KCNA Kubernetes Fundamentals Practice Question
Which component runs on every node and is responsible for maintaining network rules that allow communication to Pods from network endpoints?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse kubelet with kube-proxy because both run on every node, but kubelet manages Pods and containers, while kube-proxy exclusively handles network rules for Service connectivity.
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
✓
kube-proxy
B is correct because kube-proxy is the component that runs on every node in a Kubernetes cluster and is responsible for maintaining network rules (e.g., iptables, IPVS, or userspace proxy) that allow network communication to Pods from network endpoints, both inside and outside the cluster. It implements the Kubernetes Service concept by managing the mapping of Service IPs to backend Pod IPs and performing load balancing.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
kube-controller-manager
Why it's wrong here
The controller manager runs control loop processes, not on every node.
- ✓
kube-proxy
Why this is correct
kube-proxy maintains network rules for service connectivity.
- ✗
container runtime
Why it's wrong here
The container runtime runs containers, not network rules.
- ✗
kubelet
Why it's wrong here
kubelet manages containers on the node, not network rules.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Kubernetes Overview and Core Components
Key term
Kubernetes API Primitives
Kubernetes API Primitives are the basic building blocks that the Kubernetes API uses to represent and manage the state of a cluster, such as Pods, Services, Deployments, and Namespaces.
Key term
ReplicaSet and Replication
A ReplicaSet ensures a specified number of identical pod instances are running at all times in Kubernetes, using replication to maintain availability and stability.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This KCNA 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 KCNA exam.