kubernetes-deployment-patterns
Kubernetes deployment strategies and workload patterns for production-grade applications. Use when deploying to Kubernetes, implementing rollout strategies, or designing cloud-native application architectures.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/nickcrew/claude-cortex --skill kubernetes-deployment-patterns- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads kubernetes-deployment-patterns automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Kubernetes Deployment Patterns
Expert guidance for production-grade Kubernetes deployments covering deployment strategies, workload types, configuration management, resource optimization, and autoscaling patterns for cloud-native applications.
When to Use This Skill
- Implementing deployment strategies (rolling updates, blue-green, canary releases)
- Choosing appropriate workload types (Deployment, StatefulSet, DaemonSet, Job)
- Designing rollout strategies for zero-downtime deployments
- Implementing configuration management with ConfigMaps and Secrets
- Setting up resource management and autoscaling (HPA, VPA)
- Configuring health checks and probe strategies
- Designing highly available applications on Kubernetes
- Implementing batch processing and scheduled jobs
Core Concepts
Deployment Strategies
Rolling Update: Gradually replace old pods with new ones (zero-downtime, default) Recreate: Terminate all old pods before creating new ones (brief downtime) Blue-Green: Run two environments, switch traffic instantly (2x resources) Canary: Gradually shift traffic to new version while monitoring (risk mitigation)
Workload Types
Deployment: Stateless applications (web servers, APIs, microservices) StatefulSet: Stateful applications (databases, message queues) DaemonSet: Node-level services (log collectors, monitoring agents) Job: One-time tasks (batch processing, migrations) CronJob: Scheduled tasks (backups, periodic reports)
Resource Management
Requests: Guaranteed resources for scheduling Limits: Maximum resources enforced by kubelet HPA: Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (scale replicas based on metrics) VPA: Vertical Pod Autoscaler (adjust resource requests/limits)
Quick Reference
| Task | Load reference |
|---|---|
| Deployment strategies (rolling, blue-green, canary) | skills/kubernetes-deployment-patterns/references/deployment-strategies.md |
| Workload types (Deployment, StatefulSet, DaemonSet, Job) | skills/kubernetes-deployment-patterns/references/workload-types.md |
| Configuration management (ConfigMaps, Secrets) | skills/kubernetes-deployment-patterns/references/configuration-management.md |
| Resource management and autoscaling (HPA, VPA) | skills/kubernetes-deployment-patterns/references/resource-management.md |
| Production best practices and security | skills/kubernetes-deployment-patterns/references/production-best-practices.md |
Workflow
1. Choose Deployment Strategy
# Rolling update for standard deployments
strategy:
type: RollingUpdate
rollingUpdate:
maxSurge: 1
maxUnavailable: 0
# Recreate for incompatible versions
strategy:
type: Recreate
2. Select Workload Type
- Stateless? → Use Deployment
- Stateful with persistent identity? → Use StatefulSet
- One pod per node? → Use DaemonSet
- Run to completion? → Use Job
- Run on schedule? → Use CronJob
3. Configure Resources
resources:
requests:
memory: "256Mi"
cpu: "250m"
limits:
memory: "512Mi"
cpu: "1000m"
4. Add Configuration
# ConfigMap for non-sensitive config
envFrom:
- configMapRef:
name: app-config
# Secret for sensitive data
env:
- name: DB_PASSWORD
valueFrom:
secretKeyRef:
name: db-credentials
key: password
5. Implement Health Checks
livenessProbe:
httpGet:
path: /healthz
port: 8080
initialDelaySeconds: 30
periodSeconds: 10
readinessProbe:
httpGet:
path: /ready
port: 8080
initialDelaySeconds: 5
periodSeconds: 5
6. Enable Autoscaling
apiVersion: autoscaling/v2
kind: HorizontalPodAutoscaler
spec:
scaleTargetRef:
kind: Deployment
name: app
minReplicas: 2
maxReplicas: 10
metrics:
- type: Resource
resource:
name: cpu
target:
type: Utilization
averageUtilization: 70
Common Mistakes
- Using
latesttag: Always use specific version tags for reproducibility - No resource limits: Can cause resource starvation and cluster instability
- Missing health checks: Kubernetes can't manage pod health without probes
- Single replica in production: No high availability or resilience
- Secrets in ConfigMaps: Use Secrets for sensitive data, not ConfigMaps
- No update strategy: Leads to unpredictable deployment behavior
- Running as root: Security vulnerability, violates least privilege
- No monitoring: Can't detect or debug issues in production
Resources
- Official Docs: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/workloads/
- Deployment Strategies: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/workloads/controllers/deployment/
- StatefulSets: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/workloads/controllers/statefulset/
- Autoscaling: https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/run-application/horizontal-pod-autoscale/
- Configuration: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/configuration/
- Best Practices: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/configuration/overview/
FAQ
What does the kubernetes-deployment-patterns skill do?
Kubernetes deployment strategies and workload patterns for production-grade applications. Use when deploying to Kubernetes, implementing rollout strategies, or designing cloud-native application architectures.
How do I install kubernetes-deployment-patterns?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/nickcrew/claude-cortex --skill kubernetes-deployment-patterns in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/kubernetes-deployment-patterns/ (personal) or .claude/skills/kubernetes-deployment-patterns/ (project).
Which AI agents can use kubernetes-deployment-patterns?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is kubernetes-deployment-patterns safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains kubernetes-deployment-patterns?
It is published by nickcrew in nickcrew/claude-cortex. It has 96 recorded installs.
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