KCNA Container Orchestration Practice Question
A pod spec includes a liveness probe that runs 'cat /tmp/healthy'. The probe is configured with initialDelaySeconds: 10, periodSeconds: 5. At what point does the kubelet first execute the probe?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse `initialDelaySeconds` with `periodSeconds`, leading candidates to think the probe runs after 5 seconds (the period) instead of 10 seconds (the initial delay).
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
✓
10 seconds after the container starts
The kubelet first executes the liveness probe 10 seconds after the container starts because `initialDelaySeconds: 10` tells the kubelet to wait that long before initiating the first probe. The `periodSeconds: 5` only defines the interval between subsequent probes, not the initial delay. This ensures the container has time to start and create the `/tmp/healthy` file before being checked.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Immediately after the pod is created
Why it's wrong here
The initialDelaySeconds specifies a delay before the first probe.
- ✗
Only when the container is unhealthy
Why it's wrong here
Liveness probes run periodically regardless of health.
- ✗
5 seconds after the container starts
Why it's wrong here
5 seconds is the period between probes, not the initial delay.
- ✓
10 seconds after the container starts
Why this is correct
The initialDelaySeconds of 10 means the probe is first executed 10 seconds after the container starts.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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