KCNA Kubernetes Fundamentals Practice Question
You need to run a stateless web application with three replicas, and you want to ensure that if a pod fails, it is automatically replaced. Which Kubernetes resource should you use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse StatefulSet with Deployment for stateless apps because both manage replicas, but StatefulSet introduces ordered pod creation and persistent identities that are unnecessary and can cause overhead for stateless workloads.
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
✓
Deployment
A Deployment is the correct resource because it manages a ReplicaSet to ensure the desired number of pod replicas (three) are running at all times. If a pod fails, the Deployment's controller automatically creates a replacement pod, maintaining the stateless application's availability.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
DaemonSet
Why it's wrong here
A DaemonSet schedules one pod per node for node-level agents such as log collectors or CNI plugins; it does not maintain a fixed replica count. The scenario needs a Deployment, which reconciles three replicas and replaces failed pods. DaemonSet is tempting when node coverage is the actual requirement.
- ✗
Job
Why it's wrong here
A Job runs pods to completion for batch or one-off tasks and does not keep a desired replica count running indefinitely. The scenario needs a Deployment, which maintains three replicas and recreates failed pods. Job is tempting because it does create pods, but its completion semantics conflict with a continuously available web application.
- ✗
StatefulSet
Why it's wrong here
StatefulSet provides stable network identities and per-pod persistent storage for stateful workloads; the scenario specifies a stateless application, so that ordering and identity machinery is unnecessary. A Deployment maintains the three replicas and replaces failures. StatefulSet is tempting because it also guarantees replica counts, but its identity guarantees target a different workload type.
- ✓
Deployment
Why this is correct
A Deployment manages a ReplicaSet, which maintains the desired replica count by creating replacement pods whenever one fails. This directly satisfies the self-healing requirement for three stateless replicas, unlike a bare Pod or DaemonSet, which cannot guarantee continuous availability across nodes.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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