CKAD kubectl run Practice Question
You want to create a Deployment that runs 5 replicas of a web application. Which kubectl command should you use?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is that candidates might incorrectly believe `kubectl run` with `--replicas` creates a Deployment, as it did in earlier Kubernetes versions. In the CKAD exam environment (Kubernetes 1.31+), `kubectl run` only creates a Pod, and `kubectl create deployment` is the correct imperative command for creating a Deployment with replicas.
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
✓
kubectl create deployment webapp --image=nginx --replicas=5
To create a Deployment with 5 replicas using a single imperative command, use `kubectl create deployment webapp --image=nginx --replicas=5`. This command directly creates a Deployment and sets the desired replicas. Option A (`kubectl run`) no longer creates a Deployment by default in current Kubernetes versions (1.18+); it creates a single Pod and does not support the `--replicas` flag. Option B (`kubectl create pod`) does not exist and is incorrect. Option C (`kubectl apply -f deployment.yaml`) would also create a Deployment but requires an existing YAML file and is not a single imperative command.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
kubectl run webapp --image=nginx --replicas=5
Why it's wrong here
In current Kubernetes, `kubectl run` is designed to create a single Pod (or a Job if the restart policy is set), not a Deployment. The `--replicas` flag is no longer supported by this command; using it results in an error. Therefore, this command cannot create a Deployment with five replicas, and is incorrect as an imperative one-liner.
- ✗
kubectl create pod webapp --image=nginx --replicas=5
Why it's wrong here
The `kubectl create` subcommand supports many resource types such as deployment, service, configmap, and namespace, but 'pod' is not a valid type for direct creation. Executing `kubectl create pod webapp --image=nginx --replicas=5` would immediately fail with an 'unknown resource type' error. There is no imperative 'create pod' command; pods are normally created via `kubectl run` or by applying a manifest.
- ✗
kubectl apply -f deployment.yaml
Why it's wrong here
While `kubectl apply -f deployment.yaml` can create a Deployment if the YAML file exists with the correct definition, it is not a self-contained imperative command to generate a Deployment from scratch. It requires you to have already authored or sourced the manifest, which is outside the scope of the question. The question asks for a direct command to create the Deployment, so this declarative approach is not the most suitable answer.
- ✓
kubectl create deployment webapp --image=nginx --replicas=5
Why this is correct
The correct imperative command is `kubectl create deployment webapp --image=nginx --replicas=5`. This creates a Deployment named webapp with the nginx container image and sets the desired replica count to 5. It is a fully supported current kubectl command that accepts `--replicas` to scale the Deployment at creation time, making it the most direct way to satisfy the requirement.
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