DevOps Shack
TOP 30 Kubernetes Commands
Asked in MNC Interviews
1. How do you check the version of Kubernetes installed?
Command:
kubectl version --short
Explanation:
● This command displays the client and server versions of Kubernetes.
● The --short flag ensures a concise output.
● It helps verify compatibility between your kubectl version and the cluster's
API version.
2. How do you list all pods running in a specific namespace?
Command:
kubectl get pods -n <namespace>
Explanation:
● kubectl get pods: Fetches all pods.
● -n <namespace>: Restricts the query to a specific namespace.
● If no namespace is specified, it defaults to the default namespace.
Example:
kubectl get pods -n kube-system
● This is crucial in troubleshooting since pods in different namespaces might have
different statuses.
3. How do you get detailed information about a specific pod?
Command:
kubectl describe pod <pod-name> -n <namespace>
Explanation:
● Provides detailed information about the pod, such as:
○ Labels, annotations.
○ Events (like image pull errors, crash loops).
○ Containers and their statuses.
● Useful for debugging issues related to pods.
Example:
kubectl describe pod nginx-pod -n default
4. How do you access the logs of a pod?
Command:
kubectl logs <pod-name> -n <namespace>
Explanation:
● Fetches logs of the primary container in a pod.
For multi-container pods, specify the container:
kubectl logs <pod-name> -c <container-name>
● Add the --tail or --since flags to limit the logs.
Example:
kubectl logs nginx-pod -n default
5. How do you execute a command inside a running pod?
Command:
kubectl exec -it <pod-name> -n <namespace> -- <command>
Explanation:
● -it: Interactive terminal mode.
● --: Separates kubectl options from the command being executed.
Example (access a shell):
kubectl exec -it nginx-pod -n default -- /bin/
● Often used to debug containers in real time.
6. How do you expose a deployment as a service?
Command:
kubectl expose deployment <deployment-name>
--type=<service-type> --port=<port>
Explanation:
● Creates a service to expose the deployment externally or internally.
● Service types:
○ ClusterIP (default): Internal access within the cluster.
○ NodePort: Exposes the service on a static port on each node.
○ LoadBalancer: Creates an external load balancer.
Example:
kubectl expose deployment nginx-deployment --type=NodePort
--port=80
7. How do you scale a deployment?
Command:
kubectl scale deployment <deployment-name>
--replicas=<number>
Explanation:
● Adjusts the number of pod replicas for a deployment.
● Ensures high availability or resource optimization.
Example:
kubectl scale deployment nginx-deployment --replicas=5
● Use kubectl get pods to verify new pods are created.
8. How do you create a resource from a YAML file?
Command:
kubectl apply -f <file.yaml>
Explanation:
● Applies configurations defined in the YAML file.
● If the resource exists, it updates it; otherwise, it creates it.
Example:
kubectl apply -f deployment.yaml
● Commonly used for infrastructure as code (IaC) practices.
9. How do you delete a resource in Kubernetes?
Command:
kubectl delete <resource-type> <resource-name>
Explanation:
● Deletes a resource, such as a pod, deployment, or service.
To delete all resources of a type:
kubectl delete <resource-type> --all
Example:
kubectl delete pod nginx-pod
10. How do you view cluster-wide resources like nodes?
Command:
kubectl get nodes
Explanation:
● Lists all worker and master nodes in the cluster.
● Shows node statuses (Ready, NotReady).
Example:
NAME STATUS ROLES AGE VERSION
ip-192-168-1-1 Ready master 30d v1.23.3
11. How do you debug a node or pod issue?
Commands:
# Check node status
kubectl describe node <node-name>
# Check pod events
kubectl describe pod <pod-name>
Explanation:
● Node-level issues (e.g., CPU, memory) can affect pods.
● Pod-level events (e.g., image pull errors, restarts) give insights into issues.
12. How do you view resource utilization in the cluster?
Command:
kubectl top nodes
kubectl top pods
Explanation:
● Displays CPU and memory utilization of nodes and pods.
● Requires the Metrics Server to be installed in the cluster.
Example:
kubectl top pods -n default
13. How do you get all resources in a namespace?
Command:
kubectl get all -n <namespace>
Explanation:
● Lists all resources (pods, services, deployments, etc.) in a namespace.
● Useful for gaining a holistic view of the namespace.
14. How do you update a Kubernetes resource?
Command:
kubectl edit <resource-type> <resource-name>
Explanation:
● Opens the resource definition in the default editor (e.g., vim).
● On save, Kubernetes updates the resource.
Example:
kubectl edit deployment nginx-deployment
15. How do you get the configuration of an existing resource as YAML?
Command:
kubectl get <resource-type> <resource-name> -o yaml
Explanation:
● Outputs the resource's current configuration in YAML format.
Example:
kubectl get pod nginx-pod -o yaml
16. How do you create a namespace?
Command:
kubectl create namespace <namespace-name>
Explanation:
● Creates a logical isolation within the cluster.
● Namespaces are useful for organizing resources by environment (e.g., Dev, QA,
Prod).
Example:
kubectl create namespace dev
17. How do you delete a namespace?
Command:
kubectl delete namespace <namespace-name>
Explanation:
● Deletes the namespace and all resources within it.
● Be cautious, as this action is irreversible.
Example:
kubectl delete namespace dev
18. How do you apply a rollout for a deployment update?
Command:
kubectl rollout restart deployment <deployment-name>
Explanation:
● Triggers a rolling update for the specified deployment.
● Ensures zero-downtime updates by replacing pods one at a time.
Example:
kubectl rollout restart deployment nginx-deployment
19. How do you check the rollout status of a deployment?
Command:
kubectl rollout status deployment <deployment-name>
Explanation:
● Monitors the progress of a rolling update.
● Useful to ensure all pods are updated without errors.
Example:
kubectl rollout status deployment nginx-deployment
20. How do you undo a deployment to a previous revision?
Command:
kubectl rollout undo deployment <deployment-name>
Explanation:
● Rolls back the deployment to its last stable revision.
● Use --to-revision=<number> to specify a particular revision.
Example:
kubectl rollout undo deployment nginx-deployment
21. How do you view the history of a deployment?
Command:
kubectl rollout history deployment <deployment-name>
Explanation:
● Lists all revisions of a deployment along with details.
Example:
kubectl rollout history deployment nginx-deployment
22. How do you port-forward a service or pod to access it locally?
Command:
kubectl port-forward <pod-or-service-name>
<local-port>:<target-port>
Explanation:
● Maps a local port to a pod or service for testing/debugging.
Example:
kubectl port-forward pod/nginx-pod 8080:80
23. How do you expose the Kubernetes dashboard?
Command:
kubectl proxy
Explanation:
● Starts a local proxy to access cluster services like the dashboard.
● Accessible at http://localhost:8001.
● Requires the Kubernetes Dashboard to be installed.
24. How do you create a ConfigMap?
Command:
kubectl create configmap <configmap-name>
--from-literal=<key>=<value>
Explanation:
● ConfigMaps store configuration data as key-value pairs.
Example:
kubectl create configmap app-config
--from-literal=environment=dev
25. How do you create a Secret?
Command:
kubectl create secret generic <secret-name>
--from-literal=<key>=<value>
Explanation:
● Secrets store sensitive data like passwords, tokens, or keys.
● Data is base64 encoded.
Example:
kubectl create secret generic db-secret
--from-literal=username=admin
--from-literal=password=securepass
26. How do you attach a ConfigMap or Secret to a Pod?
Command: Add it to the Pod YAML file.
yaml
envFrom:
- configMapRef:
name: <configmap-name>
- secretRef:
name: <secret-name>
Explanation:
● Use configMapRef and secretRef in the Pod’s environment variables.
Example:
yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
name: app
spec:
containers:
- name: app-container
image: nginx
envFrom:
- configMapRef:
name: app-config
- secretRef:
name: db-secret
27. How do you drain a node before maintenance?
Command:
kubectl drain <node-name> --ignore-daemonsets
--delete-emptydir-data
Explanation:
● Evicts all pods from the node to make it ready for maintenance.
● The --ignore-daemonsets flag skips DaemonSets.
Example:
kubectl drain worker-node-1 --ignore-daemonsets
--delete-emptydir-data
28. How do you uncordon a node?
Command:
kubectl uncordon <node-name>
Explanation:
● Marks a node as schedulable after maintenance.
Example:
kubectl uncordon worker-node-1
29. How do you debug a CrashLoopBackOff issue?
Commands:
# View logs
kubectl logs <pod-name>
# Describe the pod
kubectl describe pod <pod-name>
# Check the events
kubectl get events -n <namespace>
Explanation:
● CrashLoopBackOff indicates the container is repeatedly failing.
● Use logs and events to identify the root cause (e.g., missing ConfigMap, secret,
or incorrect image).
30. How do you check the endpoints of a service?
Command:
kubectl get endpoints <service-name>
Explanation:
● Lists the IP addresses of pods backing the service.
● Helps ensure that the service is routing traffic correctly.
Example:
kubectl get endpoints nginx-service
