CJE study plan
CJE · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Jenkins Installation, Configuration, and Administration
Install Jenkins via the WAR file and via a native package on a clean machine, then document every directory created (JENKINS_HOME, logs, war cache).
Configure JENKINS_HOME relocation, JVM heap flags, and the systemd/Windows service wrapper, verifying each change survives a restart.
Navigate the Manage Jenkins screens and explain what each global configuration section controls, including the built-in node settings.
Set up the update center, plugin installation, and safe restart behavior, including how to roll back a plugin version.
Capture a backup of JENKINS_HOME and restore it into a second instance to prove the procedure works.
Your checkpoint
A one-page runbook plus a working Jenkins instance whose JENKINS_HOME, heap settings, and plugin set are documented and restorable from your own backup.
Pipelines and Pipeline as Code
Write a declarative Jenkinsfile with stages, steps, environment blocks, and post conditions, and run it from a Multibranch Pipeline.
Convert the same logic into a scripted pipeline and articulate the differences in structure, error handling, and Groovy usage.
Implement shared library code (vars/ and src/) and call it from two different pipelines.
Add parameters, input approval steps, and parallel stages, then observe how each behaves in the build log.
Your checkpoint
A repository containing a declarative pipeline, a scripted pipeline, and a shared library, with a README explaining when to choose each approach.
Pipelines and Pipeline as Code & Job Types and Build Configuration
Author a Jenkinsfile that uses credentials binding, withCredentials, and environment variables without leaking secrets into logs.
Configure a Freestyle job with SCM polling, build triggers, and post-build actions, then reproduce the same result as a pipeline job.
Use Pipeline syntax snippets (options, agents, when conditions, matrix) to control execution flow.
Debug a failing pipeline using the replay feature, stage view, and console output.
Your checkpoint
A side-by-side comparison document showing one Freestyle job and one Pipeline job that perform identical work, including their configuration screenshots-as-text descriptions and console output.
Job Types and Build Configuration & Source Code Management, Webhooks, and Triggers
Configure Git SCM with credentials, branch specifiers, and shallow clone options in both Freestyle and Pipeline jobs.
Set up GitHub/GitLab webhook triggers end to end, including the Jenkins-side URL, secret token, and firewall considerations.
Implement polling vs. webhook triggering and explain the tradeoffs in latency and load.
Configure Multibranch Pipeline branch discovery and orphaned item cleanup.
Your checkpoint
A working webhook-triggered build that fires within seconds of a push, with a written troubleshooting checklist for when the webhook does not arrive.
User Management, Security, and Access Control
Configure the security realm (local users plus an LDAP or OAuth alternative) and matrix-based authorization for a project-scoped role.
Create API tokens and demonstrate scripted access to the Jenkins REST API with and without authentication.
Enable CSRF protection, configure the agent port, and explain how each setting affects automation.
Audit users and permissions using the CLI or API and produce a report of who can do what.
Your checkpoint
A permissions matrix document mapping roles to jobs and a verified API script that authenticates with a token and triggers a build.
Build Agents, Distributed Builds, and Cloud Agents
Connect a permanent agent over SSH and over JNLP/inbound, and label agents so jobs target them by label.
Configure tool installations (JDK, Maven, Node) on agents and reference them from a pipeline tool block.
Set up a cloud agent (EC2, Kubernetes, or Docker) that spins up on demand and tears down after idle.
Diagnose a common agent failure: label mismatch, workspace permissions, or missing tool.
Your checkpoint
A distributed build setup with at least one static agent and one ephemeral cloud agent, plus a log of a job that ran on each.
Artifacts, Testing, and Plugin Ecosystem
Archive build artifacts and publish JUnit test results, then read the trend graphs and failure details.
Integrate a static analysis or coverage plugin and configure quality gates that fail the build.
Evaluate plugin risk: check compatibility, pin versions, and identify plugins that are unmaintained.
Configure artifact retention and discarding old builds with the build discarder.
Your checkpoint
A pipeline that archives artifacts, publishes test results, fails on a coverage threshold, and prunes old builds, with the resulting report linked in your notes.
Troubleshooting, Monitoring, and Maintenance & Jenkins Installation, Configuration, and Administration
Read Jenkins logs, thread dumps, and the support bundle to diagnose a hung or slow instance.
Configure monitoring (metrics plugin or Prometheus endpoint) and set up a health check alert.
Perform a plugin upgrade in a staging instance, including backup, rollback, and restart verification.
Run a full practice exam under time pressure and review every missed domain against this plan.
Your checkpoint
A maintenance checklist covering backup, upgrade, rollback, and monitoring, plus a scored practice exam with a remediation list.
Milestones
Week 2: You can write a declarative pipeline from scratch, with no reference, that builds, tests, and reports status in under 20 minutes.
Week 4: A push to your repository triggers a build automatically via webhook, and you can explain the full path from push to console output.
Week 6: You can add a new agent, label it, and route a job to it without consulting notes.
Week 8: You score at least 80% on a timed practice exam and can name your two weakest domains with a concrete fix for each.