KCNA domain - 44% of the exam

Kubernetes Fundamentals

Kubernetes Fundamentals is 44% of the Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA) exam. These are the objectives it covers, each with practice questions, with every answer explained.

Objectives in this domain

Sample question from this domain

Free sampleKubernetes Fundamentalseasy

A cluster administrator needs a log-collection agent to run on every node, including any new node that later joins the cluster, with exactly one copy of the agent per node. Which Kubernetes workload object is purpose-built to guarantee one Pod on each node automatically?

  • AA Deployment, because it keeps a fixed number of identical Pod replicas running across the cluster
  • BA StatefulSet, because it gives each Pod a stable network identity tied to a specific node
  • CA Job, because it runs one Pod per node until each completes its task
  • DA DaemonSet, because it schedules one copy of the Pod onto every eligible node and onto new nodes as they join Correct
A DaemonSet runs exactly one copy of a Pod on every eligible node, including nodes that join later. The DaemonSet controller watches the set of nodes and reconciles one matching Pod per eligible node, adding Pods when nodes join and removing them when nodes leave, which is why it fits cluster-wide agents like log or metrics collectors.

Why A is wrong: A Deployment maintains a chosen replica count and lets the scheduler place those Pods anywhere, so it is tempting for any 'run this everywhere' need, but it cannot guarantee one Pod per node and will not react to new nodes joining.

Why B is wrong: A StatefulSet provides ordered, stably named Pods for stateful apps, which sounds node-related, but its replica count is fixed and its Pods are not placed one-per-node, so it does not track node membership.

Why C is wrong: A Job runs Pods to completion for batch work, which can feel like a per-node task, but it targets a completion count rather than node coverage and does not maintain a long-running agent on every node.

Why D is correct: A DaemonSet ensures each eligible node runs exactly one copy of the Pod, and it automatically adds a Pod to any node that later joins, which is precisely the node-agent pattern described.

Other domains in this exam

See also the KCNA cert hub, the study guide, and the cheat sheet.

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