KCNA Container Orchestration Practice Question
Which TWO statements correctly describe how Kubernetes handles self-healing? (Select two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
CNCF often tests the distinction between automatic self-healing at the infrastructure level (node/pod restarts) versus manual or policy-driven recovery for application-level issues, leading candidates to incorrectly assume Kubernetes automatically fixes bugs or adjusts resource limits.
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
✓
If a node fails, the ReplicaSet controller automatically recreates the pods on healthy nodes
The ReplicaSet controller monitors the cluster for node failures and, when a node becomes unhealthy, it creates replacement pods on other healthy nodes to maintain the desired replica count. This is a core self-healing mechanism in Kubernetes that operates at the controller level, independent of 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.
- ✓
If a node fails, the ReplicaSet controller automatically recreates the pods on healthy nodes
Why this is correct
The ReplicaSet (or Deployment) controller detects that pods are no longer running and creates replacement pods on available nodes.
- ✓
If a container in a pod crashes, the kubelet restarts it according to the pod's restart policy
Why this is correct
The kubelet monitors containers and restarts them if they fail, following the restartPolicy (Always, OnFailure, Never).
- ✗
Kubernetes automatically fixes application-level bugs by rolling back to a previous version
Why it's wrong here
Kubernetes does not automatically fix bugs; it provides mechanisms like rollbacks, but the decision to roll back is manual or based on health checks.
- ✗
Kubernetes can automatically resolve OOMKilled errors by increasing memory limits
Why it's wrong here
Duplicate of option D.
- ✗
Kubernetes can automatically resolve OOMKilled errors by increasing memory limits
Why it's wrong here
Kubernetes does not auto-adjust resource limits; it only reports the OOMKilled status. The user must update the resource specification.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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