Overview and navigation of the Linode Kubernetes Engine dashboard

Before provisioning a Linode Kubernetes Engine (LKE) cluster, it’s helpful to familiarize yourself with the LKE dashboard. Understanding this interface clarifies the resources LKE manages on your behalf.

The image shows a Kubernetes cluster management interface with details about a cluster named "kodekloud01," including its version, resources, and node pool status. Two nodes are listed, both running with their respective IP addresses.

Note

Exploring the LKE dashboard first gives you context on what happens behind the scenes when you later create and manage clusters.

Cluster Details

Field	Description
Name	Rename your cluster at any time for better identification.
Kubernetes Version	Shows the control plane version (e.g., v1.22).
Resources	Total CPU cores, RAM, and storage allocated.
Region	Data center location (e.g., `us-east-1`).
Price	Estimated monthly cost for the control plane and nodes.

API Endpoint

LKE exposes your cluster’s API endpoint publicly. If you query it without valid credentials, you’ll see a 403 Forbidden error:

{
  "kind": "Status",
  "apiVersion": "v1",
  "status": "Failure",
  "message": "Forbidden: User \"system:anonymous\" cannot get path \"/\"",
  "reason": "Forbidden",
  "code": 403
}

Kubeconfig File

Download your cluster’s Kubeconfig from the dashboard and save it to ~/.kube/config (or merge with your existing file). It includes:

Certificate Authority data
API server URL
User credentials (token)
Context settings

apiVersion: v1
kind: Config
clusters:
- name: lke61870
  cluster:
    server: https://6834d9a9-6416-4d00-9a87-aa36d4df7040.east-2.linodek...
    certificate-authority-data: LS0tLS1CRUdJTiBDRVJVS...
users:
- name: lke61870-admin
  user:
    token: eyJhbhGciOiJS...
contexts:
- name: lke61870-ctx
  context:
    cluster: lke61870
    user: lke61870-admin
    namespace: default
current-context: lke61870-ctx

Warning

If your Kubeconfig is ever compromised, regenerate it immediately to revoke the old credentials.

The image shows a confirmation dialog box asking if the user wants to reset the cluster Kubeconfig, warning that this action will delete and regenerate the file and cannot be undone. There are options to "Cancel" or "Reset Kubeconfig."

Kubernetes Dashboard & Node Pools

In the LKE dashboard, you’ll also find quick links for:

Accessing the Kubernetes Dashboard
Managing cluster tags
Deleting the entire cluster

The Node Pools section lists each worker node, showing its IP address and status. You can:

Recycle individual nodes or all nodes at once
Enable autoscaling for dynamic scaling
Resize node plans
Delete individual nodes or entire node pools
Create additional node pools

Links and References

Resource	Purpose	Example Command
Pod	Basic unit of deployment	`kubectl run nginx --image=nginx`
Deployment	Managed pods with scaling	`kubectl create deployment nginx --image=nginx`
Service	Network access to pods	`kubectl expose deployment nginx --port=80`
NodePool	Worker node management	Configure via LKE dashboard or Terraform provider

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