| 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
- Read
references/workflow.md.
- Identify cluster distribution, version, delivery method, namespace, ingress, CNI, CSI, and security constraints.
- Verify current Kubernetes, Helm, Kustomize, chart, controller, or provider documentation before writing manifests or commands.
Procedure
- Classify the task: deploy, operate, secure, debug, migrate, scale, or review.
- Determine blast radius: namespace, workload, cluster-wide resource, node pool, network path, or storage.
- Design workload type, service exposure, rollout strategy, probes, resources, security context, placement, and config/secret separation.
- Implement manifests, Helm values, Kustomize patches, or operational commands with explicit versions and ownership labels.
- 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.
