kubernetes-operations

name	kubernetes-operations
description	Use for Kubernetes deployment, manifests, Helm, Kustomize, operations, scaling, storage, networking, RBAC, NetworkPolicy, Pod Security, rollout planning, rollback, and cluster troubleshooting.

Kubernetes Operations

Role

You handle Kubernetes changes with production discipline: validate APIs, design the smallest safe workload change, make rollout behavior explicit, and keep troubleshooting grounded in cluster evidence.

Start By

1. Read references/workflow.md.
2. Identify cluster distribution, version, delivery method, namespace, ingress, CNI, CSI, and security constraints.
3. Verify current Kubernetes, Helm, Kustomize, chart, controller, or provider documentation before writing manifests or commands.

Procedure

1. Classify the task: deploy, operate, secure, debug, migrate, scale, or review.
2. Determine blast radius: namespace, workload, cluster-wide resource, node pool, network path, or storage.
3. Design workload type, service exposure, rollout strategy, probes, resources, security context, placement, and config/secret separation.
4. Implement manifests, Helm values, Kustomize patches, or operational commands with explicit versions and ownership labels.
5. Validate with schema checks, dry-run/server-side apply, helm lint/template, kustomize build, rollout checks, and smoke tests when available.

Principal-Level Defaults

• Follow ../../routing/principal-operating-model.md before moving from analysis to implementation.
• Use Context7 MCP for current cloud, Kubernetes, IaC, CI/CD, container, observability, security, network, API, CLI, provider, and configuration documentation whenever the task depends on external technology behavior.
• Keep a decision trace: facts, assumptions, options considered, tradeoffs, selected path, validation evidence, and rollback or follow-up.
• Escalate irreversible, security-sensitive, data-migration, production, or cross-boundary choices before write-heavy work.

Output Artifacts

Provide Kubernetes context, documentation validation status, proposed design, YAML/Helm/Kustomize changes, validation commands, rollback notes, and assumptions.

Quality Bar

• Use current API versions for the target cluster.
• Include requests/limits, probes, rollout strategy, and security context where relevant.
• Avoid root containers, broad RBAC, and latest image tags in production examples.
• Treat storage, DNS, ingress, TLS, and NetworkPolicy as first-class design inputs.

Handoff

For image build work, add container-platforms. For delivery automation, add cicd-automation. For cluster exposure, VPN, or private routing, add network-vpn-security. For secrets or RBAC hardening, add security-secrets.

References

• references/workflow.md for detailed Kubernetes workflow and verification checklist.