Advance Automation: Playbooks, Roles & Workflow Automation

Overview

This beginner-level Coursera course, "Advance Automation: Playbooks, Roles & Workflow Automation," clocks in at 10 hours and dives into IT automation topics like playbooks, roles, and workflow automation. Offered by Board Infinity, it positions itself as a step up to the "next level" of automation—though the description hints at intermediate content despite the official beginner tag. It's free to enroll, making it an accessible entry point for practical automation skills.

Who It's For

Ideal for beginners with some basic familiarity in IT or scripting (inferred from the "advance" title and "next level" phrasing, even if labeled beginner), like junior sysadmins, DevOps aspiring folks, or IT support roles looking to automate repetitive tasks. It suits career goals in automation engineering, cloud ops, or DevOps where tools like Ansible (implied by playbooks/roles) are key. Self-paced learners on Coursera will thrive here, as it's structured for flexible, bite-sized progress over 10 hours.

Strengths

• Concise and practical focus: At just 10 hours, it targets hands-on essentials like playbooks, roles, and workflow automation, prioritizing actionable IT skills over fluff.
• Free access: Enroll for free on Coursera, removing financial barriers and letting you test the waters before any paid certificate upgrade.
• Coursera ecosystem perks: Comes with the platform's reliable video/quiz format and a shareable certificate (upon completion/payment), which holds decent value for LinkedIn or entry-level resumes.
• Board Infinity's niche: Offered by a training provider specializing in tech skills, suggesting targeted content for real-world automation workflows.

Weaknesses

• Level confusion: Marketed as beginner but described as "intermediate" and "next level," which could frustrate true newbies without prior IT automation basics (e.g., YAML or basic Ansible).
• Limited depth in short format: 10 hours might skim surfaces on complex topics like roles and workflows, leaving gaps for advanced users wanting projects or troubleshooting depth.
• Sparse preview info: With minimal description and no syllabus details provided, it's hard to gauge exact content quality or hands-on elements upfront.

Curriculum Highlights

Based on the title and snippet, the standout syllabus revolves around core automation building blocks: playbooks for orchestrating tasks, roles for reusable components, and workflow automation for streamlining IT processes. This Ansible-inspired structure (inferred from terminology) stands out for its practicality—focusing on tools that directly translate to automating deployments, configs, and ops—making it a solid bridge from basics to production-ready skills, even if details are light.

Value Assessment

Absolutely worth the 10 hours, especially since it's free to enroll; the ROI shines for beginners eyeing DevOps or automation roles, where Coursera certs boost entry-level profiles. Paid certificate adds resume polish, but free alternatives like Ansible docs or YouTube abound—still, this structured package edges them for guided learning. Compared to longer paid courses (e.g., 20+ hour Udemy Ansible tracks), it's a low-commitment win if the intermediate tilt matches your starting point.

Bottom Line

Take this if you're a beginner with basic IT chops dipping into automation and want a quick, free Coursera intro to playbooks and roles—skip if you're a total novice or seeking in-depth projects.

Rating

7/10
Solid for its free, focused intro to key automation concepts in a short package, but docked for level inconsistency and lack of detailed content previews that could build more trust.