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EDWartens UK

Free course · Software and DevOps

Docker and Containers for Automation Engineers

The prerequisite under every modern edge and IIoT job: what a container actually is and why it is not a virtual machine, installing Docker, the commands you use every day, reading logs and getting a shell inside a running container, developing against containers instead of installing software by hand, writing a Dockerfile, private registries, Docker Compose for a full edge stack, volumes so plant data survives a restart, and the production practices that decide whether an image belongs on a plant machine.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Beginner
Modules
11
Video
7 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Run, stop, inspect and remove containers from the command line; find why a container failed using its logs and a shell inside it; replace hand-installed software with images pulled from a registry at a pinned version; write a Dockerfile that builds your own application into a versioned image; push that image to a private registry and pull it on a plant machine; bring up a multi-service stack such as an MQTT broker, a time-series database and a dashboard from one Compose file; keep data across restarts and upgrades with named volumes; and say plainly whether a site needs an orchestrator or whether Compose on one box is the better answer.

  • Run, stop, inspect and remove containers from the command line without guessing
  • Read a container's logs and open a shell inside it to find out why it stopped
  • Write a Dockerfile that builds your own application into a versioned image
  • Bring up a multi-service edge stack, broker plus database plus dashboard, from one Compose file
  • Keep plant data across restarts and image upgrades using named volumes
  • Push an image to a private registry and pull it on a plant machine with pull-only credentials

Software

Docker Desktop on Windows or Mac, or Docker Engine on Linux. Docker Engine is free for any use. Docker Desktop is free for personal use, education, non-commercial open source and small businesses, and larger organisations need a paid subscription. A text editor and a free Docker Hub account.

Hardware

Any laptop or industrial PC with about 8 GB of RAM and hardware virtualisation enabled. No PLC, gateway or plant hardware is required.

Syllabus

11 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1What a container is, and why it is not a virtual machine2 lessons
  2. 2Images, registries and the workflow you will follow2 lessons
  3. 3Installing Docker and running your first container1 lesson
  4. 4Everyday commands, and looking inside a running container2 lessons
  5. 5Developing against containers instead of installing software1 lesson
  6. 6Writing a Dockerfile and building your own image1 lesson
  7. 7Private registries: keeping your images off the public internet1 lesson
  8. 8Docker Compose: a whole stack from one file3 lessons
  9. 9Volumes: data that survives a restart2 lessons
  10. 10Production practices, and what sits above Docker2 lessons
  11. 11Final assessment0 lessons

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  5. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for Docker and Containers for Automation Engineers

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

  • TechWorld with Nana

    every video lesson in this course, from the Docker tutorial series and the channel's Compose, volumes and production videos: what a container is, Docker against a virtual machine, installing Docker, the eight basic commands, debugging with docker logs and docker exec, developing with containers, the Dockerfile, private registries, Docker Compose and deployment, volumes, the production best practices, and where Kubernetes and Swarm fit

Questions

About this course

Is the course really free?
Yes. All ten modules, the practice tasks, the practice questions and the final assessment are free. You create an account so your progress is saved and the assessments can be marked. The certificate is the only paid item, and only if you want it.
What certificate do I get?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you have finished every module and passed the final assessment at 60%, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a vendor credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons?
TechWorld with Nana, on her own YouTube channel, credited at the foot of this page. EDWartens did not make the videos and the creator is not affiliated with EDWartens. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
Is this the same as a Docker or Kubernetes certification?
No. There are paid, vendor-run container and Kubernetes examinations, and this course is neither of them, is not accredited by anyone, and does not follow their exam objectives. It is preparation and practice. What you get here is an EDWartens Certificate of Completion.
Do I need to know Linux or programming?
No. You need to be able to type commands at a terminal and read the output. The course explains what each command does. If you have never used a command line, plan a little extra time on DK3 and DK4.
What do I need installed, and does it cost anything?
Docker Desktop on Windows or Mac, or Docker Engine on Linux. Both are free for personal use, education and small businesses, and larger companies need a paid Docker Desktop subscription. You need a laptop with about 8 GB of RAM and hardware virtualisation enabled in firmware, which is worth checking before you start.
Will this help with Node-RED, Ignition or an edge gateway?
That is why it exists. Node-RED, Grafana, InfluxDB, MQTT brokers and most edge software now ship as container images, and the EDWartens Node-RED and Ignition courses assume you can run one. This course fills that gap: by DK8 you can bring the whole stack up from a single Compose file.
Does the course cover Kubernetes?
Not as a subject you learn to operate. The last module explains what Kubernetes and Docker Swarm add over Docker on a single host, and when a site genuinely needs them, so you can make that call honestly rather than adopting an orchestrator for one edge PC.

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module