Kubernetes Architecture Explained: Nodes, Pods, and Clusters

Introduction: Understanding the Heart of Kubernetes What Is Kubernetes Architecture? (Big Picture Overview) The Kubernetes Cluster - The Foundation How the Cluster Works Key Traits of a Kubernetes Cluster Why the Cluster Matters Control Plane Components - The Brain of Kubernetes 1. API Server - The Front Door of the Cluster 2. etcd - The Cluster’s Memory 3. Scheduler - The Decision Maker 4. Controller Manager - The Cluster’s Automation Engine How These Components Work Together Worker Node Components - The Hands of Kubernetes 1. Kubelet - The Node’s Local Agent 2. Kube-Proxy - The Network Manager 3. Container Runtime - The Engine Running the Containers How Worker Nodes Fit into Kubernetes Architecture Why Worker Nodes Matter Pods - The Smallest Unit of Deployment What Is a Pod? How Pods Work Pods and Networking Pods, Nodes, and the Bigger Picture Why Pods Matter How Kubernetes Works - Step-by-Step Workflow Step 1: Defining the Desired State Step 2: API Server Processes the Request Step 3: Scheduler Assigns Pods to Nodes Step 4: Kubelet Creates and Monitors Pods Step 5: Kube-Proxy Manages Networking Step 6: Controller Manager Ensures Desired State Step 7: Scaling, Updates, and Maintenance In Short: How Kubernetes Works Master Node vs Worker Node - Key Differences Master Node - The Control Center Worker Node - The Execution Layer Master Node vs Worker Node - Comparison Table How They Work Together Why This Design Matters Visualizing Kubernetes Architecture (KodeKloud Tip) Visualizing the Cluster Structure Learn by Seeing and Doing FAQs Quick Fixes for Common Kubernetes Issues Guide to AWS Certification What is Kubernetes? A Beginner’s Guide to Container Orchestration DevOps Tutorials 2025: Step-by-Step Learning Resources for Beginners Ubuntu: Set Timezone How to Enable SSH on Ubuntu Certifications in DevOps: Which Are Worth Your Time in 2025? What is DevOps? Understand the difference between master node vs worker node and their unique roles. Explore how Kubernetes components like API Server, Scheduler, and Kubelet communicate. Discover how Kubernetes works to deploy, scale, and self-heal applications automatically. Visualize the entire Kubernetes cluster architecture - nodes, Pods, and communication flow. Master the fundamentals of container orchestration through KodeKloud’s free Kubernetes labs.