Subject-matter expert
Ben Finkel
Ben Finkel has worked in software development since 1996. Before joining CBT Nuggets, he was a software engineer at M&T Bank in Buffalo, New York. He is a Google Certified Trainer. When he’s not creating CBT Nuggets training videos, Ben enjoys skiing, snowboarding, reading, and home brewing beer and cider. He also considers himself a hobbyist programmer and likes learning new development technologies.
Credentials
Certifications Ben Finkel holds
Vendor-issued credentials Ben holds — the hands-on IT background behind the courses your team will train on.
- Microsoft
Training coverage
Courses that carry Ben Finkel's expertise into your team plan
Use these courses as proof of coverage for the roles and technologies your team needs to support.
Courses Ben Finkel teaches
7 courses
Azure
AZ-800: Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure
This AZ-800 course gives IT Directors and Team Leads a standard way to close skill gaps across AD DS, Hyper-V, DNS/DHCP, file services, and Azure-connected workloads. Completion exports in Team Reporting give Training Managers a clear record of who has covered each block. Built for systems administrators and Windows Server administrators with 2–3 years of experience, the training covers installing domain controllers and building trusts, configuring Microsoft Entra Connect Sync and Cloud Sync, and troubleshooting Group Policy by isolating computer-side and user-side settings. Admins also gain the ability to reach servers securely and keep workloads and file services available, so teams handle hybrid connectivity and continuity with fewer escalations and less reliance on outside help, using PowerShell Remoting, PowerShell Direct, SSH, Azure Bastion, Hyper-V Replica and clustering, Azure File Sync, and DFS. Virtual labs let your admins practice domain controller work before it touches production. Microsoft retired the AZ-800 exam on September 30th, 2026, so teams can assign this course for the hybrid administration skills rather than a credential.
Azure
DP-900
This DP-900 certification training covers how to use Microsoft Azure data services to work with cloud-based data, whether relational or non-relational, in different workloads. This course prepares you for Microsoft's Azure Data Fundamentals certification by explaining relational and non-relational data, different data workloads and the core concepts of data in the cloud.
Docker
Docker
Container adoption stalls when every engineer installs Docker differently, builds images by habit, and deploys to cloud services without a shared workflow. This Docker course gives DevOps teams a common baseline, from local setup on Linux, Windows, and WSL through image builds, multi-container workflows, and cloud deployment. IT Directors and Team Leads can assign it to DevOps professionals with roughly three to five years of experience. The team works through creating and managing containers, building Docker images for repeatable deployments, configuring Docker Compose and Docker Swarm, and deploying containerized applications to Kubernetes, Amazon ECS, Amazon EKS with eksctl, AWS CodeBuild, and Azure. A dedicated module on Python and Docker-py shows how to automate Docker Engine tasks and cut repetitive manual container management. At about 13 hours per learner, the course fits a multi-week enablement plan rather than a one-day session. Training Managers can sequence it with Playlists alongside internal standards for image creation, deployment targets, and automation ownership, then use Team Reporting to track per-learner progress and completion and see who is ready for hands-on container work.
Exchange
Microsoft Exchange Server 2016
This Exchange training course prepares learners to setup mailbox databases on Exchange Server 2016. Learn how to deploy, manage, and troubleshoot mailbox databases on Exchange Server 2016.
Oracle
1Z0-071
This Oracle Database SQL Certified Associate (1Z0-071) training covers how to use the fundamental SQL necessary to work with an Oracle Database server. This Oracle training is actually a SQL course that anyone can use to learn the SQL flavor called Oracle SQL. Follow along in the Oracle virtual labs to learn Oracle’s flavor of the popular query language SQL.
Python
PCAP certification
This PCAP certification training is designed to help you gain confidence in backend development, software engineering, and data science. This course will teach you professional-level skills in designing, debugging, and refactoring multi-module programs. You'll master Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), modules, packages, and the Standard Library. From handling file streams to using generators and closures, this PCAP certification training provides the intermediate expertise you need to solve real-world problems, whether you're a developer, data scientist, or network engineer.
Python
Python for Data Analysis
Master the fundamentals of data analysis with Python, the industry-standard language for data professionals. This entry-level course moves you beyond the basics, equipping you with the practical skills to manipulate, analyze, and visualize complex datasets. Start training to harness the full potential of Python’s data libraries and turn your data into a competitive advantage.
Buyer proof
How Howard County's IT Department Upskilled 80 People, Protected a 600-Server Migration, and Kept Its Training Budget Intact
Local Government · Howard County, MD · 80 employees across 8 disciplines
CBT Nuggets gave Howard County's Department of Technology something bootcamps never could: the flexibility to train on their own time, in their own environments, with hands-on labs and practice exams that actually prepared staff for their everyday job.
- Physical servers migrated to HyperV virtual environments
- ~600
- Distinct technical disciplines under one department
- 8
- License engagement reported to leadership
- 100%
“I include our leadership, so they know that we're engaging with the training. When the budget comes and they see CBT Nuggets, they say: ‘Oh yeah. We keep that.’”
Elizabeth Nwadiuko
Technical Services Manager