Kubernetes Admin
Condensed revision notes for the KodeKloud Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) course, one file per course section, one subsection per original page. Every subsection links to the original KodeKloud notes for the detailed explanation.
Legend
| Marker | Meaning |
|---|---|
> [!WARNING] Exam traps / remember | Common mistakes and easy-to-forget facts |
> [!TIP] | Speed tricks, imperative shortcuts, mnemonics |
> [!NOTE] Beyond the course | Not in the original notes: newer Kubernetes behaviour or extra exam-relevant facts |
> [!CAUTION] Correction | Original notes are outdated or wrong here: what changed |
| Diagram (new) | SVG created for these notes; all other images are original course images |
| §2.7 | Cross-reference to subsection 2.7 (clickable) |
Sections
- 01 · Introduction — 2 topics
- 02 · Core Concepts — 31 topics
- 03 · Scheduling — 25 topics
- 04 · Logging & Monitoring — 5 topics
- 05 · Application Lifecycle Management — 19 topics
- 06 · Cluster Maintenance — 8 topics
- 07 · Security — 32 topics
- 08 · Storage — 11 topics
- 09 · Networking — 21 topics
- 10 · Design and Install a Kubernetes Cluster — 4 topics
- 11 · Install Kubernetes the kubeadm Way — 4 topics
- 12 · Troubleshooting — 8 topics
- 13 · Helm Basics (2025 Updates) — 8 topics
- 14 · Kustomize Basics (2025 Updates) — 17 topics
- 15 · Other Topics — 1 topics
- 16 · Mock Exams — 4 topics
01 · Introduction
02 · Core Concepts
- 2.1 Core Concepts Section Introduction
- 2.2 Cluster Architecture
- 2.3 Docker vs ContainerD
- 2.4 A Note on Docker Deprecation
- 2.5 etcd for Beginners
- 2.6 etcd in Kubernetes
- 2.7 Kube API Server
- 2.8 Kube Controller Manager
- 2.9 Kube Scheduler
- 2.10 Kubelet
- 2.11 Kube Proxy
- 2.12 Pods
- 2.13 Pods With YAML
- 2.14 Demo Pods With YAML
- 2.15 Practice Test Introduction
- 2.16 Lab Solution Pods optional
- 2.17 ReplicaSets
- 2.18 Lab Solution ReplicaSets optional
- 2.19 Deployments
- 2.20 Lab Solution Deploymentoptional
- 2.21 Services
- 2.22 Services Cluster IP
- 2.23 Services Loadbalancer
- 2.24 Lab Solution Services optional
- 2.25 Namespaces
- 2.26 Solution Namespaces optional
- 2.27 Imperative vs Declarative
- 2.28 Kubectl Explain Command
- 2.29 Lab Solution Imperative Commands optional
- 2.30 Kubectl Apply Command
- 2.31 A Quick Reminder
03 · Scheduling
- 3.1 Scheduling Section Introduction
- 3.2 Manual Scheduling
- 3.3 Lab Solution Manual Scheduling optional
- 3.4 Labels and Selectors
- 3.5 Lab Solution Labels and Selectors
- 3.6 Taints and Tolerations
- 3.7 Lab Solution Taints and Toleration Optional
- 3.8 Node Selectors
- 3.9 Node Affinity
- 3.10 Lab Solution Node Affinity Optional
- 3.11 Taints and Tolerations vs Node Affinity
- 3.12 Resource Requirements
- 3.13 Lab Solution Resource Limits
- 3.14 DaemonSets
- 3.15 Lab Solution DaemonSets optional
- 3.16 Static Pods
- 3.17 Lab Solution Static Pods Optional
- 3.18 Priority Classes
- 3.19 Multiple Schedulers
- 3.20 Lab Solution Multiple Scheduler
- 3.21 Configuring Scheduler Profiles
- 3.22 2025 Updates Admission Controllers
- 3.23 2025 Updates Lab Solution Admission Controllers
- 3.24 2025 Updates Validating and Mutating Admission Controllers
- 3.25 2025 Updates Lab Solution Validating and Mutating Admission Controllers
04 · Logging & Monitoring
- 4.1 Logging and Monitoring Section Introduction
- 4.2 Monitoring Cluster Components
- 4.3 Lab Solution Monitor Cluster Components
- 4.4 Managing Application Logs
- 4.5 Lab Solution Logging Optional
05 · Application Lifecycle Management
- 5.1 Application Lifecycle Management Section Introduction
- 5.2 Rolling Updates and Rollbacks
- 5.3 Lab Solution Rolling update
- 5.4 Commands and Arguments in Docker
- 5.5 Commands and Arguments in Kubernetes
- 5.6 Lab Solution Commands and Arguments Optional
- 5.7 Configuring Environment Variables in Applications
- 5.8 Configuring ConfigMaps in Applications
- 5.9 Lab Solution Env Variables Optional
- 5.10 Secrets
- 5.11 Lab Solution Secrets Optional
- 5.12 Demo Encrypting Secret Data at Rest
- 5.13 Multi Container Pods
- 5.14 Multi Container Pods Design Patterns
- 5.15 Lab Solution Init Containers Optional
- 5.16 Introduction to Autoscaling 2025 Updates
- 5.17 Horizontal Pod Autoscaler HPA 2025 Updates
- 5.18 In place Resize of Pods 2025 Updates
- 5.19 Vertical Pod Autoscaling VPA 2025 Updates
06 · Cluster Maintenance
- 6.1 Cluster Maintenance Section Introduction
- 6.2 OS Upgrades
- 6.3 Lab Solution OS Upgrades optional
- 6.4 Kubernetes Releases
- 6.5 Cluster Upgrade Introduction
- 6.6 Demo Cluster Upgrade
- 6.7 Lab Solution Cluster Upgrade Process
- 6.8 Backup and Restore Methods
07 · Security
- 7.1 Security Section Introduction
- 7.2 Kubernetes Security Primitives
- 7.3 Authentication
- 7.4 TLS Introduction
- 7.5 TLS Basics
- 7.6 TLS in Kubernetes
- 7.7 TLS in Kubernetes Certificate Creation
- 7.8 View Certificate Details
- 7.9 Lab Solution View Certification Details
- 7.10 Certificates API
- 7.11 Lab Solution Certificates API
- 7.12 KubeConfig
- 7.13 Lab Solution KubeConfig
- 7.14 API Groups
- 7.15 Authorization
- 7.16 Role Based Access Controls
- 7.17 Lab Role Based Access Controls
- 7.18 Cluster Roles
- 7.19 Lab Solution Cluster Roles
- 7.20 Service Accounts
- 7.21 Lab Solution Service Accounts
- 7.22 Image Security
- 7.23 Lab Solution Image Security
- 7.24 Prerequisite Security in Docker
- 7.25 Security Contexts
- 7.26 Lab Solution Security Contexts
- 7.27 Network Policies
- 7.28 Developing Network Policies
- 7.29 Lab Solution Network Policies optional
- 7.30 2025 Updates Custom Resource Definition CRD
- 7.31 2025 Updates Custom Controllers
- 7.32 2025 Updates Operator Framework
08 · Storage
- 8.1 Storage Section Introduction
- 8.2 Docker Storage Introduction
- 8.3 Storage in Docker
- 8.4 Volume Driver Plugins in Docker
- 8.5 Container Storage Interface
- 8.6 Volumes
- 8.7 Persistent Volumes
- 8.8 Persistent Volume Claims
- 8.9 Lab Solution Persistent Volumes and Persistent Volume Claims optional
- 8.10 Storage Class
- 8.11 Lab Solution Storage Class
09 · Networking
- 9.1 Networking Introduction
- 9.2 Prerequisite Switching Routing Gateways CNI in kubernetes
- 9.3 Prerequisite DNS
- 9.4 Prerequisite Network Namespaces
- 9.5 Prerequisite Docker Networking
- 9.6 Prerequisite CNI
- 9.7 Cluster Networking
- 9.8 Lab Solution Explore Environment optional
- 9.9 Pod Networking
- 9.10 CNI in kubernetes
- 9.11 Lab Solution Explore CNI optional
- 9.12 ipam
- 9.13 Service Networking
- 9.14 Lab Solution Service Networking optional
- 9.15 DNS in kubernetes
- 9.16 CoreDNS in Kubernetes
- 9.17 Lab Solution Explore DNS optional
- 9.18 Ingress
- 9.19 Lab Solution Ingress Networking 1 optional
- 9.20 Lab Solution Ingress Networking 2 optional
- 9.21 Introduction to Gateway API 2025 Updates
10 · Design and Install a Kubernetes Cluster
- 10.1 Designing a Kubernetes Cluster
- 10.2 Choosing Kubernetes Infrastructure
- 10.3 Configuring High Availability
- 10.4 etcd in HA
11 · Install Kubernetes the kubeadm Way
- 11.1 Deployment With kubeadm Introduction
- 11.2 Deployment With Kubeadm Provision VMs With Vagrant
- 11.3 Demo Deployment With Kubeadm
- 11.4 Lab Solution Install a Kubernetes Cluster using kubeadm
12 · Troubleshooting
- 12.1 Troubleshooting Section Introduction
- 12.2 Application Failure
- 12.3 Lab Solution Application Failure
- 12.4 Control Plane Failure
- 12.5 Lab Solution Control Plane Failure
- 12.6 Worker Node Failure
- 12.7 Lab Solutions Worker Node Failure
- 12.8 Network Troubleshooting
13 · Helm Basics (2025 Updates)
- 13.1 Helm Introduction
- 13.2 Installation and Configuration
- 13.3 A quick note about Helm2 vs Helm3
- 13.4 Helm Components
- 13.5 Helm charts
- 13.6 Working with Helm basics
- 13.7 Customizing chart parameters
- 13.8 Lifecycle management with Helm
14 · Kustomize Basics (2025 Updates)
- 14.1 Kustomize Problem Statement and Ideology
- 14.2 Kustomize vs Helm
- 14.3 InstallationSetup
- 14.4 The kustomizationyaml File
- 14.5 Kustomize Output
- 14.6 Kustomize ApiVersion and Kind
- 14.7 Managing Directories
- 14.8 Managing Directories Demo
- 14.9 Common Transformers
- 14.10 Image Transformers
- 14.11 Transformers Demo
- 14.12 Patches Intro
- 14.13 Different Types of Patches
- 14.14 Patches Dictionary
- 14.15 Patches List
- 14.16 Overlays
- 14.17 Components
15 · Other Topics
16 · Mock Exams
- 16.1 Mock Exam 1 Step by Step Solutions
- 16.2 Mock Exam 2 Step by Step Solutions
- 16.3 Mock Exam 3 Step by Step Solutions
- 16.4 Whats Next
Reference
Based on the KodeKloud Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) course notes.