CKAD Services and Networking Practice Question
To create a service that will be accessible from outside the cluster using a cloud provider's load balancer, what type should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse NodePort with LoadBalancer, thinking NodePort alone provides external access via a cloud load balancer, but NodePort only opens a port on each node and requires manual configuration of an external load balancer or direct node access.
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
✓
LoadBalancer
The LoadBalancer service type (D) provisions an external load balancer from the cloud provider (e.g., AWS ELB, GCP TCP/UDP Load Balancer) and assigns a public IP or DNS name, making the service accessible from outside the cluster. This is the correct choice when the requirement explicitly states using a cloud provider's load balancer for external access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
NodePort
Why it's wrong here
NodePort exposes on each node's IP, but not necessarily via a load balancer.
- ✗
ClusterIP
Why it's wrong here
ClusterIP is internal only.
- ✗
ExternalName
Why it's wrong here
ExternalName maps to an external DNS name, not a load balancer.
- ✓
LoadBalancer
Why this is correct
Correct. LoadBalancer provisions a cloud load balancer and assigns an external IP.
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