Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) Practice Test

Mirror pods in Kubernetes serve a crucial purpose related to static pods. When a static pod is created, the kubelet on the node where the static pod runs also creates a corresponding mirror pod in the API server. This mirror pod enables the static pod to be represented in the Kubernetes API, allowing users and other components to discover and interact with the static pod via standard Kubernetes mechanisms.

By primarily existing for display purposes, mirror pods allow operators to see the static pods that are managed directly by the kubelet as opposed to being managed by the standard Kubernetes mechanisms. This visibility is especially important in scenarios where static pods are used, as they typically don’t follow the usual deployment patterns governed by controllers like Deployments or ReplicaSets.

Other options do not accurately reflect the role of mirror pods. For instance, mirror pods are not backups or replicas of static pods; instead, they are a representation in the Kubernetes API. They also do not manage service discovery or provide auto-scaling capabilities, as these functionalities are handled by different components and mechanisms within Kubernetes.