This CKA practice question tests your understanding of troubleshooting. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Which TWO of the following are valid methods to view the logs of a container that has terminated?
kubectl exec <pod-name> -- cat /var/log/container.log
Why wrong: Cannot exec into a terminated container.
kubectl attach <pod-name>
Why wrong: Attach is for running containers.
kubectl describe pod <pod-name>
Shows last state and exit code, but not full logs.
kubectl logs <pod-name> --previous
Shows logs from previous container instance.
kubectl top pod <pod-name>
Why wrong: Shows resource usage, not logs.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
kubectl describe pod <pod-name>
kubectl logs --previous retrieves logs of the last terminated container. kubectl describe pod shows the last termination state and exit code. The other options are not valid.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
kubectl exec <pod-name> -- cat /var/log/container.log
Why it's wrong here
Cannot exec into a terminated container.
kubectl attach <pod-name>
Why it's wrong here
Attach is for running containers.
kubectl describe pod <pod-name>
Why this is correct
Shows last state and exit code, but not full logs.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
kubectl logs <pod-name> --previous
Why this is correct
Shows logs from previous container instance.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
kubectl top pod <pod-name>
Why it's wrong here
Shows resource usage, not logs.
Common exam traps
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Shows resource usage, not logs.
Detailed technical explanation
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related CKA NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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FAQ
Troubleshooting — This question tests Troubleshooting — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
The correct answer is: kubectl describe pod <pod-name> — kubectl logs --previous retrieves logs of the last terminated container. kubectl describe pod shows the last termination state and exit code. The other options are not valid.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related CKA NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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