[{"content":"Why IaC Now? As a Network Engineer with a strong focus on Cisco ISE, identity services, and Python automation, I\u0026rsquo;ve reached a point where I want to level up significantly. Declarative infrastructure, GitOps workflows, and true repeatability are no longer \u0026ldquo;nice to have\u0026rdquo; — they\u0026rsquo;re essential.\nI\u0026rsquo;m starting a structured 9-month IaC learning path (5–10 hours per week) to:\nDeepen my current role with better automation Build toward potential MLOps / NetSecDevOps opportunities Make my homelab (Proxmox NUC + AWS + Cisco CML) truly reproducible and version-controlled Document everything publicly on this site as proof of work My Learning Plan Phase 1: Terraform Foundations (Current) HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate (2026) – Udemy course by Zeal Vora Focus: Writing clean, maintainable Terraform for Proxmox, networking, and cloud resources Goal: Get comfortable with modules, state management, and real-world patterns Phase 2: Ansible + Configuration Management Ansible for Network Engineers - Hands-On \u0026amp; Capstone Projects - Udemy course by Abhishek Das Deep dive into Ansible for network device management and server configuration Integrate with Terraform (Terraform → Ansible pattern) Phase 3: Kubernetes \u0026amp; GitOps Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) - Udemy course by Mumshad Mannambeth Kubernetes on Proxmox ArgoCD, Flux, and policy-as-code tools Phase 4: Tying It All Together Machine Learning Specialization - Coursera specialization by Andrew Ng Integrating IaC with my existing Cisco ISE / identity workflows Adding ML components (Ollama + automation pipelines) Building real homelab projects I can write about Why I\u0026rsquo;m Documenting This Publicly Accountability — Writing forces clarity Portfolio Building — Future employers and my future self will see real progress Knowledge Retention — Teaching what I learn is the best way to internalize it Community Value — Hopefully help other network engineers on the same journey What to Expect on This Blog You’ll see regular updates as I progress:\nHonest reviews of courses and resources Working code examples from my homelab Lessons learned (including failures) Before/after comparisons of manual vs declarative approaches Stay tuned — the first deep-dive Terraform + Proxmox post is coming soon.\nLast updated: June 12, 2026\n","permalink":"https://stubbornpackets.com/blog/2026-06-12-iac-learning-path/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"why-iac-now\"\u003eWhy IaC Now?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a Network Engineer with a strong focus on Cisco ISE, identity services, and Python automation, I\u0026rsquo;ve reached a point where I want to level up significantly. Declarative infrastructure, GitOps workflows, and true repeatability are no longer \u0026ldquo;nice to have\u0026rdquo; — they\u0026rsquo;re essential.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m starting a structured \u003cstrong\u003e9-month IaC learning path\u003c/strong\u003e (5–10 hours per week) to:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeepen my current role with better automation\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuild toward potential MLOps / NetSecDevOps opportunities\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMake my homelab (Proxmox NUC + AWS + Cisco CML) truly reproducible and version-controlled\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDocument everything publicly on this site as proof of work\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"my-learning-plan\"\u003eMy Learning Plan\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"phase-1-terraform-foundations-current\"\u003ePhase 1: Terraform Foundations (Current)\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate (2026)\u003c/strong\u003e – Udemy course by Zeal Vora\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFocus: Writing clean, maintainable Terraform for Proxmox, networking, and cloud resources\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGoal: Get comfortable with modules, state management, and real-world patterns\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"phase-2-ansible--configuration-management\"\u003ePhase 2: Ansible + Configuration Management\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnsible for Network Engineers - Hands-On \u0026amp; Capstone Projects\u003c/strong\u003e - Udemy course by Abhishek Das\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeep dive into Ansible for network device management and server configuration\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntegrate with Terraform (Terraform → Ansible pattern)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"phase-3-kubernetes--gitops\"\u003ePhase 3: Kubernetes \u0026amp; GitOps\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCertified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)\u003c/strong\u003e - Udemy course by Mumshad Mannambeth\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKubernetes on Proxmox\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArgoCD, Flux, and policy-as-code tools\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"phase-4-tying-it-all-together\"\u003ePhase 4: Tying It All Together\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMachine Learning Specialization\u003c/strong\u003e - Coursera specialization by Andrew Ng\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntegrating IaC with my existing Cisco ISE / identity workflows\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAdding ML components (Ollama + automation pipelines)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuilding real homelab projects I can write about\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"why-im-documenting-this-publicly\"\u003eWhy I\u0026rsquo;m Documenting This Publicly\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAccountability\u003c/strong\u003e — Writing forces clarity\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePortfolio Building\u003c/strong\u003e — Future employers and my future self will see real progress\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKnowledge Retention\u003c/strong\u003e — Teaching what I learn is the best way to internalize it\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCommunity Value\u003c/strong\u003e — Hopefully help other network engineers on the same journey\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"what-to-expect-on-this-blog\"\u003eWhat to Expect on This Blog\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou’ll see regular updates as I progress:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"My IaC Learning Journey in 2026 – From Network Engineer to Automation-First"},{"content":"","permalink":"https://stubbornpackets.com/about/","summary":"","title":"About"}]