Level 1: Foundational Awareness

1. Understands the core components of Azure (VMs, SQL, Resource Groups, Networking).
2. Can follow step-by-step documentation to create or configure basic Azure resources (e.g., create VM, attach disk).
3. Follows all Triumph’s Azure naming conventions and resource group structure.
4. Can navigate the Azure portal to view and review basic settings of an existing Rock RMS environment.
5. Aware of backup policies and general firewall configuration practices.
6. Familiar with Triumph Azure Management plugin and how to use it.
7. Familiar with the use of Resource Groups to organize Azure services to improve management and cost reporting.

Level 2: Operational Competence

1. Can independently deploy a standard Rock RMS production instance in Azure using internal guides.
2. Can configure network security groups, assign static IPs, and set up basic firewall rules (e.g., Triumph RDP/RDM access).
3. Understands the distinctions between DTU and vCore pricing models and selects appropriate options for small to mid-sized churches for Azure SQL.
4. Familiar with sandbox vs production environments, disk setup, and how to snapshot and replicate environments.
5. Able to configure SQL firewall access, user logins, and roles for Rock access.
6. Can use the Azure portal to review performance metrics for basic diagnostics.
7. Has set up Triumph team toolset (HTTP Logs Viewer) for opening IIS traffic logs and is beginning to routinely look at church's log files to understand what "normal" looks like.
8. Experienced in cost analysis and reporting using the Azure tools.

Level 3: Applied Practitioner

1. Proficient in sizing Rock hosting configurations based on church size and Rock usage patterns.
2. Able to explain the strategy and decision-making behind different file storage choices.
3. Can create and configure Azure Application Gateway, listeners, routing rules, health probes, and backend pools.
4. Familiar with Azure region quotas, vCPU limits, and the process for increasing quotas.
5. Can deploy and customize monitoring dashboards for VM and SQL utilization.
6. Can configure backups for standalone data disks.

Level 4: Solution Crafter

1. Able to troubleshoot performance issues using metrics, logs (e.g., IIS logs with X-Forwarded-For), and query plans.
2. Understands how to implement file storage strategies (Azure Blob, Asset Storage Providers) for Web Farm compatibility.
3. Understands the process for configuring a Web Farm.
4. Experienced with configuring Azure reserved pricing, evaluating tradeoffs between DTU and vCore models, and cost optimization.
5. Can lead the setup of a Rock instance with application gateway, cache, SQL, and a clustered IIS environment.

Level 5: Domain Leader

1. Proficient in configuring Rock’s Event Bus and Web Farm features, including Azure Service Bus.
2. At least 3 months of experience supporting clustered Rock environments in production.
3. Deep knowledge of large-scale Rock hosting (20k+ attendees) with ability to evaluate and design high-performance environments.
4. Experienced in or able to explain how to move resources across regions and configuring new environments with minimal downtime.
5. Understands the implications and mechanics of scaling Rock in cloud environments (e.g., database load, caching, resource cost/performance).
6. Designs and implements custom dashboards for proactive resource health monitoring across environments.
7. Familiar with scripting and automation for resource deployment and maintenance (e.g., PowerShell, ARM templates).
8. Maintains awareness of Azure's evolving feature set and best practices for Rock hosting.
9. Azure Entra management including the setup of applications and provisioning security roles.

Level 6: Force Multiplier

1. Coaches peers on advanced topics and encourages others' skill growth within the domain.
2. Contributes to or authors best-practice documentation, internal patterns and process improvements.
3. Maintains or initiates internal tools, scripts, or templates that improve team efficiency or knowledge sharing.
4. Advocates for scalable solutions and knowledge transfer in every engagement.
5. Speaks at RX and/or proactively creates public videos, blog posts or documentation that help the Rock community.
6. Shares unique insights, patterns or approaches publicly or within Triumph/Spark/Rock community channels.

Level 7: Strategic Pioneer

1. Actively shapes how Triumph approaches and evolves in this area.
2. Involved in product/service innovation related to this skill.
3. Stays current with changes in tooling, technologies and ecosystem trends-and filters signal from noise for the team.

Level 1: Foundational Awareness

1. Understands the difference between public and private IP addresses.
2. Can explain what a domain name is and how DNS translates it to an IP address.
3. Recognizes basic DNS record types: A, CNAME, MX, TXT.
4. Knowledge of network protocols like: HTTP, FTP, SMTP, DNS, SNMP and their related ports.
5. Familiar with the role of a CDN and why it’s used for static assets (CSS, JS, images).
6. Understands that SSL/TLS certificates are required for HTTPS and what they do or assert.
7. Can identify whether a URL is using HTTP or HTTPS.
8. Understands the difference between inbound and outbound rules in NSGs (network security groups).
9. Understands the basic mechanics of the internet and the structure of an IP address (Subnet classes, etc)

Level 2: Operational Competence

1. Can configure basic DNS records for a partner’s domain (A, CNAME, TXT).
2. Understands the difference between propagation delay and TTL in DNS.
3. Knows how to assign static IP addresses in Azure and how they relate to VMs or load balancers.
4. Has a basic understanding of Network Address Translation (NAT) and why it exists.
5. Can explain the benefits of using Triumph CDN and knows how to configure common file paths for caching.
6. Understands the basics of HTTPS and certificate installation (including Let’s Encrypt and Azure SSL bindings).
7. Can use public tools (e.g., whatsmydns.net, dig, nslookup) to investigate DNS issues.
8. Understands the roles and differences between firewalls, proxies, routers, and switches, and has a basic understanding of the OSI model and its relevance to network troubleshooting.
9. Understands the purpose and basic functionality of VPNs, including how they are used to create secure connections across public networks.
10. Familiar with Ethernet cabling standards (Cat5, Cat6, Cat7) and understands the differences between fiber optic and copper transmission media.
11. Understands what a MAC address is and how it differs from an IP address, and is familiar with common email-related DNS records such as MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. (Michael notes: https://mxtoolbox.com/).

Level 3: Applied Practitioner

1. Can fully configure a domain to point to Rock, including DNS records, CNAME flattening, aliasing, and subdomain delegation.
2. Can troubleshoot DNS propagation or resolution issues using tools like nslookup, dig, ping, traceroute, or Azure DNS diagnostics.
3. Can identify whether a file or request is being served via the CDN (e.g., via headers or response time).
4. Able to configure additional content types (audio, video) to be served by Triumph CDN when hosted on Rock or Azure Blob.
5. Understands HTTP caching headers (Cache-Control, ETag) and how they affect CDN behavior.
6. Understands common HTTP response codes such as 200, 401, 403, 404, and 500, and can explain what they indicate during troubleshooting.
7. Understands how Rock interacts with client-side caching and the role of CDNs in performance optimization.
8. Understands basic Wi-Fi configuration concepts including SSIDs, WPA2/WPA3 encryption standards, and the function of captive portals.
9. Understands the purpose and differences between FTP, SFTP, and SSH, and can use them to securely transfer files or access remote servers.

Level 4: Solution Crafter

1. At least 3 months’ experience supporting client environments with CDN, DNS, and IP configuration issues.
2. Understands and can configure reverse proxy setups and troubleshoot issues related to X-Forwarded-For headers in IIS.
3. Familiar with Azure Application Gateway and how it interacts with public IPs and DNS.
4. Can explain and troubleshoot SSL handshake issues and redirect chains.
5. Proficient in using logs, browser developer tools, and network inspection, to assess CDN behavior and optimize cacheability with Rock.
6. Knows how to stagger app pool refreshes and assess how IP routing and DNS-based failover interact with multi-node setups.
7. Understands the purpose of network VLANs and how they are used to segment and manage traffic within a network.

Level 5: Domain Leader

1. At least 6 months’ experience coaching others on CDN, DNS, and networking concepts.
2. Designs DNS strategies for large multi-site churches, including custom subdomains, record management, and failover.
3. Configures secure CDN solutions (Triumph or custom) for a variety of file types, including video, audio, and downloads.
4. Optimizes global performance with considerations like geo-redundant storage, DNS latency, and CDN edge selection.
5. Understands TCP/IP layers, HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 behaviors, and how Rock benefits from advanced transport protocols.
6. Provides insight into networking impacts of clustering, load balancing, and redundancy strategies in cloud environments.
7. Can advise on architecture-level decisions related to internet routing, DNS providers, and CDN vendors.
8. Understands common network attack strategies and basic cybersecurity practices to protect systems and data.

Level 6: Force Multiplier

1. Coaches peers on advanced topics and encourages others' skill growth within the domain.
2. Contributes to or authors best-practice documentation, internal patterns and process improvements.
3. Maintains or initiates internal tools, scripts, or templates that improve team efficiency or knowledge sharing.
4. Advocates for scalable solutions and knowledge transfer in every engagement.
5. Speaks at RX and/or proactively creates public videos, blog posts or documentation that help the Rock community.
6. Shares unique insights, patterns or approaches publicly or within Triumph/Spark/Rock community channels.

Level 7: Strategic Pioneer

1. Actively shapes how Triumph approaches and evolves in this area.
2. Involved in product/service innovation related to this skill.
3. Stays current with changes in tooling, technologies and ecosystem trends-and filters signal from noise for the team.

Level 1: Foundational Awareness

1. Can read most Lava and understand its intent.
2. Can make small changes to existing templates.
3. Experience with writing Lava that follows the Lava style guide and proper naming conventions.
4. Awareness of newer Lava concepts such as Lava Applications and and their role in enabling interactive content experiences.

Level 2: Operational Competence

1. Has a thorough knowledge of all filters and their proper usage. This does not need to be a 'rote memorization' of all the filters and each property, but more of a knowledge that a particular filter exists for a certain use case with the ability to navigate directly to it in the documentation.
2. Experienced in basic logic structures (if, for, case, assign).
3. Knowledge of all the places one can use Lava.
4. Understanding of caching strategies for Lava.
5. Familiar with Lava Applications as a model for creating interactive and modular experiences and understands the role of HTMX in creating dynamic content.

Level 3: Applied Practitioner

1. Experience using common Lava commands (Entity and SQL).
2. Understands the proper use of includes.
3. Able to write moderate level shortcodes.
4. Advanced logic patterns (advanced for loops, patterns for common logic)
5. Able to find available merge fields using Lava.
6. Experienced in Lava debugging.
7. Can create basic Lava Applications with defined endpoints and implement interactivity using HTMX (hx-get, hx-post).
8. Utilizes newer Lava Commands such as entitymodify, dbtransaction, and httpresponse.
9. Uses component-based form controls (e.g., textbox, campuspicker) to streamline form creation.
10. At least a ranking for 2 for HTML/CSS and TSP.

Level 4: Solution Crafter

1. Comprehensive knowledge and experience with all Lava commands.
2. Deep understanding of Lava performance and optimization.
3. Ability to calculate the number of database reads a given template will generate.
4. Designs and manages complex Lava Applications with multiple endpoints and secure interaction patterns.
5. Implements advanced execution models using verbs like Execute View, Execute Edit, Execute Administrate.
6. Utilizes the renderlavaendpoint command to inject dynamic content during initial page load.
7. Monitors and improves Lava Application performance using Rock’s observability features.
8. At least a ranking of level 3 for TSP.

Level 5: Domain Leader

1. Experience with creation of Persisted Datasets.
2. Creation of at least 5 reusable shortcodes that are shared by the team and follow proper naming conventions and core design patterns.
3. Able to find available merge fields by reading the C#.
4. Leads the development of scalable Lava Applications aligned with organizational goals.
5. Champions modular Lava design using reusable endpoints, logic blocks, and secure data handling practices.

Level 6: Force Multiplier

1. Coaches peers on advanced topics and encourages others' skill growth within the domain.
2. Contributes to or authors best-practice documentation, internal patterns and process improvements.
3. Maintains or initiates internal tools, scripts, or templates that improve team efficiency or knowledge sharing.
4. Advocates for scalable solutions and knowledge transfer in every engagement.
5. Speaks at RX and/or proactively creates public videos, blog posts or documentation that help the Rock community.
6. Shares unique insights, patterns or approaches publicly or within Triumph/Spark/Rock community channels.

Level 7: Strategic Pioneer

1. Actively shapes how Triumph approaches and evolves in this area.
2. Involved in product/service innovation related to this skill.
3. Stays current with changes in tooling, technologies and ecosystem trends-and filters signal from noise for the team.

Level 1: Foundational Awareness

1. Can read most SQL and understand its intent.
2. Can make small changes to existing SQL.
3. Knowledge of appropriate use of SQL within Rock.
4. Knowledge of locations where SQL can be used within Rock.
5. Experience with writing SQL that follows the SQL style guide and proper naming conventions.

Level 2: Operational Competence

1. Can write basic SELECT statements without copy/pasting.
2. Experienced with JOINS (both INNER and OUTER).
3. Experienced with filtering in the WHERE clause including concepts like wildcards and IN operators.
4. Experienced with basic functions (COUNT, SUM, MAX, FORMAT, TOP, CAST, etc).
5. Understanding of all datatypes used by Rock.
6. Experience with common formatting of properties (dates, numbers).
7. Experience with all common tables and their relationships.

Level 3: Applied Practitioner

1. Ability to add sub SELECTS in their query.
2. Advanced formatting including CASE.
3. Knowledge of all tables and their relationships with familiarity of the properties of each table.
4. Experience writing safe INSERTS, UPDATES and DELETE statements.
5. Created and shared at least 5 reusable SQL scripts in shared repository that follows the Triumph design patterns

Level 4: Solution Crafter

1. Experience writing hierarchical (recursive) CTEs.
2. Use of IF statements.
3. Experience with UNION statements.
4. Knowledge of how to write efficient queries.
5. Experience with Windowing Functions.

Level 5: Domain Leader

1. Ability to write stored procedures and custom functions.
2. Experience in the use of the PIVOT expression and Pivot pattern via CASE statements.
3. Created and shared at least 10 reusable SQL scripts in shared repository that follows the Triumph design patterns.
4. Experience with optimizing queries by reading the query plan using explain.
5. Experience with the MERGE INTO functionality of TSQL.
6. At least 6 months experience coaching others in SQL.
7. Understands database schema design (third normal form).
8. Watch and understand the Brent Ozar "How to Think Like the SQL Server Engine" video. (moderate content warning!)

Level 6: Force Multiplier

1. Coaches peers on advanced topics and encourages others' skill growth within the domain.
2. Contributes to or authors best-practice documentation, internal patterns and process improvements.
3. Maintains or initiates internal tools, scripts, or templates that improve team efficiency or knowledge sharing.
4. Advocates for scalable solutions and knowledge transfer in every engagement.
5. Speaks at RX and/or proactively creates public videos, blog posts or documentation that help the Rock community.
6. Shares unique insights, patterns or approaches publicly or within Triumph/Spark/Rock community channels.

Level 7: Strategic Pioneer

1. Actively shapes how Triumph approaches and evolves in this area.
2. Involved in product/service innovation related to this skill.
3. Stays current with changes in tooling, technologies and ecosystem trends-and filters signal from noise for the team.

Level 1: Foundational Awareness

1. Experience making small edits to existing workflows.
2. Knowledge of all existing core Workflow actions.
3. Understanding of the basic structure of a workflow (activities, actions, attributes, etc.).
4. Understanding of persistence strategies, processing intervals and logging (what not to do).
5. Understanding of how to document workflows (description and workflow notes).
6. Experience exporting and importing workflows.

Level 2: Operational Competence

1. Experience building new workflows.
2. Experience with linking inputs passed into workflow attributes.
3. Understanding of common places workflows could be used (grids, jobs, etc.).
4. Understanding of the raw values for each attribute field type (e.g. Person attributes raw value is the Guid of their Person Alias).
5. Experience with the basic patterns of workflows (when to launch other workflows, etc.).
6. Understanding of the lifecycle of workflow processing.
7. Basic Form Design - Forms that require no additional markup.
8. At least a ranking of level 2 in Lava.

Level 3: Applied Practitioner

1. Experience using actions to create/modify entities.
2. Experience retrieving data using SQL (as a last resort).
3. Understanding of Workflow security.
4. Advanced Form Design. For example:
1. Use of HTML and CSS classes to adjust the alignment of fields, grouping fields into sections, etc.
1. Addition of conditional logic into forms to show and hide fields based on the values of other fields on the form.
5. Use of conditional logic on actions to disable running actions based on attribute value on the workflow.
6. Basic understanding of using Lava in Workflows. For example:
1. Using Lava in a workflow action to update setting values (e.g. provide the value of a workflow attribute to an action setting).
1. Personalize form headers with the current person's name.
7. At least a ranking of level 2 in HTML & CSS.
8. At least a ranking of level 3 in Lava.

Level 4: Solution Crafter

1. Experience building performant text to workflows using the SMS pipeline.
2. Experience with advanced workflow topics (control of related workflows).
3. Understanding of advanced workflow patterns. For example:
1. Activating and re-activating activities appropriately to change how the workflow processes.
1. Knowledge of when to use, and when to avoid, actions being left active.
1. Knowledge of what a person will see when loading an active workflow with multiple active activities, based on security and activity assignments.
4. Advanced understanding of using Lava in workflows. For example:
1. Using a person workflow Entity to look up their campus and assign the activity to someone in the campus group based on their role.
1. Using Lava Run to evaluate multiple conditions and affect the workflow process.
5. At least a ranking of level 3 in HTML & CSS

Level 5: Domain Leader

1. Experience actions to make external calls (Web Request).
2. Experience using Webhook to Workflows.

Level 6: Force Multiplier

1. Coaches peers on advanced topics and encourages others' skill growth within the domain.
2. Contributes to or authors best-practice documentation, internal patterns and process improvements.
3. Maintains or initiates internal tools, scripts, or templates that improve team efficiency or knowledge sharing.
4. Advocates for scalable solutions and knowledge transfer in every engagement.
5. Speaks at RX and/or proactively creates public videos, blog posts or documentation that help the Rock community.
6. Shares unique insights, patterns or approaches publicly or within Triumph/Spark/Rock community channels.

Level 7: Strategic Pioneer

1. Actively shapes how Triumph approaches and evolves in this area.
2. Involved in product/service innovation related to this skill.
3. Stays current with changes in tooling, technologies and ecosystem trends-and filters signal from noise for the team.