An important consideration for any platform used to deploy production applications is observability. This lab essentially answers how Kubernetes handles and helps you with observing everything that happens in the platform in terms of logging. Logging and monitoring are two pillars of observability. You will use what is built into Kubernetes and kubectl as well as learn how to extend the platform to use external logging systems. More specifically, you will use the sidecar multi-container Pod pattern to stream Pod logs to S3 using Fluentd. These foundations give you powerful debugging skills to diagnose and resolve issues with applications running in Kubernetes.

This lab is valuable to anyone working with Kubernetes, but the content has been prepared considering topics described in the Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) Exam Curriculum. Completion of the lab will help you get hands-on experience, which is essential for passing the CKAD exam.

Learning Objectives

• Understand container logging including how to use logging agents and the sidecar pattern
• Understand debugging in Kubernetes

Intended Audience

• Kubernetes admins and operators
• Application developers and DevOps engineers deploying applications in containers and using or considering Kubernetes
• This lab is recommended for Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) examinees

Prerequisites

• Knowledge of Kubernetes Pod Design (Pods, Deployments, Services, Jobs)
• Experience with kubectl

You can complete the Kubernetes Pod Design for Application Developers lab series to satisfy the prerequisites.

Updates

September 6th, 2022 - Updated to run Kubernetes 1.24

November 9th, 2021 - Added emphasis to the warning message related to logs taking 1-2 minutes to first start appearing in the S3 bucket