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Deploying an ASP.NET Core Web App with Docker images to a Kubernetes environment involves creating deployments, exposing services, and scaling replicas. This guide walks you through running your app on a local Kubernetes cluster using kubectl.

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Table of Contents

  1. Verify Kubernetes Version
  2. Create a Deployment
  3. Expose the Deployment as a Service
  4. Display the Machine Name in the Web App
  5. Build and Tag a New Docker Image
  6. Redeploy Using Version 2
  7. Test the Load Balancer
  8. Command Reference Table
  9. Links and References

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1. Verify Kubernetes Version

Before deploying, confirm the kubectl client and the local cluster version: 
kubectl version --short
Sample output: 
Flag --short has been deprecated, and will be removed in the future. The --short output will become the default.
Client Version: v1.25.4
Kustomize Version: v4.5.7
Server Version: v1.25.4
Keeping your kubectl client in sync with the server helps avoid compatibility issues.

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2. Create a Deployment

Create a Deployment named kodekloudapp using the kodekloudapp:v1 image with 2 replicas: 
kubectl create deployment kodekloudapp \
  --image=kodekloudapp:v1 \
  --replicas=2
Verify: 
kubectl get deployment kodekloudapp
Expected output: 
NAME            READY   UP-TO-DATE   AVAILABLE   AGE
kodekloudapp    2/2     2            2           10s

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3. Expose the Deployment as a Service

Expose the Deployment on port 8080 (host) → 80 (container). On a local cluster this defaults to a NodePort service, but in cloud environments it provisions a load balancer. 
kubectl expose deployment kodekloudapp \
  --type=LoadBalancer \
  --port=8080 \
  --target-port=80
Check the Service: 
kubectl get service kodekloudapp
Sample output: 
NAME            TYPE           CLUSTER-IP      EXTERNAL-IP   PORT(S)         AGE
kodekloudapp    LoadBalancer   10.106.40.151   localhost     8080:31032/TCP  30s
Open your browser at http://localhost:8080 to see the running app.
On local clusters, LoadBalancer maps to a NodePort. When you move to AKS, this will create a cloud load balancer.

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4. Display the Machine Name in the Web App

To confirm traffic distribution across replicas, update the Razor page to display the machine name. Edit Pages/Index.cshtml: 
@page
@model IndexModel

@{
    ViewData["Title"] = "Home page";
}

<div class="text-center">
    <h1 class="display-4">Welcome</h1>
    <p>Learn about <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/aspnet/core">building Web apps with ASP.NET Core</a>.</p>
    <p>Message: @Model.Message</p>
    <p>Machine: @Environment.MachineName</p>
</div>
Save changes and restart the app locally to confirm the additional line appears.

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5. Build and Tag a New Docker Image

After updating the code, build a new image tagged kodekloudapp:v2: 
cd .\RiderProjects\KodeKloudApp\
docker build -t kodekloudapp:v2 .
List your local images: 
docker image ls
You should see both v1 and v2 tags: 
REPOSITORY      TAG  IMAGE ID       CREATED
kodekloudapp    v2   3693d7352914   7 seconds ago
kodekloudapp    v1   8177c6374c5c   42 minutes ago

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6. Redeploy Using Version 2

First, clean up existing resources: 
kubectl delete service kodekloudapp
kubectl delete deployment kodekloudapp
Recreate the Deployment with the v2 image: 
kubectl create deployment kodekloudapp \
  --image=kodekloudapp:v2 \
  --replicas=2
Expose it again: 
kubectl expose deployment kodekloudapp \
  --type=LoadBalancer \
  --port=8080 \
  --target-port=80
Verify: 
kubectl get service kodekloudapp

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7. Test the Load Balancer

Visit http://localhost:8080 in two different browser sessions. You’ll see the Machine field alternate between replica hosts, confirming load balancing across pods.

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8. Command Reference Table

CommandPurpose
kubectl version --shortCheck client/server versions
kubectl create deployment ... --replicas=2Deploy the application with 2 replicas
kubectl get deploymentVerify Deployment status
kubectl expose deployment ... --type=LoadBalancerExpose Deployment as a Service
kubectl get serviceList Services and their endpoints
kubectl delete service <name>
kubectl delete deployment <name>		Clean up resources before redeployment

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