This certificate is needed to validate the identity of the Kubernetes API server. To make this happen, you need the Certificate Authority Certificate (CA certificate) which is typically embedded within the kubernetes config (or, there is a reference to the file path). First, a TLS handshake will need to take place. This brings us to the authentication step. It’s basically a REST API protected by two-way authentication (called mTLS or “mutual TLS”). The server information will then contact the kubernetes API server (running on the kubernetes master), which can be queried to get information, but also to make changes. Once the current context is found, the user and server configuration can be retrieved. To see the contexts and which one is current, you can use the command “kubectl config get-contexts.”įor someone with real-world kubernetes experience, these commands are for switching from one cluster to another cluster (or for wrapping tools that will do this changing of context for you). The config file can contain multiple clusters, users, and contexts, but there’s typically only one context activated (the current context). Make sure you are familiar with this configuration file. The default path for the configuration is ~/.kube/config (where ~ is the home directory of the current user).

When running kubectl, it will first look into the kubernetes configuration file. Let’s go over the steps that are happening when you enter this command, at a high level: Step 1: Config The simple statement, “It lists the pods on the kubernetes cluster,” is far from the answer an interviewer wants to hear. What happens when you enter “kubectl get pods”?ĭon’t underestimate this question. Learn how to build, deploy, use, and maintain Kubernetes | By Edward Viaene Explore Course 1. Kubernetes will run and manage your containerized applications.

Kubernetes interview questions