the difference between “host” and “ingress” port publishing mode (Host, Ingress)
• Domain 5: Security (15% of exam)
• Describe the process of signing an image
• Demonstrate that an image passes a security scan
• Enable Docker Content Trust
• Configure RBAC in UCP
• Integrate UCP with LDAP/AD
• Demonstrate creation of UCP client bundles
• Describe default engine security
• Describe swarm default security
• Describe MTLS
• Domain 6: Storage and Volumes (10% of exam)
• State which graph driver should be used on which OS
• Demonstrate how to configure devicemapper
• Compare object storage to block storage, and explain which one is preferable when available
• Summarize how an application is composed of layers and where those layers reside on the filesystem
• Describe how volumes are used with Docker for persistent storage
• Identify the steps you would take to clean up unused images on a filesystem, also on DTR
• Demonstrate how storage can be used across cluster nodes
• Identity roles
• Describe the difference between UCP workers and managers
• Describe the process to use external certificates with UCP and DTR