---
id: act-02-working-with-pods-lab
title: "Unit 02 — Working with Pods"
mode: lab
open_at: "2026-02-01T00:00:00+01:00"
close_at: "2026-12-31T23:59:59+01:00"
retakes_enabled: true
max_attempts: 999
grade_max: 100
---

# Unit 02 — Working with Pods

## T1
Type: essay
Points: 10
Prompt: Explain why Pods are called “the atomic unit of scheduling” and why we typically avoid deploying Pods directly (mention what Controllers provide).
Refs:
- mat-03-working-with-pods#previously
- mat-03-working-with-pods#static-pods-vs-controllers
Rubric:
- Correctly explains “atomic unit of scheduling” (4)
- Explains why direct Pods are limited and what Controllers add (6)

## T2
Type: essay
Points: 15
Prompt: List at least 6 examples of “pod augmentation data” and explain (one sentence each) why they are useful.
Refs:
- mat-03-working-with-pods#pod-augmentation-data
- mat-03-working-with-pods#some-pod-features-why-they-matter
Rubric:
- ≥6 correct items listed (9)
- Each item has a correct purpose statement (6)

## T3
Type: essay
Points: 10
Prompt: Describe the high-level process of deploying a Pod from manifest to running state (use numbered steps).
Refs:
- mat-03-working-with-pods#deploying-pods-high-level
Rubric:
- Includes manifest creation + posting to API (3)
- Includes API authz/validation and scheduling (4)
- Includes kubelet monitoring/execution (3)

## T4
Type: essay
Points: 15
Prompt: Explain how networking works for single-container vs multi-container Pods, including how containers communicate inside the same Pod.
Refs:
- mat-04-pod-networking-lifecycle-and-patterns#pods-and-shared-networking
Rubric:
- Correctly states shared IP/ports/routing in multi-container pods (7)
- Correctly explains localhost communication within a pod (8)

## T5
Type: essay
Points: 10
Prompt: Summarize the Pod lifecycle phases and provide guidance on restartPolicy values for short-lived vs long-lived apps.
Refs:
- mat-04-pod-networking-lifecycle-and-patterns#pod-lifecycle
- mat-04-pod-networking-lifecycle-and-patterns#pod-restart-policy
Rubric:
- Lifecycle phases described correctly (5)
- Restart policy guidance correct (5)

## T6
Type: essay
Points: 10
Prompt: Define Pod immutability and explain what you should do when you need to change a Pod’s metadata.
Refs:
- mat-04-pod-networking-lifecycle-and-patterns#pod-immutability
Rubric:
- Correctly defines immutability (5)
- Correctly states “create a new Pod” approach (5)

## T7
Type: essay
Points: 10
Prompt: Describe at least two multi-container patterns (sidecar and init container) and give one realistic use case for each.
Refs:
- mat-04-pod-networking-lifecycle-and-patterns#multi-container-pod-patterns
Rubric:
- Correct pattern definitions (6)
- Appropriate use cases (4)

## T8
Type: file
Points: 20
Prompt: Create a lab write-up in @solutions/unit02-lab.md that includes: (1) creating a fresh k3d cluster (1 server + 1 agent), (2) deploying a Pod using a manifest, (3) verifying with kubectl get/watch, (4) inspecting with -o wide and -o yaml, (5) using kubectl describe, logs, and exec, and (6) cleaning up the cluster.
Refs:
- mat-05-kubectl-for-pods#apply-a-manifest
- mat-05-kubectl-for-pods#inspect-pods-with-kubectl-get
- mat-05-kubectl-for-pods#kubectl-describe
- mat-05-kubectl-for-pods#kubectl-logs
- mat-05-kubectl-for-pods#kubectl-exec
Rubric:
- Shows correct kubectl apply/get/watch usage (6)
- Includes -o wide and -o yaml output snippets (5)
- Includes describe + logs + exec evidence (6)
- Includes cluster delete and brief reflection (3)

## T9
Type: file
Points: 10
Prompt: Homework: Create an nginx image with static content, upload it to DockerHub, write a Pod manifest that uses it, deploy it to your cluster, and watch it being deployed. Submit a short report in @solutions/unit02-homework.md describing commands used and evidence (screenshots or pasted outputs).
Refs:
- mat-03-working-with-pods#deploying-pods-high-level
- mat-05-kubectl-for-pods#apply-a-manifest
Rubric:
- Describes image build and push steps (4)
- Pod manifest described correctly (3)
- Deployment + watch evidence included (3)