---
name: k8s-operations
description: kubectl operations for applying, patching, deleting, and executing commands on Kubernetes resources. Use when modifying resources, running commands in pods, or managing resource lifecycle.
license: Apache-2.0
metadata:
author: rohitg00
version: "1.0.0"
tools: 14
category: operations
---
# kubectl Operations
Execute kubectl commands using kubectl-mcp-server's operations tools.
## When to Apply
Use this skill when:
- User mentions: "apply", "patch", "delete", "exec", "scale", "rollout"
- Operations: modifying resources, running commands, scaling workloads
- Keywords: "update", "change", "modify", "run command", "restart"
## Priority Rules
| Priority | Rule | Impact | Tools |
|----------|------|--------|-------|
| 1 | Dry run before apply in production | CRITICAL | `kubectl_apply(dry_run=True)` |
| 2 | Check current state before patching | HIGH | `describe_*` tools |
| 3 | Avoid force delete unless necessary | HIGH | `kubectl_delete` |
| 4 | Verify rollout status after changes | MEDIUM | `kubectl_rollout_status` |
## Quick Reference
| Task | Tool | Example |
|------|------|---------|
| Apply manifest | `kubectl_apply` | `kubectl_apply(manifest=yaml)` |
| Patch resource | `kubectl_patch` | `kubectl_patch(type, name, namespace, patch)` |
| Delete resource | `kubectl_delete` | `kubectl_delete(type, name, namespace)` |
| Exec command | `kubectl_exec` | `kubectl_exec(pod, namespace, command)` |
| Scale deployment | `scale_deployment` | `scale_deployment(name, namespace, replicas)` |
## Apply Resources
```python
kubectl_apply(manifest="""
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
name: nginx
namespace: default
spec:
replicas: 3
selector:
matchLabels:
app: nginx
template:
metadata:
labels:
app: nginx
spec:
containers:
- name: nginx
image: nginx:latest
""")
kubectl_apply(file_path="/path/to/manifest.yaml")
kubectl_apply(manifest="...", dry_run=True)
```
## Patch Resources
```python
kubectl_patch(
resource_type="deployment",
name="nginx",
namespace="default",
patch={"spec": {"replicas": 5}}
)
kubectl_patch(
resource_type="deployment",
name="nginx",
namespace="default",
patch=[{"op": "replace", "path": "/spec/replicas", "value": 5}],
patch_type="json"
)
kubectl_patch(
resource_type="service",
name="my-svc",
namespace="default",
patch={"metadata": {"annotations": {"key": "value"}}},
patch_type="merge"
)
```
## Delete Resources
```python
kubectl_delete(resource_type="pod", name="my-pod", namespace="default")
kubectl_delete(
resource_type="pods",
namespace="default",
label_selector="app=test"
)
kubectl_delete(
resource_type="pod",
name="stuck-pod",
namespace="default",
force=True,
grace_period=0
)
```
## Execute Commands
```python
kubectl_exec(
pod="my-pod",
namespace="default",
command="ls -la /app"
)
kubectl_exec(
pod="my-pod",
namespace="default",
container="sidecar",
command="cat /etc/config/settings.yaml"
)
kubectl_exec(
pod="my-pod",
namespace="default",
command="sh -c 'curl -s localhost:8080/health'"
)
```
## Scale Resources
```python
scale_deployment(name="nginx", namespace="default", replicas=5)
scale_deployment(name="nginx", namespace="default", replicas=0)
kubectl_scale(
resource_type="statefulset",
name="mysql",
namespace="default",
replicas=3
)
```
## Rollout Management
```python
kubectl_rollout_status(
resource_type="deployment",
name="nginx",
namespace="default"
)
kubectl_rollout_history(
resource_type="deployment",
name="nginx",
namespace="default"
)
kubectl_rollout_restart(
resource_type="deployment",
name="nginx",
namespace="default"
)
rollback_deployment(name="nginx", namespace="default", revision=1)
```
## Labels and Annotations
```python
kubectl_label(
resource_type="pod",
name="my-pod",
namespace="default",
labels={"env": "production"}
)
kubectl_annotate(
resource_type="deployment",
name="nginx",
namespace="default",
annotations={"description": "Main web server"}
)
```
## Related Skills
- [k8s-deploy](../k8s-deploy/SKILL.md) - Deployment strategies
- [k8s-helm](../k8s-helm/SKILL.md) - Helm operations
