A Kubernetes worker node, named wk8s-node-0 is in state NotReady. Investigate why this is the case, and perform any appropriate steps to bring the node to a Ready state, ensuring that any changes…

This question tests your ability to diagnose and remediate a Kubernetes worker node stuck in NotReady state, which most commonly results from the kubelet service being stopped or failed on that node.

Submitted by certguy· May 4, 2026Troubleshooting

Question

A Kubernetes worker node, named wk8s-node-0 is in state NotReady. Investigate why this is the case, and perform any appropriate steps to bring the node to a Ready state, ensuring that any changes are made permanent. You can ssh to the failed node using:
[student@wk8s-node-1]$ ssh wk8s-node-0
You can assume elevated privileges on the node with the following command:
[student@wK8s-node-0] $ sudo -i

Explanation

This question tests your ability to diagnose and remediate a Kubernetes worker node stuck in NotReady state, which most commonly results from the kubelet service being stopped or failed on that node.

Approach. SSH into wk8s-node-0, escalate with 'sudo -i', then run 'systemctl status kubelet' to confirm the kubelet is inactive or failed. Start the service with 'systemctl start kubelet' to restore the node, and critically, run 'systemctl enable kubelet' to ensure it starts automatically on reboot - this satisfies the 'permanent' requirement the question explicitly calls out. After a few moments, verify recovery from the control plane with 'kubectl get nodes' and confirm wk8s-node-0 shows Ready. The container runtime (e.g., containerd) should also be checked with 'systemctl status containerd' if kubelet alone is not the cause.

Concept tested. Kubernetes node lifecycle troubleshooting - specifically diagnosing a NotReady node by inspecting the kubelet systemd service, restarting it, and enabling it for persistence across reboots using systemctl.

Reference. Kubernetes Docs: https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/debug/debug-cluster/ | CKA Exam Domain: Cluster Maintenance / Troubleshooting

Topics

#Node Troubleshooting#Kubelet Status#Systemd Configuration#Configuration Persistence

Community Discussion

No community discussion yet for this question.

Full CKA Practice