Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) Cert Prep

10h 8mIntermediate2025-05-16

Authors

Pearson

Sander van Vugt

Course details

Get the edge you need and build skills to successfully study for and pass the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) exam. Explore each exam objective on the CKA exam and learn how to build, run, and manage Kubernetes clusters. Expert trainer and author Sander van Vugt introduces containers and Kubernetes, and moves through the process of creation, managing, and storing applications before providing labs on setting up and managing clusters, and how to troubleshoot Kubernetes applications and cluster nodes. Sander shows how to manage deployments, services, ingress, setting up storage, and walks through key troubleshooting scenarios.

The course includes hands-on labs to work with Kubernetes, so you can test your skills, and ends with a sample exam, allowing you to practice before taking the real thing.

Learning objectives
Prepare for the CKA test.
Build a Kubernetes cluster.
Manage Kubernetes clusters.
Perform Node maintenance tasks.
Manage security settings.
Deploy Kubernetes applications.
Use templating tools.
Manage scheduling.

Skills covered

KubernetesDevOps ToolsDevOpsCert PrepOpen Source

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) - Introduction

1. Understanding Kubernetes Architecture

02 - Module 1 - Cluster architecture, installation, and configuration introduction
03 - Learning objectives
04 - Vanilla Kubernetes and the ecosystem
05 - Running Kubernetes in the cloud or on premises
06 - Kubernetes distributions
07 - Kubernetes node roles

2. Creating a Kubernetes Cluster with kubeadm

08 - Learning objectives
09 - Understanding cluster node requirements
10 - Provisioning an infrastructure for hosting Kubernetes
11 - Installation procedure overview
12 - Configuring Linux kernel settings for Kubernetes networking
13 - Installing Container Runtime Interface (CRI) and tools
14 - Using kubeadm init
15 - Configuring the Kubernetes client
16 - Setting up node networking
17 - Adding nodes to the cluster
18 - Using kubeadm init with a configuration file
19 - Lesson 2 lab challenge - Building a Kubernetes cluster
20 - Lesson 2 lab solution - Building a Kubernetes cluster

3. Managing Kubernetes Clusters

21 - Learning objectives
22 - Analyzing cluster nodes
23 - Using crictl to manage node containers
24 - Running static Pods
25 - Managing node state
26 - Managing node services
27 - Lesson 3 lab challenge - Running static Pods
28 - Lesson 3 lab solution - Running static Pods

4. Performing Node Maintenance Tasks

29 - Learning objectives
30 - Using metrics server to monitor node and Pod performance
31 - Backing up the etcd
32 - Restoring the etcd
33 - Performing cluster node upgrades
34 - Performing cluster worker upgrades
35 - Understanding cluster high availability (HA) options
36 - Setting up a highly available Kubernetes cluster
37 - Lesson 4 lab challenge - etcd backup and restore
38 - Lesson 4 lab solution - etcd backup and restore

5. Managing Security Settings

39 - Learning objectives
40 - Understanding API access
41 - Managing security context
42 - Users, service accounts, and API access
43 - Understanding role-based access control (RBAC)
44 - Setting up RBAC for service accounts
45 - Configuring cluster roles and RoleBindings
46 - Setting up RBAC for users
47 - Lesson 5 lab challenge - Managing security
48 - Lesson 5 lab solution - Managing security

6. Deploying Kubernetes Applications

49 - Module 2 - Workloads and scheduling introduction
50 - Learning objectives
51 - Using deployments
52 - Running agents with DaemonSets
53 - Using StatefulSets
54 - The case for running individual Pods
55 - Managing Pod initialization
56 - Scaling applications
57 - Configuring autoscaling
58 - Using sidecar containers for application logging
59 - Lesson 6 lab challenge - Running a DaemonSet
60 - Lesson 6 lab solution - Running a DaemonSet

7. Using Templating Tools

61 - Learning objectives
62 - Running applications from YAML files
63 - The Helm package manager
64 - Creating a template from a Helm chart
65 - Managing applications with Helm
66 - Using kustomize
67 - Lesson 7 lab challenge - Managing applications with Helm
68 - Lesson 7 lab solution - Managing applications with Helm

8. Managing Scheduling

69 - Learning objectives
70 - Exploring the scheduling process
71 - Setting node preferences
72 - Managing affinity and anti-affinity rules
73 - Managing taints and tolerations
74 - Configuring resource limits and requests
75 - Setting namespace quota
76 - Configuring LimitRange
77 - Configuring Pod priorities
78 - Lesson 8 lab challenge - Configuring taints
79 - Lesson 8 lab solution - Configuring taints

9. Managing Application Access

80 - Module 3 - Services and networking introduction
81 - Learning objectives
82 - Exploring Kubernetes networking
83 - Understanding network plugins
84 - Using services to access applications
85 - Running an ingress controller
86 - Configuring ingress
87 - Using port forwarding for direct application access
88 - Understanding gateway API
89 - Configuring gateway API
90 - Using gateway API to provide access to applications
91 - Configuring gateway API for TLS access
92 - Lesson 9 lab challenge - Managing networking
93 - Lesson 9 lab solution - Managing networking

10. Networking

94 - Learning objectives
95 - Managing the Container Network Interface (CNI) and network plugins
96 - Understanding service auto registration and Kubernetes DNS
97 - Using NetworkPolicies to manage traffic between Pods
98 - Configuring NetworkPolicies to manage traffic between namespaces
99 - Managing CoreDNS
100 - Lesson 10 lab challenge - Using NetworkPolicies
101 - Lesson 10 lab solution - Using NetworkPolicies

11. Managing Storage

102 - Module 4 - Storage introduction
103 - Learning objectives
104 - Understanding Kubernetes storage options
105 - Accessing storage through Pod volumes
106 - Configuring PersistentVolume (PV) storage
107 - Configuring PersistentVolumeClaims (PVCs)
108 - Configuring Pod storage with PVs and PVCs
109 - Using volume reclaim policies
110 - Using ConfigMaps and secrets as volumes
111 - Lesson 11 lab challenge - Setting up storage
112 - Lesson 11 lab solution - Setting up storage

12. Auto-Provisioning Storage

113 - Learning objectives
114 - Using StorageClass
115 - Understanding storage provisioners
116 - Setting up a NFS storage provisioner
117 - Lesson 12 lab challenge - Using the hostpath storage provisioner
118 - Lesson 12 lab solution - Using the hostpath storage provisioner

13. Logging, Monitoring, and Troubleshooting

119 - Module 5 - Troubleshooting introduction
120 - Learning objectives
121 - Monitoring Kubernetes resources
122 - Understanding the troubleshooting flow
123 - Troubleshooting Kubernetes applications
124 - Troubleshooting cluster nodes
125 - Fixing application access problems
126 - Lesson 13 lab challenge - Troubleshooting nodes
127 - Lesson 13 lab solution - Troubleshooting nodes

14. Sample Exam Instructions

128 - Module 6 - Sample exams introduction
129 - Learning objectives
130 - Preparing an environment for the sample exams
131 - Working through the sample exams
132 - Using the exam-grade script

15. CKA Sample Exam 1

133 - Learning objectives
134 - Questions overview
135 - Configuring a highly available Kubernetes cluster
136 - Scheduling a Pod
137 - Managing application initialization
138 - Setting up persistent storage
139 - Configuring application access
140 - Securing network traffic
141 - Setting up a quota
142 - Creating a static Pod
143 - Troubleshooting node services
144 - Configuring cluster access
145 - Configuring taints and tolerations

16. CKA Sample Exam 2

146 - Learning objectives
147 - Questions overview
148 - Creating a cluster
149 - Performing a control node upgrade
150 - Configuring application logging
151 - Managing PVCs
152 - Investigating Pod logs
153 - Analyzing performance
154 - Managing application scheduling
155 - Configuring ingress
156 - Preparing for node maintenance
157 - Scaling applications
158 - etcd backup and restore

Summary

159 - Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) - Summary