Kubernetes Resources

In Kubernetes, resources are like building blocks used to create and manage your cluster. Each resource is an object with metadata (such as names and labels) and a desired state that defines its behavior. All objects in Kubernetes are managed by an API and stored in the etcd database.

For example, a Pod resource defines how to run a group of containers, while a Service resource manages network access to those containers. Everything you can manage with kubectl or the Kubernetes API - like workloads, storage, or configuration - is a resource, making them essential for defining and controlling your cluster's behavior.

The following command lists all the resources that can be managed in a Kubernetes cluster, including their names, short names, API versions, and whether they are namespaced:

kubectl api-resources

The most relevant resources for the KCNA exam are marked red

Resource Overview

You can link to the table here

Core Resources

• Pod
• Service
• ConfigMap
• Secret
• Namespace
• PersistentVolume
• PersistentVolumeClaim
• ServiceAccount
• Binding
• ComponentStatus
• Endpoints
• Event
• LimitRange
• PodTemplate
• ReplicationController
• ResourceQuota

Workloads

• Deployment
• ReplicaSet
• DaemonSet
• StatefulSet
• CronJob
• Job
• ControllerRevision

Networking

• Ingress
• NetworkPolicy
• IngressClass

RBAC (Role-Based Access Control)

• Role
• RoleBinding
• ClusterRole
• ClusterRoleBinding

Storage

• StorageClass
• CSIDriver
• CSINode
• CSIStorageCapacity
• VolumeAttachment

Admission Control

• MutatingWebhookConfiguration
• ValidatingWebhookConfiguration

API Extensions

• CustomResourceDefinition
• APIService

Authentication and Authorization

• TokenReview
• LocalSubjectAccessReview
• SelfSubjectAccessReview
• SelfSubjectRulesReview
• SubjectAccessReview

Autoscaling

• HorizontalPodAutoscaler

Certificates

• CertificateSigningRequest

Coordination

• Lease

Discovery

• EndpointSlice

Events

• Event

Flow Control

• FlowSchema
• PriorityLevelConfiguration

Node Management

• RuntimeClass

Policies

• PodDisruptionBudget
• PodSecurityPolicy

Scheduling

• PriorityClass

Resource Details

In Kubernetes, a Pod is the smallest and most basic unit you work with. It can hold one or more containers that share resources like storage, networking, and computing power. Even though a Pod can have multiple containers, they always run together as a single unit on a node in the cluster.