Master Kubernetes workload controllers for production-grade application management. Learn deployment strategies, rolling updates, rollback procedures, and the complete controller hierarchy essential for CKA exam success.
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)
In production Kubernetes environments, managing external access to your services is critical. While Services handle internal cluster networking, Ingress provides sophisticated HTTP/HTTPS routing from the outside world. This guide covers everything you need to know for the CKA exam and production deployments, including the modern Gateway API that's reshaping Kubernetes networking in 2025.
Imagine running 50 microservices in your cluster. Without Ingress, you'd need 50 LoadBalancer Services—each with its own expensive cloud load balancer and public IP address. That's not just costly; it's operationally nightmarish.
Ingress solves this by providing:
For the CKA exam, you'll need to demonstrate hands-on competency with Ingress resources, troubleshoot misconfigurations, and understand controller selection. In production, mastering Ingress means the difference between elegant traffic management and a tangled mess of load balancers.
The landscape is evolving. While traditional Ingress remains the standard (and what's tested on the CKA), the Gateway API represents Kubernetes networking's future—offering role-oriented design, better extensibility, and more expressive routing rules. Understanding both is essential for modern Kubernetes practitioners.
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 art of building Kubernetes clusters for CKA exam preparation. Learn kubeadm for production-grade setups, kind for rapid testing, and essential kubectl configuration for efficient cluster management.
In a world where security breaches make headlines daily, protecting your Kubernetes cluster isn't optional—it's mission-critical. Network Policies are your first line of defense, implementing a zero-trust security model within your cluster. For CKA candidates, mastering Network Policies isn't just about passing the exam (though they represent a significant portion of the 20% Services & Networking domain)—it's about understanding how to build production-grade, secure Kubernetes environments.
Master the foundation of Kubernetes declarative configuration. Learn object anatomy, YAML syntax, labels, selectors, and annotations for CKA exam success and production deployments.
Master Kubernetes Pods - the fundamental building block of container orchestration. Learn multi-container patterns, lifecycle management, health probes, and essential troubleshooting techniques for the CKA exam.
Master Kubernetes authorization with Roles, ClusterRoles, and the principle of least privilege
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is Kubernetes' primary authorization mechanism, controlling who can perform which actions on what resources. For the CKA exam, RBAC is critical—you'll need to create ServiceAccounts, configure Roles and RoleBindings, troubleshoot permission issues, and apply least privilege principles. This comprehensive guide covers everything from basic concepts to advanced aggregation patterns, giving you the skills to secure any Kubernetes cluster.
CKA Exam Relevance: Cluster Architecture, Installation & Configuration (25% of exam weight)
Master Kubernetes pod scheduling with taints, tolerations, node affinity, and pod affinity/anti-affinity. Essential knowledge for CKA exam success and production-grade workload placement.