etcd backup and recovery in Kubernetes - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is etcd in Kubernetes?

etcd is a key-value store that Kubernetes uses to save all its cluster data. It acts like the brain of the cluster, keeping the current state and configuration.

beginner

Why is backing up etcd important?

Backing up etcd is important because it stores all the cluster data. If it gets lost or corrupted, the whole Kubernetes cluster can fail. Backups help restore the cluster to a working state.

intermediate

Which command is used to create a snapshot backup of etcd?

The command etcdctl snapshot save <filename> creates a snapshot backup of the etcd data.

intermediate

How do you restore etcd from a snapshot?

You use etcdctl snapshot restore <filename> to restore etcd data from a snapshot file. Then you restart the etcd server with the restored data.

beginner

What is a common real-life analogy for etcd backup and recovery?

Think of etcd backup like saving a copy of your phone contacts. If your phone breaks, you can restore contacts from the saved copy. Without backup, you lose all contacts.

What does etcd store in a Kubernetes cluster?

A Container images

B Pod logs

C Cluster state and configuration data

D Network traffic

etcd stores the cluster state and configuration data, which Kubernetes uses to manage the cluster.

Which command saves an etcd snapshot?

A kubectl snapshot save

B etcdctl snapshot save <file>

C etcdctl backup create

D kubectl get snapshot

The correct command to save an etcd snapshot is etcdctl snapshot save <file>.

What should you do after restoring an etcd snapshot?

A Restart the etcd server with restored data

B Delete the Kubernetes cluster

C Run kubectl apply on all pods

D Nothing, it restores automatically

After restoring an etcd snapshot, you must restart the etcd server to use the restored data.

What happens if etcd data is lost without backup?

A The Kubernetes cluster may fail or lose state

B Pods continue running normally

C Only logs are lost

D Nothing important happens

Loss of etcd data without backup can cause the Kubernetes cluster to fail or lose its state.

Which tool is used to manage etcd snapshots?

A helm

B kubectl

C docker

D etcdctl

etcdctl is the command-line tool used to manage etcd snapshots.

Explain the steps to back up and restore etcd data in Kubernetes.

Think about saving a snapshot and then using it to bring back data.

Why is etcd backup critical for Kubernetes cluster health?

Consider what happens if the cluster brain is lost.