1 First steps
This chapter covers
- An introduction to the Certified Kubernetes Administrator exam
- What the Kubernetes administrator role entails
- Kubernetes and the problems it solves
- The Kubernetes API and its architecture
- Kubernetes components and Linux backend processes
- Declarative and imperative commands in Kubernetes
Welcome to Acing the Certified Kubernetes Administrator Exam, Second Edition. If you’ve purchased this book, chances are you’ve already researched the exam, know what it’s about, and perhaps even have it on your schedule. If not, don’t worry; we’ll talk about what the exam is and how to get signed up as soon as possible. If you want to get right down to it, you can skip to section 1.2, where we get into the meat and potatoes of the exam curriculum.
1.1 Introducing the Certified Kubernetes Administrator exam
For those who are new to the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) exam, let’s review what the exam entails and its requirements. First, note that there are now five Kubernetes exams in total; the CKA is the first and the longest-running exam. The others are Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA), Kubernetes and Cloud Native Security Associate (KCSA), Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD), and Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS). There’s even a new program called Kubestronauts that awards you a special jacket, a Credly badge, and other perks when you collect them all! Some points about the CKA exam are as follows: