Claude Code's Model Context Protocol (MCP) enables powerful integrations with external tools, but loading all MCP servers simultaneously can consume 100k+ tokens of your context window. This post explores a profile-based architecture that optimizes token usage while maintaining full capabilities when needed.
Every application needs configuration—database endpoints, feature flags, API keys, TLS certificates. Kubernetes provides ConfigMaps for non-sensitive configuration data and Secrets for sensitive information like passwords and tokens. Understanding the distinction between these resources and the various consumption patterns (environment variables, volume mounts, projected volumes) is essential for the CKA exam's Storage domain (10% weight) and production Kubernetes operations.
The key insight: ConfigMaps and Secrets decouple configuration from container images, enabling the same image to run across development, staging, and production with different configurations. This pattern is fundamental to cloud-native applications and the Twelve-Factor App methodology. Modern Kubernetes (2025) adds immutability for ConfigMaps/Secrets, enhanced encryption options, and improved integration with external secret management systems.
While ConfigMaps store arbitrary key-value pairs, Secrets provide a specialized resource with base64 encoding (not encryption!), RBAC integration, and memory-backed storage options. Understanding when to use environment variables versus volume mounts, how to leverage projected volumes, and the security implications of each approach is critical for production deployments.
Simplify application deployment with charts, releases, and templating
Helm is the de facto package manager for Kubernetes, enabling you to define, install, and upgrade complex applications using reusable packages called charts. For the CKA exam, you'll need to understand Helm's architecture, work with charts and releases, troubleshoot deployments, and use Helm commands effectively. This guide covers Helm 3 fundamentals, chart structure, templating with values, release management, and practical troubleshooting techniques to help you master Kubernetes application packaging.
CKA Exam Relevance: Cluster Architecture, Installation & Configuration (25% of exam weight)
Master Kustomize for declarative, overlay-based configuration customization without templates
Kustomize is Kubernetes' native configuration management tool that allows you to customize application configurations without templates. Unlike Helm, Kustomize uses a template-free approach with overlays and patches, making it ideal for GitOps workflows and environment-specific customizations.
Why Kustomize Matters for CKA:
- Built into kubectl (no separate installation required)
- Template-free configuration reduces complexity
- GitOps-friendly with declarative overlays
- Strategic merge and JSON patches for targeted modifications
- ConfigMap and Secret generators for dynamic content
Master the foundation of Kubernetes declarative configuration. Learn object anatomy, YAML syntax, labels, selectors, and annotations for CKA exam success and production deployments.