A developer must deploy a new application in Kubernetes. The deployment has these requirements: The application must be deployed in a new pod. A new node is required. Avoid disruption on existing runn

Putting a cluster into maintenance mode typically involves taking nodes offline or preventing new workloads, which would likely disrupt existing pods and prevent new deployments.

Resizing the cluster is a general term; while it could mean adding nodes, simply stating 'resize' doesn't specify an automated, non-disruptive method like the autoscaler.

Upgrading the cluster involves updating Kubernetes components and can cause temporary disruptions or require careful planning to avoid downtime for existing pods, which contradicts the requirement to avoid disruption.

The Kubernetes Cluster Autoscaler automatically adjusts the number of nodes in a cluster when pods fail to run due to resource constraints or when nodes are underutilized. By enabling this feature, if the new application's pod requires a new node (due to insufficient resources on existing nodes), the autoscaler will detect this pending pod and automatically provision a new node, satisfying the requirement without manual intervention and avoiding disruption to existing workloads.