Kubernetes dashboard - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

💻 Command Output

intermediate

Accessing Kubernetes Dashboard Token

You run the command kubectl -n kubernetes-dashboard get secret and see a secret named kubernetes-dashboard-token-abcde. What command will correctly display the token value for this secret?

A kubectl -n kubernetes-dashboard get secret kubernetes-dashboard-token-abcde -o json | jq '.data.token'

B kubectl -n kubernetes-dashboard describe secret kubernetes-dashboard-token-abcde

C kubectl -n kubernetes-dashboard get secret kubernetes-dashboard-token-abcde -o jsonpath='{.data.token}' | base64 --decode

D kubectl -n kubernetes-dashboard get secret kubernetes-dashboard-token-abcde -o yaml

💡 Hint

The token is stored in base64 encoded form inside the secret's data field.

The token is stored in the secret's data.token field encoded in base64. Using jsonpath to extract and then decoding base64 shows the token string.

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Purpose of Kubernetes Dashboard

What is the primary purpose of the Kubernetes Dashboard in a cluster?

A It automatically scales pods based on CPU usage.

B It provides a web-based user interface to manage and monitor Kubernetes cluster resources.

C It manages network policies between pods.

D It schedules pods onto nodes based on resource availability.

💡 Hint

Think about what a dashboard usually does in software.

The Kubernetes Dashboard is a web UI that helps users view and manage cluster resources like pods, deployments, and services.

❓ Troubleshoot

advanced

Dashboard Not Accessible Externally

You deployed the Kubernetes Dashboard with default settings. When trying to access it from outside the cluster, the browser cannot connect. What is the most likely reason?

A The dashboard pod crashed due to insufficient CPU resources.

B The dashboard uses an outdated API version and refuses connections.

C The dashboard requires a LoadBalancer service but was deployed with NodePort.

D The dashboard service is of type ClusterIP, which is only accessible inside the cluster.

💡 Hint

Check the service type and how it exposes the dashboard.

By default, the dashboard service is ClusterIP, which means it is only reachable from inside the cluster. To access externally, you need to change the service type or use port forwarding.

🔀 Workflow

advanced

Steps to Securely Access Kubernetes Dashboard

Which sequence of steps correctly describes how to securely access the Kubernetes Dashboard from your local machine?

A 1,2,3,4

B 2,1,3,4

C 1,3,2,4

D 1,4,2,3

💡 Hint

Think about creating credentials before starting the proxy and then using the token to login.

First create the service account and assign permissions, then start the proxy to securely connect, next get the token, and finally open the dashboard URL and login.

✅ Best Practice

expert

Best Practice for Dashboard Access in Production

What is the best practice to securely expose the Kubernetes Dashboard in a production environment?

A Use kubectl proxy with role-based access control and strong authentication tokens.

B Disable the dashboard entirely and manage the cluster only via CLI.

C Deploy the dashboard with NodePort and allow anonymous access from any IP.

D Expose the dashboard service as LoadBalancer with no authentication for easy access.

💡 Hint

Think about minimizing exposure and enforcing authentication.

Using kubectl proxy creates a secure tunnel and RBAC with tokens ensures only authorized users can access the dashboard, which is best for production security.