KCNA Container Orchestration Practice Question
A platform team runs a 20-node Kubernetes cluster. They want a single Pod to run on every node so that a node-exporter agent can collect host metrics. They also want the Pod to be automatically created when a new node joins the cluster. Which workload resource should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that a Deployment with a replica count equal to the number of nodes will place one Pod on each node.
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
✓
DaemonSet
A DaemonSet is the only workload controller that guarantees one Pod per eligible node and automatically schedules a Pod when a new node joins the cluster. This makes it the correct choice for node-level agents such as log collectors, metrics exporters, or storage daemons. Deployments, StatefulSets, and Jobs do not provide this per-node placement guarantee.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
StatefulSet with podManagementPolicy set to Parallel
Why it's wrong here
A StatefulSet manages Pods with stable identities and ordered deployment, not one-Pod-per-node placement. It does not automatically create a Pod on each new node, and its replicas can be scheduled on any nodes. This resource is designed for stateful applications like databases, not for node-level agents.
- ✗
Deployment with replicas set to 20
Why it's wrong here
A Deployment with 20 replicas does not guarantee one Pod per node. The scheduler may place multiple replicas on the same node and leave others empty, depending on resource availability and constraints. It also does not automatically add a Pod when a new node joins. This resource cannot reliably ensure cluster-wide node coverage.
- ✗
Job with parallelism set to 20
Why it's wrong here
A Job runs Pods to completion for batch tasks. It does not maintain a long-running Pod on every node, nor does it react to new nodes joining the cluster. Setting parallelism to 20 only controls how many Pods run concurrently until the Job finishes. This is unsuitable for a continuous host metrics agent.
- ✓
DaemonSet
Why this is correct
A DaemonSet ensures that a copy of the specified Pod runs on every eligible node in the cluster. When a new node is added, the DaemonSet controller schedules the Pod onto it automatically. This exactly matches the requirement for a node-level metrics agent that must exist on all 20 nodes without manual intervention.
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Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CNCF exam blueprint
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