2V0-71.23 VMware Tanzu for Kubernetes Operations Professional Questions and Answers

To enable workload management in vSphere using NSX Advanced Load Balancer, an administrator needs to prepare two components on NSX Advanced Load Balancer in advance: the Service Engine Group and the NSX Advanced Load Balancer Controller1.

• The Service Engine Group is a logical group of Service Engines that share the same configuration and resources. A Service Engine is a virtual machine that handles the data plane operations of NSX Advanced Load Balancer, such as load balancing, health monitoring, SSL termination, and more2. The administrator needs to configure a Service Engine Group for each Supervisor Cluster that will use NSX Advanced Load Balancer as the load balancer provider1.
• The NSX Advanced Load Balancer Controller is a virtual machine that handles the control plane operations of NSX Advanced Load Balancer, such as configuration, analytics, orchestration, and management2. The administrator needs to deploy and configure the NSX Advanced Load Balancer Controller VM in the management network of the vSphere environment where workload management will be enabled1.

The other options are incorrect because:

• The NSX Controller is not a component of NSX Advanced Load Balancer, but rather a component of NSX-T Data Center. The NSX Controller is a clustered virtual appliance that provides the control plane functions for logical switching and routing3. It is not required for enabling workload management in vSphere using NSX Advanced Load Balancer.
• Providing connectivity to NSX Manager is not a component of NSX Advanced Load Balancer, but rather a prerequisite for enabling workload management in vSphere using NSX-T Data Center. The NSX Manager is a virtual appliance that provides the management plane functions for NSX-T Data Center3. It is not required for enabling workload management in vSphere using NSX Advanced Load Balancer.
• The Avi Kubernetes Operator is not a component of NSX Advanced Load Balancer, but rather an optional tool that can be used to automate the installation and configuration of NSX Advanced Load Balancer on Kubernetes clusters4. It is not required for enabling workload management in vSphere using NSX Advanced Load Balancer.

References: Install and Configure the NSX Advanced Load Balancer for vSphere with Tanzu with NSX, NSX Advanced Load Balancer Architecture, NSX-T Data Center Architecture, Avi Kubernetes Operator

Four policy types that are supported by VMware Tanzu Mission Control are:

• Security policy: Security policies allow you to manage the security context in which deployed pods operate in your clusters by imposing constraints on your clusters that define what pods can do and which resources they have access to6.
• Access policy: Access policies allow you to use predefined roles to specify which identities (individuals and groups) have what level of access to a given resource7.
• Network policy: Network policies allow you to use preconfigured templates to define how pods communicate with each other and other network endpoints8.
• Custom policy: Custom policies allow you to implement additional business rules, using templates that you define, to enforce policies that are not already addressed using the other built-in policy types9.

References: Policy-Driven Cluster Management - VMware Docs

Prometheus is an open-source systems monitoring and alerting toolkit that can collect metrics from target clusters at specified intervals, evaluate rule expressions, display the results, and trigger alerts if certain conditions arise8. Tanzu Kubernetes Grid includes signed binaries for Prometheus that users can deploy on workload clusters to monitor cluster health and services9. Prometheus uses a pull model to scrape metrics from various sources, such as Kubernetes nodes, pods, services, and endpoints. Prometheus stores the collected metrics in a time-series database and allows users to query them using PromQL, a powerful query language. Prometheus also supports defining alert rules based on metric values and sending notifications to external systems, such as Alertmanager8.

The other options are incorrect because:

• Provide the functionality of a lightweight log processor and forwarder that allows you to collect data and logs from different sources is a description of Fluent Bit, which is an open-source log processor and forwarder that can be used to collect data and logs from Kubernetes clusters and send them to various destinations10. Fluent Bit is not part of Tanzu Kubernetes Grid.
• Inject time-series database (TSDB) data into high-quality graphs and visualizations is a description of Grafana, which is an open-source visualization and analytics software that can be used to query, visualize, alert on, and explore metrics from various sources, including Prometheus11. Grafana is not part of Tanzu Kubernetes Grid.
• Extend the open-source Docker distribution by adding the functionalities usually required by users such as security and identity control and management is a description of Harbor, which is an open-source cloud native registry that can be used to store, sign, and scan container images for vulnerabilities12. Harbor is not part of Tanzu Kubernetes Grid.

References: Prometheus Overview, Implement Monitoring with Prometheus and Grafana, Fluent Bit, What is Grafana?, Harbor Overview

The Kubernetes RBAC API declares four kinds of Kubernetes object: Role, ClusterRole, RoleBinding and ClusterRoleBinding. These objects are used to define permissions and assign them to users or groups within a cluster. A Role or ClusterRole contains rulesthat represent a set of permissions on resources or non-resource endpoints. A RoleBinding or ClusterRoleBinding grants the permissions defined in a Role or ClusterRole to a set of subjects (users, groups, or service accounts). A RoleBinding applies only within a specific namespace, while a ClusterRoleBinding applies cluster-wide.

The other options are incorrect because:

• CloudPolicyObject is not a valid Kubernetes object type. It might be confused with NetworkPolicy, which is an object type that defines how pods are allowed to communicate with each other and other network endpoints.
• Container type and Container object are not valid Kubernetes object types. They might be confused with Pod, which is an object type that represents a group of one or more containers running on a node.
• ClusterObject and ClusterNode are not valid Kubernetes object types. They might be confused with Cluster and Node, which are concepts that describe the logical and physical components of a Kubernetes cluster.

References: Using RBAC Authorization, Kubernetes RBAC: Concepts, Examples & Top Misconfigurations

The statement that describes Harbor accurately is that Harbor is an open source registry that secures artifacts with policies and role-based access control, ensures images are scanned and free from vulnerabilities, and signs images as trusted. Harbor is a cloud native repository for Kubernetes that provides features such as image management, vulnerability scanning, content signing, access control, replication, and quota management3. Harbor is a graduated project of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) and is integrated with VMware Tanzu products and services4. References: Harbor, Harbor - CNCF

The command that has a valid syntax for scaling VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid cluster using Tanzu CLI is tanzu cluster scale --controlplane-machine-count 5 --worker-machine-count 10. The tanzu cluster scale command allows users to manually scale the number of control plane and worker nodes in a cluster5. The --controlplane-machine-count flag specifies the desired number of control plane nodes, while the --worker-machine-count flag specifies the desired number of worker nodes5. The other commands are invalid because they either use incorrect flags or omit the namespace flag when required5. References: Scale Clusters - VMware Docs

A rolling upgrade is a method of upgrading a Kubernetes cluster without downtime by gradually replacing nodes or components with newer versions. A rolling upgrade ensures that there is no disruption to the availability and functionality of the cluster during the upgrade process. A rolling upgrade can be performed manually or using tools such as kubeadm or kops5.

The other options are incorrect because:

• In-place upgrade of each node is a method of upgrading a Kubernetes cluster by stopping each node or component and updating it to the newer version. This method can cause downtime and disruption to the cluster during the upgrade process.
• Use canary upgrade is not a valid method of upgrading a Kubernetes cluster. A canary upgrade is a technique for deploying new versions of applications or services by gradually exposing them to a subset of users or traffic before rolling them out to everyone6. It is not applicable to cluster upgrades.
• Deploy a new cluster with upgraded Kubernetes release is not a method of upgrading a Kubernetes cluster, but rather creating a new one. This method canbe costly and time-consuming, as it requires migrating all the resources and configurations from the old cluster to the new one.

References: Upgrade A Cluster, Canary deployments

Contour is an open-source Kubernetes ingress controller that provides dynamic configuration updates and makes use of the Envoy proxy as a data plane1. Envoy is an open-source edge and service proxy that can handle large volumes of network traffic between services in a cloud-native environment2. Contour leverages Envoy’s advanced features such as load balancing, health checking, dynamic service discovery, circuit breaking, rate limiting, and more3. Contour also integrates with Envoy’s external authorization filter to support external authentication and authorization providers4.

The other options are incorrect because:

• NSX Load Balancer is a VMware solution that provides L4 and L7 load balancing and ingress control for Kubernetes clusters5. It is not the data plane for Contour.
• Istio is an open-source service mesh that provides a uniform way to connect, secure, control, and observe services in a distributed system6. It is not the data plane for Contour.
• Prometheus is an open-source systems monitoring and alerting toolkit that can collect metrics from various sources, including Kubernetes clusters7. It is not the data plane for Contour.

References: Contour Overview, Envoy Overview, Contour Architecture, External Authorization Support, NSX Advanced Load Balancer, Istio Overview, Prometheus Overview

VMware vSphere 8 is the version of VMware vSphere that introduces the capability for provisioning a workload cluster using a cluster class (ClusterClass) from VMware Tanzu Mission Control. ClusterClass is a feature of Cluster API that allows users to define a reusable cluster configuration template and use it to create consistent clusters with a predefined shape and size. Tanzu Mission Control leverages ClusterClass to enable users to create Tanzu Kubernetes clusters in vSphere with Tanzu using a default cluster class. The default cluster class specifies the number of control plane nodes, worker nodes, and the resources allocated to each node. To use ClusterClass with Tanzu Mission Control, the vSphere environment must be running version 8.0 or later, and the Supervisor Cluster must be upgraded from vSphere 7.0U3.

The other options are incorrect because:

• VMware vCenter Server 6.7 Update 3 is not a version of VMware vSphere, but rather a version of VMware vCenter Server, which is the centralized management platform for vSphere environments. VMware vCenter Server 6.7 Update 3 does not support ClusterClass or Tanzu Mission Control.
• VMware vSphere 6.7 is an older version of VMware vSphere that does not support ClusterClass or Tanzu Mission Control. VMware vSphere 6.7 reached end of general support on October 15, 2022.
• VMware is not a version of VMware vSphere, but rather the name of the company that develops and sells VMware vSphere and other products.

References: [Introducing ClusterClass and Managed Topologies in Cluster API], [Provision a Cluster in vSphere with Tanzu using a Cluster Class], [A First Look at ClusterClass Deployments using Tanzu Kubernetes Grid 2.0], [VMware vCenter Server 6.7 Update 3 Release Notes], [VMware Product Lifecycle Matrix]

The type of policy that can be used to enforce the container controls is image security. Image security policies allow users to define rules for validating container images before they are deployed on clusters. Users can specify image names, tags, signatures, or digests to whitelist or blacklist images based on their source and integrity. Users can also enable or disable image scanning for vulnerabilities and configure the severity threshold for admission decisions. References: Image Security Policy - VMware Docs, Image Policy - VMware Docs

Two package management tools that can be used to configure and install applications on Kubernetes are:

• Carvel. Carvel is a set of tools that provides a simple, composable, and flexible way to manage Kubernetes configuration, packaging, and deployment. Carvel includes tools such as kapp, which applies and tracks Kubernetes resources in a cluster; ytt, which allows templating YAML files; kbld, which builds and pushes images to registries; kpack, which automates image builds from source code; and vendir, which syncs files from different sources into a single directory. Carvel is integrated with VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid and can be used to deploy and manage applications on Tanzu clusters.
• Helm. Helm is a tool that helps users define, install, and upgrade complex Kubernetes applications using charts. Charts are packages of pre-configured Kubernetes resources that can be customized with values. Helm uses a client-server architecture with a command line tool called helm and an in-cluster component called Tiller. Helm can be used to deploy applications from the official Helm charts repository or from custom charts created by users or vendors. Helm is also integrated with VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid and can be used to deploy and manage applications on Tanzu clusters.

References: : https://carvel.dev/ : https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Tanzu-Kubernetes-Grid/1.6/vmware-tanzu-kubernetes-grid-16/GUID-tkg-carvel.html : https://helm.sh/ : https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Tanzu-Kubernetes-Grid/1.6/vmware-tanzu-kubernetes-grid-16/GUID-tkg-helm.html

Cluster API is a Kubernetes project that provides declarative APIs for cluster creation, configuration, and management. Cluster API uses a set of custom resource definitions (CRDs) to represent clusters, machines, and other objects. Cluster API also relies on providers to implement the logic for interacting with different infrastructure platforms. VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid uses Cluster API to deploy and manage Kubernetes clusters on various platforms. The three Cluster API providers being used in VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid are:

• CAPZ: Cluster API Provider for Azure. This provider enables Cluster API to create Kubernetes clusters on Microsoft Azure4.
• CAPV: Cluster API Provider for vSphere. This provider enables Cluster API to create Kubernetes clusters on vSphere 6.7 or later5.
• CAPA: Cluster API Provider for AWS. This provider enables Cluster API to create Kubernetes clusters on Amazon Web Services5.

References: VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Documentation, Taking Kubernetes to the People: How Cluster API Promotes Self … - VMware

Two valid options for obtaining kubectl config file in Tanzu Kubernetes environment are:

• Download from vSphere UI: For Tanzu Kubernetes clusters that are deployed on vSphere with Tanzu, you can download the kubeconfig file from the vSphere UI by selecting the cluster and clicking on the Download kubeconfig button1. This file contains the credentials and connection information for the cluster, which you can use to access it with kubectl1.
• Access from VMware Tanzu Mission Control: For Tanzu Kubernetes clusters that are attached or provisioned by VMware Tanzu Mission Control, you can access the kubeconfig file from the Tanzu Mission Control console by selecting the cluster and clicking on the Access this cluster button2. This will generate a YAML file that you can download and use to connect to the cluster with kubectl2.

References: Download a Kubeconfig File for a Tanzu Kubernetes Cluster - VMware Docs, Connect to a Managed Cluster with kubectl - VMware Docs

The object in Kubernetes used to grant permissions to a cluster-wide resource is ClusterRoleBinding. A ClusterRoleBinding is a cluster-scoped object that grants permissions defined in a ClusterRole to one or more subjects, such as users, groups, or service accounts5. A ClusterRole is a cluster-scoped object that defines a set of permissions on cluster-scoped resources (like nodes) or namespaced resources (like pods) across all namespaces5. For example, a ClusterRoleBinding can be used to allow a particular user to run kubectl get pods --all-namespaces by granting them the permissions defined in a ClusterRole that allows listing pods in any namespace6. References: Using RBAC Authorization | Kubernetes, Cluster Roles and Cluster Roles Binding in Kubernetes | ANOTE.DEV

VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid is an enterprise-ready Kubernetes runtime that streamlines operations across multi-cloud infrastructure1. Tanzu Kubernetes Grid natively integrates with the following VMware products:

• NSX Advanced Load Balancer: A solution that provides L4 and L7 load balancing and ingress control for Kubernetes clusters. NSX Advanced Load Balancer can be used as the default load balancer provider for both management and workload clusters on vSphere, AWS, Azure, and other platforms2.
• NSX-T Data Center: A network virtualization and security platform that provides consistent networking and security for applications running across private and public clouds. NSX-T Data Center can be used as the default network plugin for both management and workload clusters on vSphere, AWS, Azure, and other platforms3.
• vSphere with VMware Tanzu: A solution that enables you to run Kubernetes workloads natively on a vSphere cluster, and to provision and manage Kubernetes clusters using the vSphere Client. vSphere with VMware Tanzu can be used as the platform to deploy Tanzu Kubernetes Grid management clusters and workload clusters4.

The other options are incorrect because:

• BOSH is an open-source tool that provides release engineering, deployment, lifecycle management, and monitoring of distributed systems. BOSH is not a VMware product, nor does it natively integrate with Tanzu Kubernetes Grid5.
• vRealize Network Insight is a solution that delivers intelligent operations for software-defined networking and security. It helps optimize network performance and availability with visibility and analytics across virtual and physical networks. vRealize Network Insight is not natively integrated with Tanzu Kubernetes Grid6.
• Tanzu Mission Control is a centralized management platform for consistently operating and securing your Kubernetes infrastructure and modern applications across multiple teams and clouds. Tanzu Mission Control is not natively integrated with Tanzu Kubernetes Grid, but rather works with it as a separate product7.

References: VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Overview, NSX Advanced Load Balancer, NSX-T Data Center, vSphere with VMware Tanzu, BOSH, vRealize Network Insight, Tanzu Mission Control Overview