Understanding Kubernetes Architecture and Workflow Step by Step

May 19, 2025
Cloud Education
5 min read
Understanding Kubernetes Architecture and Workflow Step by Step

As businesses continue to embrace containerized applications and scalable deployment models, Kubernetes has become a core part of modern cloud infrastructure. For developers, DevOps teams, and IT professionals alike, understanding how a Kubernetes service works—along with its core architecture and workflow—is vital to building reliable, scalable, and agile cloud-native applications. At Neon Cloud, we simplify this complexity with our intuitive cloud solutions and infrastructure support. Whether you are just getting started or looking to optimize your current Kubernetes environment, this guide is designed to walk you through everything from pods and nodes to the types of services in Kubernetes, helping you understand each component in context.

What Is Kubernetes and Why Does Architecture Matter?

Kubernetes (also known as K8s) is an open-source system designed to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. Its architecture is modular, allowing flexibility, high availability, and fault tolerance. Understanding Kubernetes architecture gives you control over how your infrastructure behaves, reacts to load changes, and recovers from failures. It’s also the foundation for building powerful Kubernetes microservices and managing complex application lifecycles.

Core Components of Kubernetes Architecture

Let’s start by breaking down the architecture into two main parts: Control Plane and Worker Nodes.

1. Control Plane

The Control Plane is the brain of Kubernetes. It makes decisions about the cluster, such as scheduling, maintaining desired states, and responding to failures.

  • API Server: Acts as the front-end. All REST operations go through here.
  • Scheduler: Assigns tasks (pods) to nodes based on availability and resource capacity.
  • Controller Manager: Handles background tasks like replication, endpoint management, and node monitoring.
  • etcd: A consistent, distributed key-value store that Kubernetes uses for cluster state.

2. Worker Nodes

Worker nodes are where your containers actually run. Each node contains:

  • Kubelet: Agent that ensures containers are running in a pod.
  • Kube-proxy: Maintains network rules and routes for services.
  • Container Runtime: Software responsible for running containers (e.g., Docker, containerd).

Step-by-Step Workflow of Kubernetes

To truly grasp how a Kubernetes service functions, let’s walk through a step-by-step example of how a deployment works:

Step 1: User Submits a Deployment

You create a deployment using a Kubernetes deployment file (usually YAML format) and submit it using kubectl.

kubectl apply -f deployment.yaml

Also Read: Troubleshooting Kubernetes Service Issues

Step 2: API Server Processes the Request

The API server receives this request and validates it. It then records the new desired state (e.g., 3 replicas of a web app) into the etcd store.

Step 3: Scheduler Assigns Pods

The scheduler picks the optimal node for each pod based on available resources and sends instructions to the node.

Step 4: Kubelet Creates the Pods

On each selected node, the kubelet pulls the container image, creates the container, and ensures it runs as per the deployment configuration.

Step 5: Networking and Service Setup

This is where services in Kubernetes become essential. A Kubernetes service exposes your pods to internal or external traffic. Whether it’s a ClusterIP (default), NodePort, LoadBalancer, or ExternalName, the type of service in Kubernetes determines how your app can be accessed.

Step 6: Continuous Monitoring

The Controller Manager keeps checking if the desired number of pods are running. If a pod crashes or a node goes down, Kubernetes automatically replaces it.

Step 7: Autoscaling (Optional)

If configured, the Horizontal Pod Autoscaler can adjust the number of running pods based on CPU usage or custom metrics, making Kubernetes ideal for dynamic applications.

Understanding Services in Kubernetes

A Kubernetes service is a logical abstraction that defines a policy by which to access a set of pods. This makes it easier to expose, load balance, and scale microservices. Types of Services in Kubernetes:

  • ClusterIP: Default type. Exposes the service on a cluster-internal IP.
  • NodePort: Exposes the service on each Node’s IP at a static port.
  • LoadBalancer: Exposes the service externally using a cloud provider’s load balancer.
  • ExternalName: Maps the service to the contents of the externalName field (like a DNS alias).

Each Kubernetes service plays a role in ensuring that applications are decoupled and scalable.

The Role of Kubernetes Microservices

One of Kubernetes’ biggest advantages is how well it supports a microservices architecture. Instead of building a monolithic app, you can break it into multiple services (e.g., user service, billing service, product service). Each runs in its own pod, managed independently. Thanks to Kubernetes’ built-in features like load balancing, autoscaling, and service discovery, managing Kubernetes microservices becomes far more efficient. At Neon Cloud, we make it easy for businesses to transition to this model with simplified container orchestration and optimized infrastructure planning.

Common Challenges and How Neon Cloud Helps

Setting up and maintaining a Kubernetes service can be overwhelming for teams new to containers. From networking issues to resource overconsumption, the challenges can pile up. That’s where Neon Cloud steps in.

We offer:

  • Fully managed Kubernetes environments
  • Support for multiple types of services in Kubernetes
  • Easy dashboard views of your Kubernetes deployment
  • Real-time performance monitoring and autoscaling
  • One-click rollbacks and deployment validations

Whether you’re building out a proof of concept or running production workloads, Neon Cloud helps you reduce operational complexity.

Why Understanding Kubernetes Matters for Teams

Knowing the architecture and flow of services in Kubernetes enables your development and operations teams to:

  • Troubleshoot faster
  • Design better application architectures
  • Improve uptime and reliability
  • Scale efficiently without overspending

It’s not just about knowing how to deploy pods—it’s about knowing what happens after you hit “apply.”

Final Thoughts

Kubernetes is more than just a tool—it’s an ecosystem. From managing your Kubernetes microservices to deploying and maintaining the right Kubernetes service, understanding the inner workings can significantly improve your cloud-native application lifecycle. At Neon Cloud, we empower you to harness this ecosystem without the stress. With scalable infrastructure, intelligent monitoring, and expert support, we help your teams build, deploy, and grow faster.

If you’re ready to take your Kubernetes journey to the next level, talk to our experts at Neon Cloud today. Whether you’re exploring types of services in Kubernetes or deploying your first cluster, we’ve got your back.

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