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kubectl Basics

kubectl Basics

In this lesson you will learn how to interact with a Kubernetes cluster using the Kubernetes CLI called kubectl.

Identify Your Kubernetes Version​

In order to determine the version of both your Kubernetes client (CLI) and Kubernetes service (API) issue the following command:

kubectl version

Identify the Kubernetes Cluster​

When working with several Kubernetes clusters it is important to point kubectl to the right Kubernetes cluster. A simple way to figure out which Kubernetes cluster is currently selected for the usage with kubectl is:

kubectl cluster-info

It's telling you the API endpoint of the selected Kubernetes cluster which should provide you the information to see whether this is the one you intend to use.

The Kubernetes documentation explains how to configure multiple clusters.

Use an HTTP Proxy to Access the Kubernetes API​

By using

kubectl proxy --port 8001

a local proxy running on your computer is started which can be accessed via http://localhost:8001.

The kubectl command takes care of the authentication against the Kubernetes API. The communication between the local proxy and the remote Kubernetes API is SSL encrypted while the local communication to the local proxy isn't.