Debugging Service Connectivity in Kubernetes: The Ultimate Guide with Real-World Scenarios

Service connectivity issues in Kubernetes can be daunting, especially in production environments. This guide provides a step-by-step framework to diagnose and resolve these issues, enriched with real-world scenarios, detailed explanations, and actionable fixes. Whether you’re a developer or an SRE, this guide will help you troubleshoot like a pro.

1. Check Endpoints: Are Pods Properly Associated with the Service?

Step 1: Verify Endpoints Exist

In Kubernetes, a Service routes traffic to Pods based on label selectors. If no endpoints are linked to the Service, traffic cannot flow.

Command:

kubectl get endpoints <service-name>

What to Look For:

• No Endpoints? The Service’s selector does not match any Pod labels, or Pods are not in a Ready state.
• Endpoints Exist but Unreachable? Pods might be running but failing readiness probes.

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