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Kubernetes Resource Requests and Limits

Kubernetes Capacity Resources

Time guide

  • Initial checks: approximately 10 to 20 minutes
  • Detailed investigation: approximately 20 to 60 minutes

Purpose
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Review Kubernetes CPU and memory requests, limits, live usage and scheduling impact.

Investigation workflow
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  1. Confirm the correct environment and context.
  2. Capture the current state before making changes.
  3. Run the read-only checks below.
  4. Review events, logs and dependencies.
  5. If a change is required, update the Git-managed desired state where applicable.
  6. Render, dry-run and review the change.
  7. Deploy or reconcile, then complete post-change validation.

Read-only checks
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kubectl get pods -A -o custom-columns="NAMESPACE:.metadata.namespace,POD:.metadata.name,CPU_REQUEST:.spec.containers[*].resources.requests.cpu,CPU_LIMIT:.spec.containers[*].resources.limits.cpu,MEMORY_REQUEST:.spec.containers[*].resources.requests.memory,MEMORY_LIMIT:.spec.containers[*].resources.limits.memory"
kubectl top nodes
kubectl top pods -A --containers

Expected result
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The relevant services and resources should report healthy or ready states, expected dependencies should be present, and recent warning events should not show a persistent unresolved fault.

Troubleshooting
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If a check fails:

  • Confirm names, namespaces, contexts and permissions.
  • Review recent events and service logs.
  • Compare the live state with the documented desired state.
  • Check storage, DNS, network and dependent services.
  • Preserve evidence before restarting, deleting or recreating anything.

Safety notes
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These entries begin with read-only checks. Treat restart, delete, restore, reconcile, exposure and security-containment actions as state-changing operations. Confirm scope, impact, authorisation and rollback before proceeding. Replace all private names, addresses, identifiers and credentials with placeholders before publication or sharing.

Related entries#

  • Kubernetes Cluster Health Checks
  • Flux Reconciliation Commands
  • GitOps Repository Structure
  • Security Incident Triage