Kubernetes DaemonSet Guide: Deploy Pods to All Nodes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 # Kubernetes DaemonSet Guide: Deploy Pods to All Nodes In this post, we dive deep into **Kubernetes DaemonSet** — a powerful controller that ensures a specific Pod runs on **every node** (or selected nodes) in your cluster. We’ll explore: * What a DaemonSet is and why it exists * Common real-world use cases * YAML examples and best practices * Key differences from Deployment and StatefulSet * Troubleshooting and common pitfalls --- ## Table of Contents {% toc %} --- ## 1. What Is a DaemonSet? A **DaemonSet** is a Kubernetes resource that ensures **one Pod runs on every node** in a cluster. This is especially useful for cluster-wide background processes, like log collectors, system monitors, or GPU agents. ### Real-World Examples * `fluentd` or `fluentbit` for log collection * `prometheus-node-exporter` for metrics * Custom agents for backups, GPU drivers, or node configuration --- ## 2. Why Use a DaemonSet? If you want the **same Pod to run on all nodes**, a DaemonSet is the go-to solution. | Use Case | Description | | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | | System monitoring | Node-level metrics collection (CPU, memory, etc.) | | Logging | Collect logs from all containers across nodes | | Node-specific setup | GPU drivers, firewall rules, or system agents | | DNS caching | Cluster-wide DNS cache (e.g., `dnsmasq`) | Unlike a Deployment, which spreads replicas across the cluster, a DaemonSet guarantees **one Pod per node**, automatically. --- ## 3. Key Features of DaemonSet | Feature | Description | | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | | One pod per node | Ensures each node runs one instance of the Pod | | Auto-scaling with nodes | Adds/removes Pods as nodes join/leave the cluster | | Node targeting | Use `nodeSelector` or `affinity` to control placement | | Taint support | With `tolerations`, you can run Pods on tainted nodes | > Tip: DaemonSets are ideal for tasks that require full visibility across the cluster. --- ## 4. Basic DaemonSet YAML Example ```yaml apiVersion: apps/v1 kind: DaemonSet metadata: name: log-agent namespace: kube-system spec: selector: matchLabels: app: log-agent template: metadata: labels: app: log-agent spec: containers: - name: log-agent image: fluent/fluentd:latest resources: limits: memory: "200Mi" cpu: "200m" This YAML deploys a fluentd log collector to every node in the cluster, under the kube-system namespace. ...
Kubernetes Deployment: Automating Pod Rollout and Updates
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 # Kubernetes Deployment: Automating Pod Rollout and Updates Kubernetes **Deployment** is the go-to resource for automating the **lifecycle of Pods** — handling **initial deployment, scaling, updating, and rollback**. If you're building production-ready Kubernetes applications, you must understand how Deployments work. --- ## Table of Contents {% toc %} --- ## 1. What Is a Deployment? A **Deployment** is a higher-level abstraction over ReplicaSets. It declaratively manages: * How many Pod replicas to run * What container image to use * How to **update** and **rollback** versions automatically Think of it as the **control tower** for your Pod-based application. --- ## 2. Deployment vs ReplicaSet | Feature | ReplicaSet | Deployment | | --------------- | ------------- | -------------------------------- | | Pod Management | Manual | Declarative & automated | | Rolling Updates | Not supported | Supported (default behavior) | | Rollback | Not available | Yes, with `kubectl rollout undo` | | Usage Priority | Low | High (recommended for most use) | While ReplicaSets ensure a number of Pods run, Deployments **control what those Pods should look like and how to change them over time.** --- ## 3. Basic Deployment YAML ```yaml apiVersion: apps/v1 kind: Deployment metadata: name: my-deployment spec: replicas: 3 selector: matchLabels: app: myapp template: metadata: labels: app: myapp spec: containers: - name: nginx image: nginx:1.21 ports: - containerPort: 80 Key Fields: ...
Kubernetes ReplicaSet: Ensuring Pod Availability with Auto Recovery
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 # Kubernetes ReplicaSet: Ensuring Pod Availability with Auto Recovery **Question:** *“How do I keep my Kubernetes Pods always running, even when they fail?”* The answer is ReplicaSet. In this post, we’ll explain what a **ReplicaSet** is, how it works, and when to use it. You’ll also see a complete YAML example and best practices for production use. --- ## Table of Contents {% toc %} --- ## 1. What Is a ReplicaSet? A **ReplicaSet** is a Kubernetes controller that ensures a specific number of identical **Pods are always running**. > Think of it as a Pod manager that keeps your application alive by monitoring and recreating Pods when they crash or are deleted. --- ## 2. Why Use a ReplicaSet? Let’s say your application runs in a single Pod. If that Pod crashes, your app becomes unavailable. ReplicaSet solves this problem by: * Running multiple replicas of the Pod. * Automatically replacing failed or deleted Pods. * Maintaining **high availability and reliability**. --- ## 3. Key Components | Field | Description | | ---------- | -------------------------------------- | | `replicas` | Number of Pods to maintain | | `selector` | Labels used to identify managed Pods | | `template` | Pod spec to create if Pods are missing | --- ## 4. Sample ReplicaSet YAML ```yaml apiVersion: apps/v1 kind: ReplicaSet metadata: name: my-replicaset spec: replicas: 3 selector: matchLabels: app: myapp template: metadata: labels: app: myapp spec: containers: - name: nginx image: nginx:latest ports: - containerPort: 80 Creates 3 replicas of an nginx container. Automatically recreates deleted Pods to maintain 3. 5. Basic Commands 1 2 3 kubectl apply -f replicaset.yaml kubectl get replicaset kubectl get pods -l app=myapp Try deleting one of the Pods: ...
Kubernetes Deployment: Rolling Updates, Rollbacks, and Real Examples
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 # Kubernetes Deployment: Rolling Updates, Rollbacks, and Real Examples A **Kubernetes Deployment** is one of the most essential and widely used resources in the Kubernetes ecosystem. It simplifies the management of your application lifecycle — from deploying and scaling to updating and rolling back. In this post, you’ll learn: * What a Deployment is * How it differs from ReplicaSet * How to define and apply a Deployment using YAML * How Kubernetes performs rolling updates and supports rollbacks * Real-world `kubectl` commands and use cases --- ## Table of Contents {% toc %} --- ## 1. What Is a Kubernetes Deployment? A Deployment is a **higher-level controller** that manages a ReplicaSet for you. It lets you: * Run multiple identical Pods (replicas) * Update your app version automatically * Roll back if something goes wrong * Ensure your app stays available during changes In short, it’s your go-to tool for **production-grade app delivery**. --- ## 2. Deployment vs ReplicaSet | Feature | ReplicaSet | Deployment | | -------------- | --------------------- | -------------------------------------- | | Manages Pods | Yes | Yes (via ReplicaSet) | | Rolling Update | No | Yes | | Rollback | No | Yes (previous ReplicaSet is preserved) | | Use Case | Manual pod management | Declarative, versioned app management | --- ## 3. Deployment YAML Example Here’s a minimal Deployment definition: ```yaml apiVersion: apps/v1 kind: Deployment metadata: name: nginx-deployment spec: replicas: 3 selector: matchLabels: app: nginx template: metadata: labels: app: nginx spec: containers: - name: nginx image: nginx:1.21 ports: - containerPort: 80 Key fields explained: replicas: Number of desired Pods selector: How the Deployment finds Pods to manage template: The actual Pod configuration 4. Creating and Managing a Deployment Create: 1 kubectl apply -f nginx-deployment.yaml View status: 1 2 3 kubectl get deployments kubectl get rs kubectl get pods 5. Performing a Rolling Update To update the container image: ...
Kubernetes Resources: Understanding ReplicaSet
Kubernetes Resources: Understanding ReplicaSet Question: “How can I ensure a specific number of Pods always run in my Kubernetes cluster?” A ReplicaSet ensures that a defined number of identical Pods are running at all times. If a Pod fails or a node crashes, the ReplicaSet automatically creates a replacement, guaranteeing application availability. Table of Contents {% toc %} 1. What Is a ReplicaSet? A ReplicaSet is a Kubernetes resource that maintains a stable set of running Pods. Its primary goal is to ensure the specified number of Pod replicas (replicas) are always available. ...
Kubernetes Networking: Understanding the Network Model
Kubernetes Networking: Understanding the Network Model Question: “How do Pods, nodes, and Services communicate within a Kubernetes cluster?” Kubernetes networking is built on the network model, which defines how Pod-to-Pod, Pod-to-Service, and external-to-internal communication works. This model involves components like CNI plugins (Flannel, Calico), CoreDNS, and service discovery mechanisms. In this post, you’ll learn: The core concepts of the Kubernetes network model How Pods communicate with each other Node-to-node networking and the role of CNI plugins How Services and DNS interact with Pods Table of Contents What Is the Kubernetes Network Model? Pod-to-Pod Communication Node-to-Node Networking What Is CNI (Container Network Interface)? Services and DNS Integration Hands-On: Testing Pod Communication FAQ (Answer Engine Optimization) Key Takeaways Final Thoughts 1. What Is the Kubernetes Network Model? Kubernetes follows a simple but powerful rule: ...
Kubernetes Networking: Service Types Summary
Kubernetes Networking: Service Types Summary Question: “Which Kubernetes Service type should I use for my application?” In this post, we summarize the four main Service types — ClusterIP, NodePort, LoadBalancer, and ExternalName — and explain their key features, use cases, and differences. We’ll also provide a quick decision guide for choosing the right Service type. Table of Contents {% toc %} 1. Service Types Overview Type Access Scope Typical Use Case ClusterIP Internal cluster Service-to-service traffic NodePort External via Node IP Development & testing LoadBalancer External via LB Cloud-based production apps ExternalName DNS mapping External API integration 2. ClusterIP Summary Default Service type in Kubernetes. Accessible only within the cluster. Ideal for backend microservices and internal APIs. Example: ...
Kubernetes Networking: Exploring Service Resources
Kubernetes Networking: Exploring Service Resources Question: “How do you expose Pods to stable network endpoints in Kubernetes?” Pods in Kubernetes have dynamic IP addresses, which can change when a Pod restarts. To ensure consistent access and load balancing, Kubernetes provides a Service resource. In this post, you will learn: What a Kubernetes Service is and why it’s needed How Services communicate with Pods Service types: ClusterIP, NodePort, and LoadBalancer YAML configuration examples 1. What Is a Kubernetes Service? A Service is a stable networking abstraction that provides a fixed endpoint for a group of Pods, even if Pod IP addresses change. ...
Kubernetes ConfigMap and Secret: How to Pass Data to Pods
Kubernetes ConfigMap and Secret: How to Pass Data to Pods Question: “How do I pass environment variables or sensitive data to a Kubernetes Pod?” Hardcoding configuration values or secrets inside container images is a bad practice. It complicates updates, poses security risks, and reduces flexibility. Kubernetes solves this problem with ConfigMaps and Secrets, which allow you to manage application configuration and sensitive data securely. Table of Contents 1. What Is a ConfigMap? A ConfigMap stores non-sensitive configuration data as key-value pairs. ...
Kubernetes Pod Resource Management: Requests, Limits, and QoS
Kubernetes Pod Resource Management: Requests, Limits, and QoS Question: “How do I control CPU and memory usage for Pods in Kubernetes?” If resource limits are not set, a single Pod can consume excessive CPU or memory, causing instability across the cluster. Kubernetes provides Requests and Limits to manage resources effectively.