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

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 Minimal RBAC (least privilege) NetworkPolicy (default deny + explicit allow) Validation Commands After deploying, verify health and security posture: 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 [Documentation](https://jeffallan.github.io/claude skills/skills/infrastructure/kubernetes specialist/)

kubernetes-specialist