Pluralsight

New Platform Engineering Course and Blog

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Many organizations have embraced DevOps and adopted technologies like Kubernetes, cloud computing, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform or Pulumi. Despite these efforts, they often face challenges in delivering on the promises of DevOps and cloud-native. Platform engineering has emerged as the next step in the evolution, breaking down barriers and empowering developers to bring software to the market faster and more efficiently.

Recently I have been working on content to help educate and share my knowledge in this space. I am happy to announce two new pieces of content on Platform Engineering including a new course and a new blog.

Course: Platform Engineering: The Big Picture

Last week my 22nd course was published on Pluralsight! I am really excited about this course because it covers something that has been really hot in tech lately. It is about Platform Engineering. Platform Engineering has emerged as the next step in the evolution, breaking down barriers and empowering teams. Being someone that works with Kubernetes and cloud native this course was right up my alley because I work directly in this space.

The course is titled “Platform Engineering: The Big Picture“. This course will help you explore platform engineering and discover how it can elevate cloud-native development, making developers’ lives easier while achieving new heights in software delivery. Platform Engineering unifies and centralizes toolchains & workflows for self-service making developers’ lives easier while achieving new heights in software delivery.

In this course, you will gain an understanding about Platform Engineering, its benefits, architecture, tooling, workflow and how to adopt it.

Some of the major topics covered in the course include:

  1. A Platform Engineering overview and why it’s needed, how Platforms enhance DevOps and streamline cloud native.
  2. A comparison of DevOps, SRE, and Platform Engineering.
  3. You will learn about Platform Engineering Architecture, its tooling landscape, and Internal Developer Platforms.

Check out the “Platform Engineering: The Big Picture“ course here:

https://www.pluralsight.com/courses/platform-engineering-big-picture

I hope you find value in this new Platform Engineering course. Be sure to follow my profile on Pluralsight so you will be notified as I release new courses! 

Here is the link to my Pluralsight profile to follow me:

https://www.pluralsight.com/authors/steve-buchanan

Blog: 8 tools every platform engineer should know about

I am also excited to announce my second Platform Engineering-related blog post on Pluralsight. This one is titled: “8 tools every platform engineer should know about”. In Platform Engineering there are a lot of tools that can make up a platform. It can be confusing and hard to know what tools to focus on in the Platform Engineering space. In this blog post, I list 8 tools that are a must-know when you are in the Platform Engineering space.

👉 Read the blog post here:

https://www.pluralsight.com/resources/blog/it-ops/top-platform-engineering-tools

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New Platform Engineering Blog Post on Pluralsight

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I am excited to announce my second ever blog on Pluralsight.com. This blog is about Platform Engineering. In this post I break down what platform engineering is, the business problems it solves, and how to know if your organization is ready to roll it out yet.

In the blog post, we explore why there is so much hype around platform engineering, if Platform Engineering is a replacement for DevOps, how Internal Developer Platforms help resolve the infrastructure gaps, and more. Be sure to check it out!

👉 Read the blog post here:

https://www.pluralsight.com/resources/blog/it-ops/what-is-platform-engineering

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Learn How to Build a Web App with JavaScript

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This week my 21st course published. In this course I take you on a journey to build a web app in JavaScript. JavaScript is the top web programming language today with 12+ million active developers and 97% of all websites using it. It is a great language used to build dynamic and interactive web apps given its flexibility, frameworks, and modules.

The course is titled “Building a Web Application with JavaScript“. It is a part of the new “JavaScript 2022 Path” on Pluralsight. This is my 2nd course in this path. My 1st course was “Building a REST API in JavaScript with Express“. Be sure to check out my REST API course as well!

JavaScript is a must-have skill in your toolbelt when building web apps. In this course, Building a Web Application with JavaScript, you’ll learn to build a dynamic and interactive web app.

First, you’ll plan and set up your web app project. Next, you’ll discover how to build the layout, style, and CRUD for your app with HTML and CSS. Finally, you’ll learn how to code your app’s dynamic functionality in JavaScript and publish the app when done.

When you’re finished with this course, you’ll have the skills and knowledge for planning, building, styling, and publishing a web app in JavaScript needed to go from an idea to a fully functioning web app in JavaScript.

Check out the “Building a Web Application with JavaScript“ course here:

https://www.pluralsight.com/courses/javascript-building-web-application

I hope you find value in this new JavaScript course. Be sure to follow my profile on Pluralsight so you will be notified as I release new courses! 

Here is the link to my Pluralsight profile to follow me:

https://www.pluralsight.com/authors/steve-buchanan

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Pluralsight Author Talk – Intro to Python: The Basics of the Programmer’s Swiss Army Knife

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Coming up soon I will be giving my second Pluralsight Author Talk. This live session will be an Intro to Python. I will cover the fundamentals of the Python language and its syntax. In addition, I will give an overview of the Python ecosystem and its libraries. I also plan to touch on how it is used in automation, DevOps, data science, machine learning, web development, app development, administration, and more.

For more information and to check it out go here:

https://www.pluralsight.com/events/2023/fedex-python-author-talk

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“Building a REST API in JavaScript with Express” – my 18th Pluralsight Course Published

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Another exciting announcement for the new year. I have published my 18th course with Pluralsight. This one is a JavaScript course. It is titled “Building a REST API in JavaScript with Express“. This is my first course in 2023. This course will teach you how to utilize JavaScript and Express to build a REST API for your web app.

Most business apps need to communicate with other internal or external apps and APIs are the most common way to do this. Knowing how to build a REST API is a much-needed skill. And JavaScript is typically in the top 5 programming languages year after year according to StatisticsTimes Top Computer Languages report, so it makes sense that knowing how to build a REST API in JavaScript is even better. This course is suitable for Web Developers, Developers, Project Managers, DevOps Engineers, programming students, cloud professionals, and anyone who needs to build a REST API or learn more about JavaScript.

In this course, Building a REST API in JavaScript with Express, you’ll learn to build a REST API. First, exploring REST APIs, JavaScript, and Express. Next, you’ll learn about JavaScript-based REST API project structures. Finally, you’ll learn how to build REST APIs with JavaScript and Express and test with Postman/curl.

Some of the major topics that are covered in this course include:

  1. A journey into the REST API Tech Stack.
  2. How to set up a REST API Project including how to plan, design, & structure your REST API in JavaScript.
  3. A walk-through on building the REST API, including the REST API code so you can practice.
  4. Guidance and demos on how to test your REST API using Postman and Curl.

When you’re finished with this course, you’ll have a better understanding of REST APIs, JavaScript, Express, REST API project structures, and how to actually build the REST API with JavaScript and test it using CRUD operations.

Check out the “REST API JavaScript“ course here:

https://www.pluralsight.com/courses/javascript-express-building-rest-api

This will be my 1st JavaScript course in a new JavaScript path on Pluralsight. The JavaScript path will be full of additional courses taking you from zero knowledge in JavaScript to an expert. This path has a variety of Pluralsight authors building courses with some of the most well-known authors. I will post a link to the path when it is live. In addition to this REST API course, I will also be authoring a course on how to build a web app with JavaScript and enhance the performance of your JavaScript web app. Keep an eye out for those in the new future.

Also keep an eye out for me utilizing JavaScript and Python apps in my work with Kubernetes and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) in the form of talks, demos, blogs, articles, and more.

I hope you find value in this new Building a REST API in JavaScript with Express course. Be sure to follow my profile on Pluralsight so you will be notified as I release new courses! 

Here is the link to my Pluralsight profile to follow me:

https://www.pluralsight.com/authors/steve-buchanan

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17th Pluralsight Course Published – “Python for Linux System Administration”

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I am excited to announce that I published a Python course on Pluralsight! This course is titled “Python for Linux System Administration“. This is my 17th course with Pluralsight overall and 6th for 2022. It will teach you how to utilize Python to administer Linux servers. This course is suitable for system administrators, DevOps engineers, and anyone working with servers running on cloud.

In this course, Python for Linux System Administration, you’ll learn the core of the Python language, various Python admin modules, & how to combine python scripts with other Linux tools for administration.

Here are some of the major topics that are covered in this course:

  1. Gaining an understanding of the many benefits of using Python for systems administration.
  2. What goes into setting up a Python environment and what IDE’s are the best options to assist you with your Python scripting.
  3. How to install and use Python to Interact with the Linux System.
  4. How to utilize Python modules such as the OS module & psutil to perform various administrative functions.

When you’re finished with this course, you’ll have the skills and knowledge about the core of Python, how it can be used for administration, why you would use it for administration, how to get setup for Python scripting, insight into Python administrative modules & scripts, as well as some real-world examples of administering Linux servers with Python.

Check out the “Python“ course here: https://app.pluralsight.com/library/courses/python-linux-system-administration

I hope you find value in this new Python for Linux System Administration course. Be sure to follow my profile on Pluralsight so you will be notified as I release new courses! 

Here is the link to my Pluralsight profile to follow me: https://app.pluralsight.com/profile/author/steve-buchanan

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16th Pluralsight course – “Laravel The Big Picture” a web framework for modern PHP based web apps

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I am excited to announce that I published a Laravel course on Pluralsight! This course is titled “Laravel 9: The Big Picture“. This is my 16th course with Pluralsight. I have been working with PHP based websites, Content Management Systems, Frameworks, and the language off and on for many years. When the opportunity came to author a course on Laravel I jumped on it.

Laravel is a full-stack web framework for modern PHP based web applications. PHP is a language that has been around for a long time used to power most of the web site and web apps on the internet today. And some of the best web development teams in the world build their products with Laravel.

Many don’t know this but Laravel can be used for front-end and back-end development, as well as developing a REST API. Some of the largest companies and most popular websites have been built using Laravel such as Disney, Apple, Pfizer, BBC, Twitch, Mastercard, and more.

In this course, Laravel 9: The Big Picture, you’ll learn about the Laravel full-stack framework. First, you’ll explore Laravel’s core components such as: routing, middleware, controllers, requests, responses, views, blade templates, and more. Next, you’ll discover how to install Laravel, configure it, how it handles security, works with databases, about its APIs and more. Finally, you’ll learn what it is like to develop, build, and deploy an app with Laravel.

When you’re finished with this course, you’ll have the skills and knowledge of Laravel needed to decide if it is the right PHP web framework for you and where to go next on your journey with Laravel.

Check out the new Laravel course here: https://app.pluralsight.com/library/courses/laravel-9-big-picture

I hope you find value in this new Laravel 9: The Big Picture course. Be sure to follow my profile on Pluralsight so you will be notified as I release new courses! 

Here is the link to my Pluralsight profile to follow me: https://app.pluralsight.com/profile/author/steve-buchanan

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15th Pluralsight Course Published – Ember JS

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I am excited to announce that I published an Ember.js course on Pluralsight! This course is titled “Ember 4: The Big Picture“. This is my 15th course with Pluralsight. Ember.js is a JavaScript framework used for developing web apps. Some of the best web development teams in the world build their products with Ember.

This course will give an overview of Ember’s components and architecture and a guide to the next steps you can take to get started with Ember. In this course, Ember 4: The Big Picture, you’ll learn about the Ember front-end framework. First, you’ll explore Ember’s core parts: Ember.js, Ember Data, Ember CLI, and Ember Inspector.

Next, you’ll discover Ember’s core concepts: routing, services, and Components. Finally, you’ll learn how to what it is like to develop, build, and deploy an app with Ember.

When you’re finished with this course, you’ll have the skills and knowledge of Ember JS needed to decide if it is the right JavaScript framework for you and where to go next on your journey with Ember.

Check out the new Ember JS course here: https://app.pluralsight.com/library/courses/ember-4-big-picture

I hope you find value in this new Ember 4: The Big Picture course. Be sure to follow my profile on Pluralsight so you will be notified as I release new courses! 

Here is the link to my Pluralsight profile to follow me: https://app.pluralsight.com/profile/author/steve-buchanan

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Published new course on MuleSoft

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Today my 13th course was published on Pluralsight! This course covers MuleSoft. API’s are everywhere today where technology is used. API’s are the glue behind the technologies we all use. The app you use on your phone, those videos you stream from home, the software you use at work all have API’s powering them connecting across many systems. With the increased amount of applications needed to run enterprises today the need for API integrations has increased along with the complexity.

MuleSoft has been a leader for some time in the API space. For anyone in technology, it is a good idea to gain an understanding of API’s and learning MuleSoft is one way to do that. Check out my course MuleSoft 4: The Big Picture.

This course will teach you how MuleSoft and the Anypoint platform can be utilized as a key part of your enterprise API strategy. You’ll learn about MuleSoft and the Anypoint platform as an end-to-end API solution. First, you’ll explore what MuleSoft and Anypoint are. Next, you’ll discover the various Anypoint platform components. Finally, you’ll learn how to build APIs & Integrations. When you’re finished with this course, you’ll have the skills and knowledge of MuleSoft needed to recommend and architect a solution for your API needs.

Check out the new MuleSoft course here: https://app.pluralsight.com/library/courses/mulesoft4-big-picture

I hope you find value in this new MuleSoft 4: The Big Picture course. Be sure to follow my profile on Pluralsight so you will be notified as I release new courses! 

Here is the link to my Pluralsight profile to follow me: https://app.pluralsight.com/profile/author/steve-buchanan

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End of Year (2021) Review

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This year was another abnormal year with ups and downs for many. Salute to everyone that kept pushing through any and all hardships you experienced. For me, my focus continued to be family and seizing all presented opportunities while blocking out as much unnecessary noise as possible.

Highlights:

I consider 2021 a spectacular year with several milestones and firsts for me. This year kicked off with me being featured in the Star Tribune (the 5th largest newspaper in the United States) in Superbowl Sunday’s paper! Other major highlights included being renewed as a Microsoft MVP for the 10th year, being promoted to an Azure Platform Offering Lead at work, developing 6 new courses for Pluralsight, publishing my 7th and 8th book one of them being my 1st book with O’Reilly, appearing on 5 podcasts/webinars, & speaking at 7 conferences/user groups of them being DevOpsDays MPLS! I also continued my virtual world tour speaking at events in Africa and even Jamaica!

Here is the full list of activities from 2021:

–February 2021: Featured as a technology leader in Minnesota’s largest newspaper Star Tribune. Was a full page story. Bonus this was the super bowl Sunday newspaper.  https://m.startribune.com/twin-cities-technologist-steve-buchanan-sees-a-more-inclusive-expanding-future-for-young-minorities/600019839

Article on Star Tribune

–February 2021: Published GitOps course on Pluralsight showcasing knowledge in AKS, Azure Arc, Kubernetes and GitOps.

GitOps: The Big Picture

–February 2021: Presented at Omaha Azure User group on Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes & GitOps. 

Speaking at Omaha Azure User Group

–February 2021: Presented on Containers in Azure for Lago’s (Nigeria) LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY (LASU) TECHX CONFERENCE. 

Speaking on “Containers in Azure” at Lagos State University (LASU) TechX conference

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