This CKAD practice question tests your understanding of services and networking. 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.
A Pod needs to access an external database at db.example.com:3306. Which Service type allows Pods to resolve a cluster-local name to this external address?
ExternalName
ExternalName returns CNAME to external DNS name.
LoadBalancer
Why wrong: LoadBalancer provisions external LB; not for DNS aliasing.
NodePort
Why wrong: NodePort exposes locally; does not resolve external names.
ClusterIP
Why wrong: ClusterIP does not map to external DNS.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
ExternalName
The ExternalName Service type maps a cluster-local DNS name (e.g., `my-db.default.svc.cluster.local`) to an external DNS name (`db.example.com`) using a CNAME record. This allows Pods to resolve the service name to the external database address without needing to modify application code or use an external endpoint.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
ExternalName
Why this is correct
ExternalName returns CNAME to external DNS name.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
LoadBalancer
Why it's wrong here
LoadBalancer provisions external LB; not for DNS aliasing.
NodePort
Why it's wrong here
NodePort exposes locally; does not resolve external names.
ClusterIP
Why it's wrong here
ClusterIP does not map to external DNS.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse ExternalName with ClusterIP, thinking any Service can resolve external names, but only ExternalName provides a CNAME-based DNS alias without proxying traffic.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, an ExternalName Service creates a CNAME record in the cluster's DNS (CoreDNS or kube-dns) that points to the external domain. When a Pod performs a DNS lookup for the Service name, the cluster DNS returns the canonical name `db.example.com`, and the Pod then resolves that to the actual IP via external DNS. A subtle behavior is that ExternalName Services do not have selectors or endpoints; they operate purely at the DNS level, so no proxy or kube-proxy rules are created.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the CKAD exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
Services and Networking — This question tests Services and Networking — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: ExternalName — The ExternalName Service type maps a cluster-local DNS name (e.g., `my-db.default.svc.cluster.local`) to an external DNS name (`db.example.com`) using a CNAME record. This allows Pods to resolve the service name to the external database address without needing to modify application code or use an external endpoint.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This CKAD practice question is part of Courseiva's free CNCF certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CKAD exam.
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