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Senior DevOps / SRE [L2] Kubernetes Networking Production Scenario [L2]

Q: DNS resolution is failing inside your cluster. Pods can't resolve service names. What do you check?

1. kubectl get pods -n kube-system | grep coredns — is CoreDNS running?

#Kubernetes #Networking #L2 #Container Orchestration #K8s
🎙️ Candidate Opening & Architectural Context
""In one of our high-traffic production clusters, our SRE team handled this incident using a standardized runbook. When addressing this question, I walk the interviewer through our production incident runbook: isolating the blast radius, checking diagnostic logs and metrics, and applying a safe fix.""
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🛠️ Production Runbook & Step-by-Step Resolution

1️⃣

Initial Diagnostics & Root Cause Analysis

  • kubectl get pods -n kube-system | grep coredns — is CoreDNS running?
  • kubectl logs -n kube-system — any errors?
  • Test DNS from inside a pod: kubectl exec -it -- nslookup kubernetes.default — this should always resolve.
2️⃣

Remediation & Permanent Safeguards

## 🟡 Storage

  • Check resolv.conf inside the pod: kubectl exec -it -- cat /etc/resolv.conf — should point to the cluster DNS IP.
  • Check CoreDNS ConfigMap: kubectl get configmap coredns -n kube-system -o yaml — misconfigured forwarders can break external DNS resolution.
💡 The Senior SRE Gold Nugget (Key Architectural Takeaway)
"Pro-Tip: kubectl get pods -n kube-system | grep coredns — is CoreDNS running?."
⚡ 60-Second Elevator Pitch Talking Points
  • kubectl get pods -n kube-system | grep coredns — is CoreDNS running?
  • kubectl logs -n kube-system — any errors?
  • Test DNS from inside a pod: kubectl exec -it -- nslookup kubernetes.default — this should always...
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