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The Kubernetes control plane

The control plane is responsible for controlling the cluster. Acting as the nerve center of a Kubernetes cluster, the control plane manages the cluster state and configuration data. The control plane components ensure that your containers run in adequate numbers along with all the necessary resources.

Key components of the Kubernetes Control Plane

The Kubernetes control plane consists of the following key components:

  • etcd: etcd consists of configuration information and data about a Kubernetes cluster's state.
  • kube-controller-manager: The kube-controller-manager is responsible for running the cluster and controlling its functions. It ensures that the correct number of pods are running at all times. In case a pod goes down, the controller immediately notices it and takes the necessary action.
  • kube-scheduler: The kube-scheduler takes care of the cluster's health. It determines whether your cluster needs new containers and provisions them accordingly, thereby ensuring that your pod's resource needs are met at all times.
  • kube-apiserver: The kube-apiserver is the front-end of the control plane that handles external and internal requests. The kube-apiserver determines the validates requests and sends them for processing.

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