KCNA Kubernetes Fundamentals Practice Question
Which TWO of the following are responsibilities of the kubelet? (Select 2)
⚠ Common exam trap
A common exam trap is confusing the kubelet (node agent) with the kube-scheduler (pod placement). Candidates mistakenly assign scheduling duties to the kubelet because it is the component that actually runs the pods.
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
✓
Registering the node with the cluster and reporting node status
Option A is correct because the kubelet is the node agent that registers its node with the API server (via a Node object) and continuously reports node status, including conditions and capacity, through the node status heartbeat mechanism. Option B is correct because the kubelet watches for PodSpecs assigned to its node and ensures the described containers are started and running, performing liveness, readiness, and startup probes to maintain container health. Option C is incorrect because pod scheduling is the responsibility of the kube-scheduler, which selects nodes based on resource availability and constraints, not the kubelet. Option D is incorrect because Service iptables/IPVS rules are programmed by kube-proxy, not the kubelet. Option E is incorrect because cluster configuration data is stored in etcd, the cluster's key-value datastore, not managed by the kubelet.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Registering the node with the cluster and reporting node status
Why this is correct
The kubelet runs on each node and, via its node registration and status-reporting duties, creates the Node object and periodically posts node conditions and capacity to the API server. This satisfies the stem's requirement for a genuine kubelet responsibility, distinct from control-plane scheduling.
- ✓
Ensuring that containers defined in PodSpecs are running and healthy
Why this is correct
The kubelet watches the API server for PodSpecs bound to its node, then starts, stops and probes containers via the container runtime, restarting unhealthy ones. This directly satisfies the stem's requirement for a core kubelet responsibility, unlike scheduling or endpoint management.
- ✗
Scheduling pods onto nodes based on resource availability
Why it's wrong here
Scheduling pods onto nodes is performed by kube-scheduler, which filters and scores nodes by resource availability and constraints. The kubelet only runs pods already bound to its node. It is tempting because the kubelet enforces resource limits locally, but placement decisions are the scheduler's role.
- ✗
Creating and managing network iptables rules for Services
Why it's wrong here
kube-proxy, not the kubelet, programs iptables (or IPVS) rules that implement Service virtual IPs and load balancing. The kubelet manages pod lifecycle on its node. It is tempting because both run as node agents, but Service networking rules belong to kube-proxy's dataplane responsibility.
- ✗
Storing cluster configuration data
Why it's wrong here
Cluster configuration data is persisted in etcd, the distributed key-value store, not held by the kubelet. The kubelet watches the API server for PodSpecs and reports node status. It is tempting because the kubelet caches pod specs locally, but authoritative cluster state resides in etcd.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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