jeffallan avatar

Kubernetes Specialist

jeffallan/claude-skills
6.7k

This skill specializes in deploying and managing Kubernetes workloads, providing capabilities such as creating deployment manifests, configuring security policies, setting up networking, and troubleshooting cluster issues. It supports best practices like resource requests and limits, RBAC, network segmentation, and secure secret management, making it suitable for DevOps engineers, cloud architects, and SREs. The skill facilitates tasks like Helm chart creation, multi-cluster configuration, and performance optimization through declarative YAML manifests and validation commands.

npx skills add https://github.com/jeffallan/claude-skills --skill kubernetes-specialist

Kubernetes Specialist

When to Use This Skill

  • Deploying workloads (Deployments, StatefulSets, DaemonSets, Jobs)
  • Configuring networking (Services, Ingress, NetworkPolicies)
  • Managing configuration (ConfigMaps, Secrets, environment variables)
  • Setting up persistent storage (PV, PVC, StorageClasses)
  • Creating Helm charts for application packaging
  • Troubleshooting cluster and workload issues
  • Implementing security best practices

Core Workflow

  1. Analyze requirements — Understand workload characteristics, scaling needs, security requirements
  2. Design architecture — Choose workload types, networking patterns, storage solutions
  3. Implement manifests — Create declarative YAML with proper resource limits, health checks
  4. Secure — Apply RBAC, NetworkPolicies, Pod Security Standards, least privilege
  5. Validate — Run kubectl rollout status, kubectl get pods -w, and kubectl describe pod <name> to confirm health; roll back with kubectl rollout undo if needed

Reference Guide

Load detailed guidance based on context: Topic Reference Load When Workloads references/workloads.md Deployments, StatefulSets, DaemonSets, Jobs, CronJobs Networking references/networking.md Services, Ingress, NetworkPolicies, DNS Configuration references/configuration.md ConfigMaps, Secrets, environment variables Storage references/storage.md PV, PVC, StorageClasses, CSI drivers Helm Charts references/helm-charts.md Chart structure, values, templates, hooks, testing, repositories Troubleshooting references/troubleshooting.md kubectl debug, logs, events, common issues Custom Operators references/custom-operators.md CRD, Operator SDK, controller-runtime, reconciliation Service Mesh references/service-mesh.md Istio, Linkerd, traffic management, mTLS, canary GitOps references/gitops.md ArgoCD, Flux, progressive delivery, sealed secrets Cost Optimization references/cost-optimization.md VPA, HPA tuning, spot instances, quotas, right-sizing Multi-Cluster references/multi-cluster.md Cluster API, federation, cross-cluster networking, DR

Constraints

MUST DO

  • Use declarative YAML manifests (avoid imperative kubectl commands)
  • Set resource requests and limits on all containers
  • Include liveness and readiness probes
  • Use secrets for sensitive data (never hardcode credentials)
  • Apply least privilege RBAC permissions
  • Implement NetworkPolicies for network segmentation
  • Use namespaces for logical isolation
  • Label resources consistently for organization
  • Document configuration decisions in annotations

MUST NOT DO

  • Deploy to production without resource limits
  • Store secrets in ConfigMaps or as plain environment variables
  • Use default ServiceAccount for application pods
  • Allow unrestricted network access (default allow-all)
  • Run containers as root without justification
  • Skip health checks (liveness/readiness probes)
  • Use latest tag for production images
  • Expose unnecessary ports or services

Common YAML Patterns

Deployment with resource limits, probes, and security context

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: my-app
  namespace: my-namespace
  labels:
    app: my-app
    version: "1.2.3"
spec:
  replicas: 3
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: my-app
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: my-app
        version: "1.2.3"
    spec:
      serviceAccountName: my-app-sa   # never use default SA
      securityContext:
        runAsNonRoot: true
        runAsUser: 1000
        fsGroup: 2000
      containers:
        - name: my-app
          image: my-registry/my-app:1.2.3   # never use latest
          ports:
            - containerPort: 8080
          resources:
            requests:
              cpu: "100m"
              memory: "128Mi"
            limits:
              cpu: "500m"
              memory: "512Mi"
          livenessProbe:
            httpGet:
              path: /healthz
              port: 8080
            initialDelaySeconds: 15
            periodSeconds: 20
          readinessProbe:
            httpGet:
              path: /ready
              port: 8080
            initialDelaySeconds: 5
            periodSeconds: 10
          securityContext:
            allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
            readOnlyRootFilesystem: true
            capabilities:
              drop: ["ALL"]
          envFrom:
            - secretRef:
                name: my-app-secret   # pull credentials from Secret, not ConfigMap

Minimal RBAC (least privilege)

apiVersion: v1
kind: ServiceAccount
metadata:
  name: my-app-sa
  namespace: my-namespace
---
apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
kind: Role
metadata:
  name: my-app-role
  namespace: my-namespace
rules:
  - apiGroups: [""]
    resources: ["configmaps"]
    verbs: ["get", "list"]   # grant only what is needed
---
apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
kind: RoleBinding
metadata:
  name: my-app-rolebinding
  namespace: my-namespace
subjects:
  - kind: ServiceAccount
    name: my-app-sa
    namespace: my-namespace
roleRef:
  kind: Role
  name: my-app-role
  apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io

NetworkPolicy (default-deny + explicit allow)

# Deny all ingress and egress by default
apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: NetworkPolicy
metadata:
  name: default-deny-all
  namespace: my-namespace
spec:
  podSelector: {}
  policyTypes: ["Ingress", "Egress"]
---
# Allow only specific traffic
apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: NetworkPolicy
metadata:
  name: allow-my-app
  namespace: my-namespace
spec:
  podSelector:
    matchLabels:
      app: my-app
  policyTypes: ["Ingress"]
  ingress:
    - from:
        - podSelector:
            matchLabels:
              app: frontend
      ports:
        - protocol: TCP
          port: 8080

Validation Commands

After deploying, verify health and security posture:

# Watch rollout complete
kubectl rollout status deployment/my-app -n my-namespace
# Stream pod events to catch crash loops or image pull errors
kubectl get pods -n my-namespace -w
# Inspect a specific pod for failures
kubectl describe pod <pod-name> -n my-namespace
# Check container logs
kubectl logs <pod-name> -n my-namespace --previous   # use --previous for crashed containers
# Verify resource usage vs. limits
kubectl top pods -n my-namespace
# Audit RBAC permissions for a service account
kubectl auth can-i --list --as=system:serviceaccount:my-namespace:my-app-sa
# Roll back a failed deployment
kubectl rollout undo deployment/my-app -n my-namespace

Output Templates

When implementing Kubernetes resources, provide:

  1. Complete YAML manifests with proper structure
  2. RBAC configuration if needed (ServiceAccount, Role, RoleBinding)
  3. NetworkPolicy for network isolation
  4. Brief explanation of design decisions and security considerations

GitHub Owner

Owner: jeffallan

SKILL.md

name: kubernetes-specialist description: Use when deploying or managing Kubernetes workloads. Invoke to create deployment manifests, configure pod security policies, set up service accounts, define network isolation rules, debug pod crashes, analyze resource limits, inspect container logs, or right-size workloads. Use for Helm charts, RBAC policies, NetworkPolicies, storage configuration, performance optimization, GitOps pipelines, and multi-cluster management. license: MIT metadata: author: https://github.com/Jeffallan version: "1.1.0" domain: infrastructure triggers: Kubernetes, K8s, kubectl, Helm, container orchestration, pod deployment, RBAC, NetworkPolicy, Ingress, StatefulSet, Operator, CRD, CustomResourceDefinition, ArgoCD, Flux, GitOps, Istio, Linkerd, service mesh, multi-cluster, cost optimization, VPA, spot instances role: specialist scope: infrastructure output-format: manifests related-skills: devops-engineer, cloud-architect, sre-engineer

Kubernetes Specialist

When to Use This Skill

  • Deploying workloads (Deployments, StatefulSets, DaemonSets, Jobs)
  • Configuring networking (Services, Ingress, NetworkPolicies)
  • Managing configuration (ConfigMaps, Secrets, environment variables)
  • Setting up persistent storage (PV, PVC, StorageClasses)
  • Creating Helm charts for application packaging
  • Troubleshooting cluster and workload issues
  • Implementing security best practices

Core Workflow

  1. Analyze requirements — Understand workload characteristics, scaling needs, security requirements
  2. Design architecture — Choose workload types, networking patterns, storage solutions
  3. Implement manifests — Create declarative YAML with proper resource limits, health checks
  4. Secure — Apply RBAC, NetworkPolicies, Pod Security Standards, least privilege
  5. Validate — Run kubectl rollout status, kubectl get pods -w, and kubectl describe pod <name> to confirm health; roll back with kubectl rollout undo if needed

Reference Guide

Load detailed guidance based on context:

TopicReferenceLoad When
Workloadsreferences/workloads.mdDeployments, StatefulSets, DaemonSets, Jobs, CronJobs
Networkingreferences/networking.mdServices, Ingress, NetworkPolicies, DNS
Configurationreferences/configuration.mdConfigMaps, Secrets, environment variables
Storagereferences/storage.mdPV, PVC, StorageClasses, CSI drivers
Helm Chartsreferences/helm-charts.mdChart structure, values, templates, hooks, testing, repositories
Troubleshootingreferences/troubleshooting.mdkubectl debug, logs, events, common issues
Custom Operatorsreferences/custom-operators.mdCRD, Operator SDK, controller-runtime, reconciliation
Service Meshreferences/service-mesh.mdIstio, Linkerd, traffic management, mTLS, canary
GitOpsreferences/gitops.mdArgoCD, Flux, progressive delivery, sealed secrets
Cost Optimizationreferences/cost-optimization.mdVPA, HPA tuning, spot instances, quotas, right-sizing
Multi-Clusterreferences/multi-cluster.mdCluster API, federation, cross-cluster networking, DR

Constraints

MUST DO

  • Use declarative YAML manifests (avoid imperative kubectl commands)
  • Set resource requests and limits on all containers
  • Include liveness and readiness probes
  • Use secrets for sensitive data (never hardcode credentials)
  • Apply least privilege RBAC permissions
  • Implement NetworkPolicies for network segmentation
  • Use namespaces for logical isolation
  • Label resources consistently for organization
  • Document configuration decisions in annotations

MUST NOT DO

  • Deploy to production without resource limits
  • Store secrets in ConfigMaps or as plain environment variables
  • Use default ServiceAccount for application pods
  • Allow unrestricted network access (default allow-all)
  • Run containers as root without justification
  • Skip health checks (liveness/readiness probes)
  • Use latest tag for production images
  • Expose unnecessary ports or services

Common YAML Patterns

Deployment with resource limits, probes, and security context

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: my-app
  namespace: my-namespace
  labels:
    app: my-app
    version: "1.2.3"
spec:
  replicas: 3
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: my-app
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: my-app
        version: "1.2.3"
    spec:
      serviceAccountName: my-app-sa   # never use default SA
      securityContext:
        runAsNonRoot: true
        runAsUser: 1000
        fsGroup: 2000
      containers:
        - name: my-app
          image: my-registry/my-app:1.2.3   # never use latest
          ports:
            - containerPort: 8080
          resources:
            requests:
              cpu: "100m"
              memory: "128Mi"
            limits:
              cpu: "500m"
              memory: "512Mi"
          livenessProbe:
            httpGet:
              path: /healthz
              port: 8080
            initialDelaySeconds: 15
            periodSeconds: 20
          readinessProbe:
            httpGet:
              path: /ready
              port: 8080
            initialDelaySeconds: 5
            periodSeconds: 10
          securityContext:
            allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
            readOnlyRootFilesystem: true
            capabilities:
              drop: ["ALL"]
          envFrom:
            - secretRef:
                name: my-app-secret   # pull credentials from Secret, not ConfigMap

Minimal RBAC (least privilege)

apiVersion: v1
kind: ServiceAccount
metadata:
  name: my-app-sa
  namespace: my-namespace
---
apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
kind: Role
metadata:
  name: my-app-role
  namespace: my-namespace
rules:
  - apiGroups: [""]
    resources: ["configmaps"]
    verbs: ["get", "list"]   # grant only what is needed
---
apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
kind: RoleBinding
metadata:
  name: my-app-rolebinding
  namespace: my-namespace
subjects:
  - kind: ServiceAccount
    name: my-app-sa
    namespace: my-namespace
roleRef:
  kind: Role
  name: my-app-role
  apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io

NetworkPolicy (default-deny + explicit allow)

# Deny all ingress and egress by default
apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: NetworkPolicy
metadata:
  name: default-deny-all
  namespace: my-namespace
spec:
  podSelector: {}
  policyTypes: ["Ingress", "Egress"]
---
# Allow only specific traffic
apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: NetworkPolicy
metadata:
  name: allow-my-app
  namespace: my-namespace
spec:
  podSelector:
    matchLabels:
      app: my-app
  policyTypes: ["Ingress"]
  ingress:
    - from:
        - podSelector:
            matchLabels:
              app: frontend
      ports:
        - protocol: TCP
          port: 8080

Validation Commands

After deploying, verify health and security posture:

# Watch rollout complete
kubectl rollout status deployment/my-app -n my-namespace
# Stream pod events to catch crash loops or image pull errors
kubectl get pods -n my-namespace -w
# Inspect a specific pod for failures
kubectl describe pod <pod-name> -n my-namespace
# Check container logs
kubectl logs <pod-name> -n my-namespace --previous   # use --previous for crashed containers
# Verify resource usage vs. limits
kubectl top pods -n my-namespace
# Audit RBAC permissions for a service account
kubectl auth can-i --list --as=system:serviceaccount:my-namespace:my-app-sa
# Roll back a failed deployment
kubectl rollout undo deployment/my-app -n my-namespace

Output Templates

When implementing Kubernetes resources, provide:

  1. Complete YAML manifests with proper structure
  2. RBAC configuration if needed (ServiceAccount, Role, RoleBinding)
  3. NetworkPolicy for network isolation
  4. Brief explanation of design decisions and security considerations

More skills

MU
Chatgpt App Builder

mcp-use

A
Swiftui Expert Skill

avdlee

A
Swift Concurrency

avdlee