Creating namespace on our GKE cluster

In this guide, you’ll learn how to create and manage a dedicated Kubernetes namespace on a Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) cluster. Namespaces provide logical separation for applications, improving resource management, security, and clarity.

Why Use Kubernetes Namespaces?

A single GKE cluster can host multiple environments or teams. Namespaces help you:

• Enforce resource quotas and limits per team or environment
• Simplify Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
• Keep workloads organized and isolated

Prerequisites

• A Google Cloud project (e.g., kodekloud-gcp-training)
• A GKE cluster named gcp-devops-project in zone us-central1-c
• Access to Cloud Shell, or local installation of gcloud and kubectl

Step 1. Connect to Your GKE Cluster

1. Open Cloud Shell in the GCP Console:
   Kubernetes Engine > Clusters > Connect > Run in Cloud Shell.

2. Authorize Cloud Shell by pressing Enter when prompted.

3. Fetch cluster credentials:

   gcloud container clusters get-credentials gcp-devops-project \
     --zone us-central1-c \
     --project kodekloud-gcp-training
   

Your local kubeconfig is now configured to interact with the gcp-devops-project cluster.

Step 2. List Existing Namespaces

Run:

kubectl get namespaces

Example output:

NAME              STATUS   AGE
default           Active   15m
kube-node-lease   Active   15m
kube-public       Active   15m
kube-system       Active   15m

Step 3. Create a New Namespace

Create the gcp-devops-prod namespace for production workloads:

kubectl create namespace gcp-devops-prod

Step 4. Verify Your New Namespace

List namespaces again:

kubectl get namespaces

You should see:

NAME                  STATUS   AGE
default               Active   2m
gcp-devops-prod       Active   5s
kube-node-lease       Active   15m
kube-public           Active   15m
kube-system           Active   15m

Step 5. (Optional) Set the New Namespace as Default

To avoid specifying -n gcp-devops-prod on every command, update your context:

kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=gcp-devops-prod

Confirm your active namespace:

kubectl config view --minify --output "jsonpath={..namespace}"
# gcp-devops-prod

Step 6. View Namespaced Workloads in GCP Console

1. In the GCP Console, go to Kubernetes Engine > Workloads.
2. Click Show system workloads, then open the Filter pane.
3. Select gcp-devops-prod under Namespace and apply.

You’ll see workloads scoped to your production namespace (none yet, until you deploy).

Command Reference Table

Links and References

• Kubernetes Namespaces
• GKE Documentation
• kubectl Cheat Sheet

That’s it! You’ve successfully created, verified, and configured a namespace in your GKE cluster. You can now deploy applications into gcp-devops-prod.