Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) Practice Test

What is the main purpose of an Ingress resource in Kubernetes?

1. To manage the lifecycle of pods

2. To provide a single URL to access an application

3. To define network policies for a service

4. To balance load across multiple nodes

The correct answer is: To provide a single URL to access an application

The main purpose of an Ingress resource in Kubernetes is to provide a single URL to access an application. Ingress acts as a gateway for external traffic to reach the services running within a Kubernetes cluster. By defining Ingress rules, you can specify how HTTP and HTTPS requests are routed to the appropriate services based on the request's host and path. This centralized access point simplifies the management of routing rules, allowing users to define various access paths and rules without needing to expose individual services or use multiple LoadBalancers. This capability is particularly beneficial when you have multiple services that need to be accessed over the same IP address, enhancing both SEO and usability. In contrast, managing the lifecycle of pods involves using other resources like Deployments or StatefulSets. Defining network policies is related to securing and controlling traffic between pods and services through NetworkPolicy resources. While load balancing is an important part of service management, this functionality is typically handled by services like LoadBalancer or NodePort, not directly by Ingress. Thus, option B accurately reflects the key functionality of an Ingress resource in Kubernetes.