Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) Practice Test

In the context of Kubernetes, what does a headless service NOT provide?

1. Load balancing

2. Direct connection to individual pods

3. Stable network identity for pods

4. Internal DNS for pod communication

The correct answer is: Load balancing

A headless service in Kubernetes is designed to provide a way for clients to connect directly to individual pods rather than utilizing a load balancer. This type of service is essential when applications require direct access to the underlying pods, enabling clients to connect specifically to one pod's IP rather than via a stable service IP. Choosing "A" as the correct answer highlights that headless services do not provide load balancing capabilities. When a typical service is created in Kubernetes, it might distribute incoming traffic across multiple pods, serving as a load balancer. However, with a headless service (prompted by setting the ClusterIP field to "None"), incoming traffic is not balanced; instead, it goes directly to the individual pods based on their unique IPs. The other options reflect the characteristics of headless services: - Direct connection to individual pods is a primary feature, making it suitable for certain applications that benefit from reduced latency or specific routing. - While headless services do not offer a stable service IP, they enable pods to maintain stable network identities through their individual pod IPs, which can be crucial for certain workloads needing specific addressing. - Internal DNS for pod communication is still available in the context of headless services, where DNS entries are created directly for the