Lesson 1: Kubernetes Cluster Architecture & Control Plane Essentials

Learning Objectives:

Differentiate between the high-level roles of the Kubernetes Control Plane (the “brain”) and the Worker Nodes (the “muscle”).

Identify the four key components of the Control Plane:

• kube-apiserver
• etcd
• kube-scheduler
• kube-controller-manager

Explain the specific responsibility of each Control Plane component (e.g., apiserver as the front-door, etcd as the database, scheduler for placement).

Identify the three key components of a Worker Node:

• kubelet
• kube-proxy
• Container Runtime

Describe the primary function of each Worker Node component (e.g., kubelet as the node agent, kube-proxy for networking).

Develop a clear mental model of how all cluster components communicate to deploy and manage an application.