10 Best Openstack Courses and Certifications Online

Openstack is an open-source cloud computing platform that allows users to manage their cloud infrastructure as a service. Due to its scalability and flexibility, Openstack has gained immense popularity among businesses and organizations. To stay competitive in the market, individuals and organizations seek to expand their knowledge on Openstack. With the increasing demand for online learning, there are several courses available that provide comprehensive training on Openstack. This article aims to explore some of the best Openstack courses available online, their features, advantages, and disadvantages.

Here’s a look at the Best Openstack Courses and Certifications Online and what they have to offer for you!

10 Best Openstack Courses and Certifications Online

1. OpenStack Essentials by Ugur Oktay (Udemy) (Our Best Pick)

The OpenStack Essentials course provides IT professionals with a comprehensive understanding of OpenStack and its core services. The course aims to help organizations address the challenge of IT skills required to adopt OpenStack. Participants will learn how to install and operate their own IaaS cloud using the latest OpenStack release (Train, released in October 2019).

The course starts with an overview of cloud computing and OpenStack, followed by a dedicated installation section and separate sections for each core OpenStack service and web dashboard. Each section provides details on the service and its architecture, with a deeper dive into the most important services like Nova and Neutron.

The course has been updated regularly since its launch in March 2017, including a major update in December 2019 to reflect the latest OpenStack release. The course also features hands-on lessons at the end of each section and covers topics such as cluster expansion, multi-node design and scaling, and working with the Horizon dashboard.

Overall, the OpenStack Essentials course is suitable for IT professionals and managers looking to determine if OpenStack is the right solution for their organization or seeking to develop a solid understanding of OpenStack and its core services.

2. Fundamentals of the OpenStack Cloud with Hands-on Labs by Naveen Joy (Udemy)

The Fundamentals of OpenStack Cloud with Hands-on Labs course is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of OpenStack cloud. The course instructor, Naveen Joy, will guide students through the process of deploying a multinode OpenStack cluster on their Mac, Windows or Linux systems. The course also features hands-on labs, where students can practice, at their own pace, by building out several real-world lab scenarios.

Naveen Joy will provide video lectures and help students resolve any issues they may face using the Udemy Q&A facility. The course aims to make the complex concepts of OpenStack easier to grasp by using simple and easy to understand diagrams and several lab scenarios. Students will get into the details of all the core OpenStack cloud services and understand in-depth how things work using practice labs.

The course offers several benefits to students, including gaining a new skill set in OpenStack, advancing their career, preparing for the Certified OpenStack Administrator (COA) exam, attending technical job interviews on OpenStack, and learning to operate and troubleshoot a production OpenStack cloud. The course also features quizzes and practice tests that mimic interview questions.

The course features several sections, including Introduction & Instructor Bio, Get to know OpenStack, OpenStack’s Technology Stack, OpenStack Nodes and Cloud Architecture, Keystone Project (Identity), Neutron Project (Networking), Cinder Project (Block Storage), Glance Project (Image), Nova Project (Compute), Heat Project (Orchestration), Swift Project (Object Storage), Advanced Neutron Networking Concepts, Nova – Placement, Host Aggregates, Scheduler & Cells, Lab: Deploy a multi-node OpenStack Cloud (Pike) on your PC, Lab: Troubleshooting OpenStack Deployment, and Lab: Master Compute and Software Defined Networking in OpenStack.

3. Preparing to Certified OpenStack Administrator (COA) Exam by Kris Celmer (Udemy)

The Preparing to Certified OpenStack Administrator (COA) Exam Course offers an in-depth introduction to OpenStack and covers all topics listed in the current COA Exam (Stein Version) Requirements. It is important to note that the Course is based on the previous COA Exam Version from 2018. For the best learning experience, it is recommended to set up OpenStack Environment as instructed in Section 12, which includes a guide to set up OpenStack Pike Release Lab.

At the end of the Course, students will be proficient in executing routine OpenStack Administration tasks such as creating Project Networks & Routers, Launching Virtual Server Instances, and managing Block and Object Storage in OpenStack Cloud.

This Course not only provides a detailed and deep understanding of OpenStack but also offers a Training Lab to develop practical skills. The Lab is delivered as a Virtual Appliance that can be installed on a laptop or a desktop. It is based on the Community Version of OpenStack, ensuring no Vendor bias in the Course. Students will be able to exercise OpenStack tasks day and night using the Horizon Graphical User Interface as well as Command Line to achieve the highest proficiency. The Course includes 18 Lab Sessions with more than 120 Objectives to complete. These are practical Exercises, such as Creating a Volume and Attaching it to Virtual Server Instance, then Snapshotting the Volume or Launching the Orchestration Stack with multiple Virtual Resources.

This Course is ideal for System Administrators who want to gain highly paid Cloud Proficiency. A free preview is available for Lecture 17 in Section 5 and Lecture 37 in Section 9. The Course is divided into 12 sections, starting with the Course Introduction, followed by Getting to know OpenStack, Horizon Dashboard & OpenStackClient CLI, Keystone – Identity Management, Glance – Image Management, Nova – Compute Service, Cinder – Block Storage, Neutron – Networking, Swift – Object Storage, Heat – Orchestration, and troubleshooting.

4. OpenStack Installation and Deployment by Kris Celmer (Udemy)

The OpenStack Installation and Deployment course, led by instructor Kris Celmer, teaches participants how to successfully install and deploy OpenStack, an Open Source Cloud Management software. The course starts with a detailed overview of the installation process, including manual installation, before moving on to automated deployment with Kolla-Ansible. Intermediate Linux Administration Skills are required to fully benefit from the course, which utilizes a wide array of tools such as Ansible, Docker CE, VirtualBox, Vagrant, Shell Scripts, GitHub, and Google Cloud Platform.

The course covers a broad selection of infrastructure technologies, including Linux Bridges and Open vSwitch, KVM and QEMU, Ceph and LVM, MariaDB and Galera, RabbitMQ, HAProxy, and more. Participants can observe OpenStack installation and deployment in small All-in-One machines as well as in Multi-node environments with Controller High Availability and Ceph for Storage Pool. The course focuses on the Community Version of OpenStack and Community Driven Installation & Deployment Tools.

Course content and sections include the Course Introduction, Manual Installation in Virtual Machines, Manual Installation on Baremetal Servers, Kolla-Ansible Installation on Virtual Machines, Automation of Kolla-Ansible Deployment, and Kolla-Ansible Installation in Physical Servers. It is important to note that the OpenStack Pike release is used in some course examples, which may not be directly applicable to newer releases.

5. OpenStack: Public & Hybrid IaaS Cloud with OpenStack by TetraNoodle Team, Manuj Aggarwal (Udemy)

The course titled “OpenStack: Public & Hybrid IaaS Cloud with OpenStack” is taught by the TetraNoodle team and Manuj Aggarwal. It aims to equip learners with skills that are in high demand to build their own public and hybrid IaaS cloud with OpenStack. Cloud computing has become increasingly popular due to its convenience and accessibility to a shared pool of computing resources with minimal effort. Companies worldwide are seeking to leverage the same principles of cloud computing to manage their private data centers or build private clouds on top of public cloud infrastructure. OpenStack is a free and open-source software platform that enables users to configure and manage hardware pools of computing power, storage, and networking resources throughout a data center.

This course will cover in-depth knowledge of OpenStack and its various components and services, such as launching virtual instances on OpenStack, how to architect high-availability OpenStack clusters, and managing and troubleshooting OpenStack. Learners will also gain insights into log management for OpenStack clusters. The course is designed to provide learners with the skills required by startups and large enterprises who seek expertise in cloud computing and OpenStack. The demand for these skills has been steadily increasing, and the course provides evidence of the value of these skills and the growing demand for them.

The course is structured into different sections that cover various topics related to OpenStack, such as Cloud Computing, OpenStack – Introduction, OpenStack – Installation, OpenStack – Deep Dive, OpenStack – Clients (Horizon and CLI), OpenStack – Identity service (KeyStone), OpenStack – Image service (Glance), OpenStack – Compute and networking services (Nova and Neutron), OpenStack – Block storage service (Cinder), OpenStack – Object storage service (Swift), OpenStack – Orchestration service (Heat), and OpenStack – Telemetry service (Ceilometer). By the end of the course, learners will understand how to deploy and manage their private cloud infrastructure using OpenStack.

6. OpenStack: Design and Implement Cloud Infrastructure by Packt Publishing (Udemy)

This course, titled “OpenStack: Design and Implement Cloud Infrastructure,” is offered by Packt Publishing and provides instruction on designing and implementing custom clouds with OpenStack, an open source cloud computing platform. The course starts with basic concepts and gradually moves towards advanced topics, teaching skills necessary for managing a cloud platform using OpenStack. This includes automating tasks, integrating OpenStack with an organization’s identity management, provisioning, and billing systems, and adhering to enterprise security guidelines for OpenStack deployment. Learners will also gain experience troubleshooting and scaling the platform. Upon completion, learners will be able to build their own custom cloud with OpenStack.

The course covers topics such as launching a mini cloud with the installation of OpenStack, reviewing OpenStack networking components, exploring storage services and horizontal scaling, and integrating OpenStack with cloud service providers like AWS and Rackspace. Learners will also learn how to automate tasks via the OpenStack Python REST API and use enterprise security guidelines for OpenStack deployment.

The course is structured to provide practical, rather than theoretical, results to help learners understand how things work in action. The course combines the best of various Packt products, including Learning OpenStack [Video] by Venu Murthy and OpenStack for Architects by Michael Solberg and Ben Silverman. The expert instructors include Venu Murthy, Ben Silverman, and Michael Solberg, who have numerous years of experience in IT and cloud technology. The managing editor, Tanmayee Patil, is also available to help learners throughout the course.

The course is divided into sections covering topics such as deploying OpenStack cloud, OpenStack APIs development, IdM integration, troubleshooting, and securing the cloud. By the end of the course, learners will have the skills necessary to build their own custom cloud with OpenStack.

7. Hands-on introduction to OpenStack, Docker & Cloud Computing by Naveen Joy (Udemy)

The Hands-on Introduction to OpenStack, Docker & Cloud Computing course, instructed by Naveen Joy, offers a comprehensive learning experience for essential concepts in cloud computing, Docker and the OpenStack Cloud. Through video lectures, quizzes, illustrations and hands-on labs, students will gain a solid technical foundation and be able to apply these theories to practical situations.

The course is designed to cater to beginners, with the aim of ensuring that even those with little to no prior knowledge will be able to understand and utilize these technologies. The curriculum is outlined in the course promo video, and students will be supported by the instructor and teaching assistant through the Udemy Q&A facility.

The course includes a variety of sections, such as Cloud Computing, Docker and OpenStack Foundations, and is divided into three Docker lab sections. These sections will focus on building a Docker host, working with Docker containers and coding, building, pushing and deploying the first Python app, the Docker way.

Overall, the Hands-on Introduction to OpenStack, Docker & Cloud Computing course is a worthwhile learning experience for those interested in cloud computing and containerization technology.

8. Private Cloud with OpenStack and Ceph Storage by Kar Wei Tan (Udemy)

This course, titled “Private Cloud with OpenStack and Ceph Storage,” offers a comprehensive guide to deploying a private cloud using the OpenStack cloud computing platform and Ceph Storage as the storage backend. The course is instructed by Kar Wei Tan.

The course begins with an introduction to OpenStack and Ceph Storage before diving into the deployment process. The deployment will utilize Oracle Virtualbox as the virtualization software running on Windows 10. Additionally, CentOS 7 will be used as the base operating system for all virtual machines.

The course is divided into four main sections. The first section provides an overview and introduction. The second section covers the step-by-step installation of one controller node and one compute node of OpenStack. The third section details the installation of one Ceph monitor and two Ceph OSD nodes with ceph-deploy. Finally, the fourth section covers the integration of OpenStack services with Ceph Storage, utilizing ceph storage as the back-end for Glance image service, Cinder block storage service, and Nova compute service.

The course content includes deploying a two-node OpenStack cluster, setting up controller and compute node components, launching virtual instances, deploying a three-node Ceph cluster, and integrating OpenStack with the Ceph Storage cluster.

9. Red Hat OpenStack Administration I by Mostafa Yasin (Udemy)

Red Hat OpenStack Administration I: Core Operations for Cloud Operators is a course designed for system administrators who want to implement a cloud computing environment using OpenStack. The course covers configuring, using, and maintaining Red Hat® OpenStack Platform.

The course focuses on managing OpenStack using both the web-based dashboard and the command-line interface. Essential skills covered in the course include configuring Red Hat OpenStack Platform (using the director UI), managing users, projects, flavors, roles, images, networking, and block storage, setting quotas, and configuring images at instantiation.

The course covers launching instances, managing projects, quotas, and users, managing networks, subnets, routers, and floating IP addresses, creating and managing block and object storage in the OpenStack framework, customizing instances with cloud-init, and deploying Heat stacks.

The target audience for this course includes cloud users who deploy application instances and stacks, domain operators who manage resources and security for cloud users, and any other cloud personnel interested in, or responsible for, maintaining applications on private or hybrid OpenStack clouds. The course is intended to develop the skills needed to utilize and manage the daily operation of a private cloud.

Using the skills taught by this course, users and operators will be able to create and use project resources built of networks and services running running templated applications, in customizable and adaptable configurations, virtually eliminating the need to build physical systems for any new projects. The course covers various sections, including Launching an Instance, Organizing People and Resources, Preparing to Deploy an Instance, Managing Block Storage, Managing Object Storage, OpenStack Security, OpenStack Network Management, Instance Customization and Access, and OpenStack Automation.

10. OpenStack Fundamentals: A beginners guide to OpenStack Cloud by Michael Sheehy (Udemy)

Course Title: OpenStack Fundamentals: A Beginner’s Guide to OpenStack Cloud

The OpenStack Fundamentals course is designed for individuals who are new to the OpenStack technology. The course provides a basic understanding of the core components required to build and manage public or private cloud environments using OpenStack. Participants will learn about OpenStack’s unique cloud architecture and how it differs from traditional virtualization.

The course covers the origins of OpenStack technology and the OpenStack community. Participants will gain a core understanding of OpenStack and a conceptual knowledge of the following OpenStack services: Keystone (Identity), Horizon (Dashboard), Nova (Compute), Neutron (Networking), Glance (Imaging), Swift (Object Storage), and Cinder (Block Storage).

In addition, the course covers how to access OpenStack using the Dashboard and the CLI. The course content is divided into three sections: Introduction to OpenStack Fundamentals and its Infrastructure, OpenStack Architecture and Components, and Other Services and Course Summary. By the end of the course, participants will have the knowledge and skills needed to build and manage a cloud environment using OpenStack.