midKubernetes
Explain Resource Requests and Limits.
Updated Apr 28, 2026
Short answer
Requests define the minimum resources a Pod needs; Limits define the maximum resources a Pod can consume.
Deep explanation
Mid-level K8s management involves understanding the stateful vs stateless nature of apps. For instance, a Service acts as a stable gateway. Probes are critical for 'self-healing'—if a Liveness probe fails, K8s restarts the Pod automatically.
Real-world example
Deploying a database like PostgreSQL where you need stable network IDs and persistent storage across restarts.
Common mistakes
- Setting resource limits too low, causing containers to be OOM (Out of Memory) killed repeatedly.
Follow-up questions
- What is 'etcd'?