> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://notes.kodekloud.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Demo Endpoints and Endpoint Slices > This tutorial explores Kubernetes Endpoints and Endpoint Slices by deploying an Nginx application and inspecting resources during scaling. In this tutorial, we’ll explore how Kubernetes manages Endpoints and Endpoint Slices by deploying a simple Nginx application. You’ll learn how to inspect the Endpoints resource, watch automatic updates as you scale Pods, and examine the more scalable Endpoint Slices feature introduced in Kubernetes 1.17. ## 1. Deploy Nginx and Inspect Endpoints ### 1.1 Verify Deployment and Service First, create an Nginx Deployment and a ClusterIP Service (assumed already applied). Then confirm they’re up and running: ```bash theme={null} kubectl get deployments.apps ``` ```text theme={null} NAME READY UP-TO-DATE AVAILABLE AGE nginx-deployment 1/1 1 1 5m ``` ```bash theme={null} kubectl get services ``` ```text theme={null} NAME TYPE CLUSTER-IP EXTERNAL-IP PORT(S) AGE kubernetes ClusterIP 10.96.0.1 443/TCP 40m nginx-service ClusterIP 10.98.220.254 80/TCP 5m ``` ### 1.2 List Endpoints Kubernetes automatically creates an Endpoints object that tracks the Pod IPs behind a Service: ```bash theme={null} kubectl get endpoints ``` ```text theme={null} NAME ENDPOINTS AGE kubernetes 192.168.121.182:6443 40m nginx-service 10.0.0.55:80 5m ``` The `nginx-service` Endpoints resource shows the Pod’s IP (`10.0.0.55`) and port (`80`). ### 1.3 Inspect the Endpoints Resource View the full Endpoints object: ```bash theme={null} kubectl get endpoints nginx-service -o yaml ``` ```yaml theme={null} apiVersion: v1 kind: Endpoints metadata: name: nginx-service namespace: default subsets: - addresses: - ip: 10.0.0.55 nodeName: node01 targetRef: kind: Pod name: nginx-deployment-7c79c4bf97-z79j4 namespace: default ports: - name: nginx port: 80 protocol: TCP ``` Alternatively, use `describe` for a concise summary: ```bash theme={null} kubectl describe endpoints nginx-service ``` ```text theme={null} Name: nginx-service Namespace: default Subset: Addresses: 10.0.0.55 Ports: Name Port Protocol nginx 80 TCP ``` ## 2. Scaling and Endpoint Updates Kubernetes updates the Endpoints list automatically when Pods are added or removed. 1. Scale to two replicas: ```bash theme={null} kubectl scale deployment nginx-deployment --replicas=2 ``` 2. Wait for both Pods to be `Running`: ```bash theme={null} kubectl get pods ``` 3. Describe Endpoints again: ```bash theme={null} kubectl describe endpoints nginx-service ``` ```text theme={null} Subset: Addresses: 10.0.0.55,10.0.1.248 Ports: Name Port Protocol nginx 80 TCP ``` 4. Delete one Pod and observe the update: ```bash theme={null} kubectl delete pod nginx-deployment-7c79c4bf97-xd2mw kubectl describe endpoints nginx-service ``` 5. Scale back to one replica: ```bash theme={null} kubectl scale deployment nginx-deployment --replicas=1 kubectl describe endpoints nginx-service ``` ## 3. Exploring Endpoint Slices Endpoint Slices improve scalability by splitting Service backends into multiple slice objects. ### 3.1 List Endpoint Slices ```bash theme={null} kubectl get endpointslices ``` ```text theme={null} NAME ADDRESSTYPE PORTS ENDPOINTS AGE kubernetes IPv4 6443 192.168.121.182 42m nginx-service-87c5j IPv4 80 10.0.0.55 7m ``` ### 3.2 Inspect a Single EndpointSlice ```bash theme={null} kubectl get endpointslice nginx-service-87c5j -o yaml ``` ```yaml theme={null} apiVersion: discovery.k8s.io/v1 kind: EndpointSlice metadata: name: nginx-service-87c5j namespace: default labels: kubernetes.io/service-name: nginx-service endpointslice.kubernetes.io/managed-by: endpointslice-controller.k8s.io ports: - name: nginx port: 80 protocol: TCP endpoints: - addresses: - 10.0.0.55 conditions: ready: true targetRef: kind: Pod name: nginx-deployment-7c79c4bf97-z79j4 nodeName: node01 ``` Or use: ```bash theme={null} kubectl describe endpointslice nginx-service-87c5j ``` ```text theme={null} Name: nginx-service-87c5j AddressType: IPv4 Ports: Name Port Protocol nginx 80 TCP Endpoints: - Addresses: 10.0.0.55 Conditions: Ready: true TargetRef: Pod/nginx-deployment-7c79c4bf97-z79j4 NodeName: node01 ``` Endpoint Slices are created by default in Kubernetes v1.21+. Make sure your cluster version supports discovery.k8s.io/v1. ### 3.3 EndpointSlice Updates on Scaling Scale to two replicas: ```bash theme={null} kubectl scale deployment nginx-deployment --replicas=2 kubectl describe endpointslice nginx-service-87c5j ``` ```YAML theme={null} Endpoints: - Addresses: 10.0.0.55 Conditions: Ready: true TargetRef: Pod/nginx-deployment-7c79c4bf97-z79j4 - Addresses: 10.1.0.202 Conditions: Ready: true TargetRef: Pod/nginx-deployment-7c79c4bf97-gsc44 ``` Scale back to one replica and verify: ```bash theme={null} kubectl scale deployment nginx-deployment --replicas=1 kubectl describe endpointslice nginx-service-87c5j ``` ```YAML theme={null} Endpoints: - Addresses: 10.0.0.55 Conditions: Ready: true TargetRef: Pod/nginx-deployment-7c79c4bf97-z79j4 ``` ## 4. Comparison and Conclusion | Resource Type | Description | Use Case | | ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | | Endpoints | Lists Pod IPs and ports for a Service | Simple clusters with few backends | | EndpointSlice | Splits backends into scalable slices of up to 100 endpoints | Large clusters, high-service cardinality | Kubernetes manages both Endpoints and Endpoint Slices automatically. Use Endpoints for small clusters and Endpoint Slices to handle large-scale Service connectivity efficiently. ## Links and References * [Kubernetes Endpoints Concept](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/service/#endpoints) * [Endpoint Slice Documentation](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/endpoint-slices/) * [Nginx on Kubernetes](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tutorials/stateless-application/guestbook/)