Solution Taints and Toleration Optional

In this guide, you will learn how to work with taints and tolerations in Kubernetes. We start by inspecting the cluster nodes, then proceed to apply a taint to a node and create pods with and without the appropriate tolerations.

Step 1: Count the Nodes

Begin by verifying the total number of nodes (including the control plane) in your cluster. Run the following command:

root@controlplane:~# kubectl get nodes
NAME           STATUS   ROLES                    AGE   VERSION
controlplane   Ready    control_plane,master     17m   v1.20.0
node01         Ready    <none>                   16m   v1.20.0
root@controlplane:~#

There are two nodes in the cluster.

This output confirms that both the control plane and node01 are active and ready.

Step 2: Check Taints on node01

Next, examine node01 for any existing taints. Use the kubectl describe command:

root@controlplane:~# kubectl describe node node01
Name:               node01
Roles:              <none>
Labels:             beta.kubernetes.io/arch=amd64
                    beta.kubernetes.io/os=linux
                    kubernetes.io/arch=amd64
                    kubernetes.io/hostname=node01
                    kubernetes.io/os=linux
Annotations:        flannel.alpha.coreos.com/backend-data: {"VNI":1,"VtepMAC":"8e:62:74:26:35:47"}
                    flannel.alpha.coreos.com/backend-type: vxlan
                    flannel.alpha.coreos.com/kube-subnet-manager: true
                    flannel.alpha.coreos.com/public-ip: 10.58.27.11
                    kubernetes.io/cri-socket: /var/run/dockershim.sock
                    node.alpha.kubernetes.io/ttl: 0
                    volumes.kubernetes.io/controller-managed-attach-detach: true
CreationTimestamp:  Fri, 15 Apr 2022 22:57:19 +0000
Taints:             <none>
Unschedulable:      false
Lease:
  HolderIdentity:   node01
  AcquireTime:      <unset>
  RenewTime:        Fri, 15 Apr 2022 23:14:20 +0000
Conditions:
  Type                    Status   LastHeartbeatTime                  LastTransitionTime                 Reason
  ----                    ------   -----------------                  ---------------------             ----------------
  NetworkUnavailable      False    Fri, 15 Apr 2022 22:57:25 +0000   Fri, 15 Apr 2022 22:57:25 +0000   Flannel is running on this node
  MemoryPressure          False    Fri, 15 Apr 2022 23:12:35 +0000   Kubelet has sufficient memory available
  DiskPressure            False    Fri, 15 Apr 2022 23:11:20 +0000   Kubelet has no disk pressure
...
root@controlplane:~#

Since there are no taints on node01, you can conclude that there are no scheduling constraints for pods on this node at this moment.

Step 3: Apply a Taint on node01

Now, add a taint to node01 by specifying a key-value pair and an effect. The command below applies a taint with the key “spray”, a value of “mortein”, and an effect of “NoSchedule”:

kubectl taint node node01 spray=mortein:NoSchedule

This taint ensures that only pods with a matching toleration will be scheduled on node01.

Step 4: Create the “mosquito” Pod Without a Toleration

Create a pod named “mosquito” using the nginx image without specifying any toleration:

root@controlplane:~# kubectl run mosquito --image=nginx

After creating the pod, check its status:

root@controlplane:~# kubectl get pods
NAME        READY   STATUS              RESTARTS   AGE
mosquito    0/1     Pending             0          3m37s
root@controlplane:~#

Since the pod lacks a toleration for the taint applied on node01, it remains in a pending state. To investigate further, describe the pod:

root@controlplane:~# kubectl describe pod mosquito
Name:           mosquito
Namespace:      default
Priority:       0
Node:           <none>
Labels:         run=mosquito
Status:         Pending
Containers:
  mosquito:
    Image:      nginx
    Port:       <none>
    Host Port:  <none>
...
Tolerations:  node.kubernetes.io/not-ready:NoExecute op=Exists for 300s
              node.kubernetes.io/unreachable:NoExecute op=Exists for 300s
Events:
  Warning  FailedScheduling  45s (x2 over 45s)   default-scheduler  0/2 nodes are available: 1 node(s) had taint {node-role.kubernetes.io/master: }, that the pod didn't tolerate, 1 node(s) had taint {spray: mortein:NoSchedule}, that the pod didn't tolerate.
...
root@controlplane:~#

The event message clarifies that “mosquito” cannot be scheduled due to the untolerated “spray” taint on node01.

Ensure that you add the proper tolerations when you need a pod to be scheduled on a tainted node.

Step 5: Create the “bee” Pod With a Toleration

To schedule a pod on node01 despite the taint, create a new pod named “bee” with a toleration for “spray”. Follow these steps:

Generate an initial YAML manifest using dry-run:

kubectl run bee --image=nginx --dry-run=client -o yaml > bee.yaml

Open the generated bee.yaml file and add a tolerations section under the spec. The corrected YAML should resemble the following:

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: bee
  labels:
    run: bee
spec:
  containers:
  - name: bee
    image: nginx
    resources: {}
  dnsPolicy: ClusterFirst
  restartPolicy: Always
  tolerations:
  - key: "spray"
    operator: "Equal"
    value: "mortein"
    effect: "NoSchedule"

Apply the manifest to create the pod:
kubectl apply -f bee.yaml
Monitor the pod creation:
kubectl get pods --watch

After a few seconds, you should see the “bee” pod transition to the Running state. Verify the status by running:

root@controlplane:~# kubectl get pods -o wide
NAME       READY   STATUS              RESTARTS   AGE     IP           NODE        NOMINATED NODE   READINESS GATES
bee        1/1     Running             0          36s     10.244.1.2   node01      <none>           <none>
mosquito   0/1     Pending             0          4m6s    <none>       <none>           <none>
root@controlplane:~#

The “bee” pod successfully schedules on node01 because it contains the correct toleration, while “mosquito” continues to remain pending.

Step 6: Remove the Taint from the Control Plane

Finally, inspect the control plane node to confirm it has a taint restricting regular pod scheduling:

root@controlplane:~# kubectl describe node controlplane
Name:               controlplane
Roles:              control-plane,master
Labels:             beta.kubernetes.io/arch=amd64
                    beta.kubernetes.io/os=linux
                    kubernetes.io/hostname=controlplane
                    node-role.kubernetes.io/control-plane=
Annotations:        flannel.alpha.coreos.com/backend-data: {"VNI":1,"VtepMAC":"f6:6e:ba:7d:23:ca"}
                    flannel.alpha.coreos.com/backend-type: vxlan
                    flannel.alpha.coreos.com/kube-subnet-manager: true
                    kubeadm.alpha.coreos.com/cri-socket: /var/run/dockershim.sock
                    volumes.kubernetes.io/controller-managed-attach-detach: true
CreationTimestamp:  Fri, 15 Apr 2022 22:56:44 +0000
Taints:             node-role.kubernetes.io/master:NoSchedule
Unschedulable:      false
...
root@controlplane:~#

To allow pods to be scheduled on the control plane, remove its taint with the following command:

kubectl taint node controlplane node-role.kubernetes.io/master:NoSchedule-

Once the taint is removed, the “mosquito” pod can now find a suitable node. Confirm the new pod status:

root@controlplane:~# kubectl get pods -o wide
NAME       READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE     IP           NODE         NOMINATED NODE   READINESS GATES
bee        1/1     Running   0          2m52s   10.244.1.2   node01       <none>           <none>
mosquito   1/1     Running   0          6m22s   10.244.0.4   controlplane <none>           <none>
root@controlplane:~#

Now, “mosquito” is running on the control plane since the scheduling conflict has been resolved.

Summary

This walkthrough demonstrates the use of taints and tolerations to control pod placement in a Kubernetes cluster:

Initially, node01 had a taint (spray=mortein:NoSchedule) and the control plane had the default master taint, which prevented the “mosquito” pod from scheduling.
Creating the “bee” pod with the appropriate toleration allowed it to be scheduled on node01.
Removing the taint from the control plane enabled the “mosquito” pod to be scheduled there.

Using taints and tolerations effectively can help you control where pods are deployed and maintain a balanced and secure Kubernetes environment.

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Design and Install a Kubernetes Cluster

Helm Basics (2025 Updates)

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Install "Kubernetes the kubeadm way"

Solution Taints and Toleration Optional

Step 1: Count the Nodes

Step 2: Check Taints on node01

Step 3: Apply a Taint on node01

Step 4: Create the “mosquito” Pod Without a Toleration

Step 5: Create the “bee” Pod With a Toleration

Step 6: Remove the Taint from the Control Plane

Summary

Watch Video

​Step 1: Count the Nodes

​Step 2: Check Taints on node01

​Step 3: Apply a Taint on node01

​Step 4: Create the “mosquito” Pod Without a Toleration

​Step 5: Create the “bee” Pod With a Toleration

​Step 6: Remove the Taint from the Control Plane

​Summary

Watch Video

Step 1: Count the Nodes

Step 2: Check Taints on node01

Step 3: Apply a Taint on node01

Step 4: Create the “mosquito” Pod Without a Toleration

Step 5: Create the “bee” Pod With a Toleration

Step 6: Remove the Taint from the Control Plane

Summary