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Packer Associate - Practice Plan

A 3-week plan assuming 8 to 10 hours per week. Extend to 4 weeks if new to Packer; compress to 2 weeks if you already build production images regularly.

Prerequisites Before Week 1

  • Packer 1.11 or newer installed locally (packer version)
  • AWS account with credentials configured (aws configure)
  • Text editor with HCL syntax highlighting (VS Code + HashiCorp Terraform extension)
  • Git repository for storing your practice templates
  • Budget alarm set on AWS at $20

Week 1: Fundamentals, First Build, Plugin Model

Reading - fact-sheet.md end to end - Notes file 01-packer-fundamentals.md - Notes file 02-builders-and-sources.md - Official tutorial: "Build an Image" for AWS

Labs - Install Packer 1.11 - Author a minimal aws-ubuntu.pkr.hcl that builds an Ubuntu AMI - Run packer init, packer fmt, packer validate, packer build in sequence - Introduce a source_ami_filter to dynamically pick the latest Ubuntu - Add tags including a BuildDate local with timestamp() - Build a second source for a different region; run both in parallel

Checkpoint - Successful AMI in your AWS account - You can explain what packer init does and why it is required - You have deleted the AMI and its snapshot (cost hygiene)

Week 2: Provisioners, Post-Processors, HCL2 Depth

Reading - Notes file 03-provisioners-and-post-processors.md - Notes file 04-hcl-configuration.md - Official docs: shell provisioner, ansible provisioner, manifest post-processor

Labs - Add a shell provisioner that installs nginx and a custom index.html - Upload the index.html using the file provisioner - Add the manifest post-processor to write manifest.json - Add the checksum post-processor for SHA256 - Convert the shell provisioner to ansible with a minimal playbook that installs nginx - Use breakpoint to pause a build and SSH in to inspect

Docker practice (optional but helpful) - Author a Docker builder template - Run the same Ansible playbook against the container - Push with docker-push to a local registry

Checkpoint - You can choose between shell and ansible provisioners based on use case - You understand what each post-processor adds to the pipeline - You can read a manifest.json and explain what it contains

Week 3: HCP Packer, Multi-Cloud, CI/CD, Exam Prep

Reading - Notes file 05-multi-cloud-images.md - Notes file 06-cicd-integration.md - Official docs: HCP Packer registry, GitHub Actions Packer examples

Labs - Create an HCP Packer bucket for your Ubuntu image - Add the hcp-packer-registry post-processor - Run a build; confirm the iteration appears in HCP Packer - Create development and production channels; promote an iteration - Consume the channel in a minimal Terraform config

GitHub Actions pipeline - Author .github/workflows/packer.yml that runs init, fmt, validate, build on PRs - Use OIDC to get AWS credentials (no long-lived keys) - Gate build to only run on main

Multi-cloud (if you have time and credits) - Add an azure-arm or googlecompute source to the same build - Run packer build and confirm images in both clouds

Mock exam - Take a 60-minute untimed review of scenarios.md - Identify any weak topics from the fact sheet - Re-read relevant notes files

Final 3 days - Review all notes files quickly - Do two timed 60-minute practice sessions using scenarios.md as Q bank - Read strategy.md - Ensure exam-day logistics are ready

Daily Drills (15 minutes during week 3)

  • Recite the Packer CLI subcommands from memory
  • Name 5 builders, 3 provisioners, 3 post-processors
  • Explain variable precedence (CLI > env > var-file > default)
  • Explain the difference between only and except

Mini Mock Exam Structure

Build your own 57-question drill from the scenarios and fact sheet. Distribute by domain weight:

  • 9 questions on fundamentals (CLI, lifecycle)
  • 14 on plugins (builders, provisioners, post-processors)
  • 11 on HCL2 authoring
  • 9 on HCP Packer
  • 9 on CI/CD and multi-cloud
  • 5 on security and credentials

Time yourself strictly. Do not look up answers during the drill. Grade and review after.

Hands-on Lab Environment Checklist

  • packer version returns 1.10+
  • AWS credentials work (aws sts get-caller-identity)
  • You have built at least one AMI end to end
  • You have used at least 2 provisioners (shell + ansible or file)
  • You have used at least 2 post-processors (manifest + one other)
  • You have registered an image in HCP Packer
  • You have a working CI pipeline that runs validate on PR

Final Week Tactics

  • Day 3: final mock exam, review gaps
  • Day 2: read notes files once more, rest of day off
  • Day 1: rest, no studying, early sleep
  • Exam day: light breakfast, quiet room, no last-minute cramming

Beyond the Associate

If you plan to pursue the HashiCorp automation track, pair this with:

  • Terraform Associate or Professional
  • Vault Associate (for credential management in build pipelines)
  • Consul Associate (service discovery for built images)

Packer slots naturally between Terraform (infrastructure) and runtime configuration (Ansible/Chef/cloud-init). Understanding the full stack makes the cert more useful.