SkillSurf
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Digital Experience

AEM Developer Training

Master Enterprise Content Management, OSGi Services, and Custom Component Architecture

4.9(1,850 students)
45 Hours
Intermediate to Advanced
AEM DeveloperOSGi ServicesSling ModelsHTL / SightlyAEM DispatcherCRXDE Lite
AEM Developer Training

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Course Overview

Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) is the leading enterprise content management platform recognized globally for scalable digital experience delivery. This specialized developer training transitions you from basic concepts into advanced backend and frontend architecture. You will learn to construct custom components using Maven archetypes, deploy OSGi services, manipulate the JCR via Sling Servlets, optimize client-side assets, and manage workflow automations built for enterprise environments.

Who Should Learn

Backend Java Developers migrating to Enterprise CMS frameworks
Frontend Developers working with HTML Template Language (HTL)
Web Content Architects and Lead Tech Specialists
Solutions Engineers handling enterprise digital touchpoints
AEM Administrators looking to move into core development roles

Prerequisites

  • Solid foundational knowledge of Java programming concepts
  • Familiarity with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Maven build automation
  • Basic understanding of web architecture, servlets, and HTTP lifecycles

Learning Outcomes

Initialize and deploy enterprise-ready AEM applications using Maven Archetypes
Build robust, reusable custom touch-optimized components and core dialog structures
Create decoupled backend architectures utilizing OSGi bundles and Sling Models
Implement modern frontend mockups into functional nodes using HTML Template Language (HTL)
Configure cross-environment run modes and deploy replication agents cleanly
Design custom business logic automations using multi-step AEM Workflows
Configure, debug, and clear caching parameters on the local AEM Dispatcher layer

Course Curriculum

1Module 1: AEM Architecture and Concepts
7 topics
  • AEM technology stack overview (Granite, OSGi, Sling, JCR)
  • Understanding author, publish, and dispatcher runtime environments
  • Installing AEM instances and setting up a clean developer footprint
  • Generating an enterprise project codebase using the Maven Archetype
  • Exploring AEM directory structure and repository paths
  • Using Vault (VLT) and WebDAV for local content synchronization
  • Configuring environmental run modes across instances
2Module 2: AEM Development Setup & Debugging
7 topics
  • Importing and configuring code bases within IntelliJ IDEA
  • Deploying builds directly via CLI commands and build profiles
  • Running AEM instances in remote debugging mode
  • Deep-dive into CRXDE Lite, package consoles, and the Web Console
  • Understanding the path-to-resource Sling Request processing pipeline
  • Setting up, test-triggering, and managing replication agents
  • Creating and mapping structured taxonomies using JCR Tagging
3Module 3: Package Management and Access Controls
3 topics
  • Building, configuration filtering, and installing custom JCR content packages
  • Managing application users, specialized groups, and structural permissions
  • Understanding access control lists (ACLs) and security best practices
4Module 4: AEM Authoring and Component Architecture
7 topics
  • Navigating the modern Touch UI authoring interface and page editors
  • Differentiating page components from structural content components
  • Configuring foundation structures and leveraging Core Components
  • Building custom touch-optimized dialog forms from scratch
  • Extending existing components via resourceType overlays and inheritance
  • Developing structural nested multi-field dialog entries
  • Configuring Edit Config behaviors, node listeners, and drop targets
5Module 5: Editable Templates and Digital Asset Management (DAM)
5 topics
  • Developing component backing logic using Sling Models annotations
  • Differentiating legacy static templates from modern editable templates
  • Configuring template policies, unlockable structures, and layout containers
  • Understanding asset ingestion, metadata schemas, and processing profiles in AEM Assets
  • Exposing DAM content nodes through custom components and dialog lookups
6Module 6: Frontend Integration & Client-side Libraries
5 topics
  • Managing JS/CSS dependencies safely via Client-side Libraries (Clientlibs)
  • Configuring clientlib embedding, categories, dependencies, and minification
  • Writing dynamic views using HTML Templating Language (HTL / Sightly)
  • Implementing conditional logic, data iteration, and loops within HTL tags
  • Handling structural data types, maps, lists, and context-aware escaping
7Module 7: OSGi Services and Sling Development
7 topics
  • Managing bundle lifecycles, imports, and exports within POM configurations
  • Registering decoupled runtime instances using OSGi Services
  • Reading active configuration schemas based on operational run modes
  • Building custom REST endpoints using resource-bound and path-bound Sling Servlets
  • Injecting dependencies across OSGi modules using @Reference tags
  • Handling multi-domain link configurations with the AEM Externalizer framework
  • Troubleshooting classloading conflicts inside the OSGi console context
8Module 8: AEM Workflow Automation
4 topics
  • Exploring standard out-of-the-box (OOTB) models and administrative consoles
  • Designing linear and branching data states inside the Workflow Model editor
  • Writing custom backend Java process steps to execute business rule parameters
  • Assigning metadata-driven operations to users with Participant Steps
9Module 9: Dispatcher Architecture & Performance Diagnostics
4 topics
  • Analyzing caching lifecycles and standard filter rule rulesets
  • Setting up, modifying, and tracking a local AEM Dispatcher installation
  • Tracing dispatcher log lines to isolate caching failures and cache invalidation issues
  • Configuring targeted runtime logging variables inside the OSGi Configuration manager
10Module 10: Capstone Project Delivery & Assessment
4 topics
  • Building an end-to-end multi-language responsive enterprise site implementation
  • Integrating data flows utilizing dynamic Sling Models, Clientlibs, and Servlets
  • Code presentation, peer review evaluation, and architectural health validation
  • Comprehensive knowledge test and review sessions

Certification

Earn the SkillSurf Course Completion Certificate acknowledging your capability to engineer enterprise solutions. This program completely maps against topics required for the Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) – AEM Developer certification pathway.

Frequently Asked Questions

It balances both equally. You will build core back-end systems (OSGi components, Sling Servlets, Java-backed workflows) while configuring consumer-facing integrations (HTL scripting syntax, Clientlibs, Touch UI component dialogs).
We heavily prioritize modern best practices, focusing fully on Editable Templates, Content Fragments, Experience Fragments, and Core Components, while explaining legacy configurations for asset migration context.
Yes. You will learn to use Maven archetypes, configure system run modes, manage replication agents, and explore the dispatcher layer to simulate a standard engineering pipeline.
Yes, the curriculum covers the technical topics required for the Adobe Certified Professional and Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) AEM Developer exams.