kubectl is the main command line tool for interacting with Kubernetes clusters. Its core functions include managing applications and resources, interacting with cluster components, and configuring access contexts. Specifically: 1. It can be used to create, update, delete and check various objects in the cluster, such as deploying applications, checking Pod status, and deleting services; 2. Support monitoring and debugging operations, such as viewing logs, executing commands in containers; 3. You can view node status, describe specific resources, and forward local access services through ports; 4. Provide configuration management functions, support viewing, listing and switching different cluster contexts to ensure operation in the correct environment. In short, kubectl is an indispensable tool for Kubernetes daily operations, providing comprehensive control over deployment, cluster state and multi-environment management.

kubectl is the main command-line tool for interacting with Kubernetes clusters. If you're working with Kubernetes, you'll use kubectl constantly — whether you're checking the status of your applications, deploying new services, or debugging issues.

Managing Applications and Resources

One of the core roles of kubectl is to manage application deployments and cluster resources. You can create, update, delete, and inspect almost any object in your cluster using this tool.

For example:

• Deploy a new application using kubectl apply -f deployment.yaml
• Check running pods with kubectl get pods
• Delete a service with kubectl delete service my-service

It's not just about applying configs — it also helps you monitor how things are being. A common use case is checking logs ( kubectl logs <pod-name></pod-name> ) or executing commands inside a container ( kubectl exec -it <pod-name> -- sh</pod-name> ) when troubleshooting.

Interacting with Cluster Components

Kubernetes has several system components like nodes, services, and persistent volumes. With kubectl , you can inspect and interact with all of them.

Common tasks include:

• Checking node status with kubectl get nodes
• Describe a specific resource in detail using kubectl describe <resource-type> <name></name></resource-type>
• Port-forwarding to access services locally via kubectl port-forward <pod-name> 8080:80</pod-name>

This visibility helps you understand what's happening inside your cluster without needing extra tools. It's especially handy during setup or debugging phases.

Configuring Access and Contexts

Another key role of kubectl is managing access configurations. Since you might work with multiple clusters (like dev, staging, prod), kubectl allows switching between them using contexts.

You can:

• View current context with kubectl config current-context
• List available contexts using kubectl config get-contexts
• Switch context via kubectl config use-context <context-name></context-name>

This makes it easy to ensure you're operating on the right environment, which helps avoid accidental changes in production.

Basically, kubectl is the go-to tool for day-to-day Kubernetes operations. It gives you control over deployments, visibility into cluster state, and flexibility in managing different environments. Knowing how to use it well makes working with Kubernetes much smoother.

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