All courses
Resource hub
Featured resource
Tech Upskilling Playbook 2025
Tech Upskilling Playbook

Build future-ready tech teams and hit key business milestones with seven proven plays from industry leaders.

Learn more
Hamburger Icon
  • Labs icon Lab
  • Cloud
Google Cloud Platform icon
Labs

Scaling Pods in Kubernetes

For the last six months, the Acme Anvil Corporation has been migrating their bare metal infrastructure to Docker containers. A schism has developed between the members of your team on whether to use Docker Swarm or Kubernetes. To settle the dispute, your manager has decided to create a series of challenges. You have been tasked with setting up a Kubernetes cluster with 3 nodes: 1 master and 2 workers. First, you will create a deployment with 3 replicas using the `httpd` image. Next, you will create a service that will make the pod publicly accessible. Finally, you will scale the pod up to 5 replicas and then down to 2.

Get started Contact sales
Google Cloud Platform icon
Labs

Path Info

Level
Clock icon Intermediate
Duration
Clock icon 1h 30m
Last updated
Clock icon Sep 02, 2025

Contact sales

By filling out this form and clicking submit, you acknowledge our privacy policy.

Table of Contents

  1. Challenge

    Complete the Kubernetes Install

    Initialize the cluster:

    kubeadm init --pod-network-cidr=10.244.0.0/16 --kubernetes-version=v1.11.3

mkdir -p $HOME/.kube
sudo cp -i /etc/kubernetes/admin.conf $HOME/.kube/config
sudo chown $(id -u):$(id -g) $HOME/.kube/config

    Install Flannel on the master:

    kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/coreos/flannel/v0.9.1/Documentation/kube-flannel.yml

  2. Challenge

    Create the Deployment 

    vi deployment.yml

    Add the following to deployment.yml:

    apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: httpd-deployment
  labels:
    app: httpd
spec:
  replicas: 3
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: httpd
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: httpd
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: httpd
        image: httpd:latest
        ports:
        - containerPort: 80

    Spin up the deployment:

    kubectl create -f deployment.yml

  3. Challenge

    Create the Service 

    vi service.yml

    Add the following to service.yml:

    kind: Service
apiVersion: v1
metadata:
  name: service-deployment
spec:
  selector:
    app: httpd
  ports:
  - protocol: TCP
    port: 80
    targetPort: 80
  type: NodePort

    Create the service:

    kubectl create -f service.yml

  4. Challenge

    Scale the Deployment Up to 5 Replicas 

    vi deployment.yml

    Change the number of replicas to 5:

    spec:
  replicas: 5

    Apply the changes:

    kubectl apply -f deployment.yml

  5. Challenge

    Scale the Deployment Down to 2 Replicas 

    vi deployment.yml

    Change the number of replicas to 2:

    spec:
  replicas: 2

    Apply the changes:

    kubectl apply -f deployment.yml
Pluralsight Skills - Labs - Pluralsight
Author
Pluralsight Skills

Pluralsight Skills gives leaders confidence they have the skills needed to execute technology strategy. Technology teams can benchmark expertise across roles, speed up release cycles and build reliable, secure products. By leveraging our expert content, skill assessments and one-of-a-kind analytics, keep up with the pace of change, put the right people on the right projects and boost productivity. It's the most effective path to developing tech skills at scale.

What's a lab?

Hands-on Labs are real environments created by industry experts to help you learn. These environments help you gain knowledge and experience, practice without compromising your system, test without risk, destroy without fear, and let you learn from your mistakes. Hands-on Labs: practice your skills before delivering in the real world.

Provided environment for hands-on practice

We will provide the credentials and environment necessary for you to practice right within your browser.

Guided walkthrough

Follow along with the author’s guided walkthrough and build something new in your provided environment!

Did you know?

On average, you retain 75% more of your learning if you get time for practice.
Ready to get started?
View individual plans View team plans