CKA Practice Question: Cluster Architecture, Installation and Configuration
Which command correctly backs up etcd data using etcdctl with API version 3?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse the deprecated v2 API `etcdctl backup` command with the v3 API `snapshot save` command, or incorrectly assume a flag like `--snapshot` can replace the required subcommand structure.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
ETCDCTL_API=3 etcdctl snapshot save /backup/snapshot.db
Etcdctl requires the environment variable `ETCDCTL_API=3` to use the v3 API, which supports the `snapshot save` command for creating a consistent point-in-time backup of etcd data. The command `ETCDCTL_API=3 etcdctl snapshot save /backup/snapshot.db` correctly specifies the API version and the subcommand to save a snapshot to the given file path.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
ETCDCTL_API=3 etcdctl snapshot save /backup/snapshot.db
Why this is correct
This command correctly sets the environment variable `ETCDCTL_API=3` to enforce the use of the v3 API, which is mandatory for modern Kubernetes clusters. It then invokes the proper `snapshot save` subcommand to write a consistent point-in-time backup of the etcd database to the specified file path.
- ✗
etcdctl backup /backup/snapshot.db
Why it's wrong here
The `backup` subcommand was historically used in the deprecated etcd v2 API. In the modern etcd v3 API utilized by Kubernetes, this subcommand is obsolete and will fail, as the v3 API requires the `snapshot save` command to perform backups.
- ✗
etcdctl snapshot-backup /backup/snapshot.db
Why it's wrong here
The `snapshot-backup` command is entirely fictitious and does not exist in any version of the `etcdctl` command-line utility. Attempting to execute this command will result in a command-line parsing error, as the tool does not recognize this syntax.
- ✗
ETCDCTL_API=3 etcdctl --snapshot /backup/snapshot.db
Why it's wrong here
Although this command correctly sets the `ETCDCTL_API=3` environment variable, it incorrectly attempts to use `--snapshot` as a command-line flag. The `etcdctl` utility does not have a `--snapshot` flag; instead, it requires the explicit multi-word subcommand structure `snapshot save` to execute a backup.
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