| Pod | Smallest deployable unit (container or set of tightly coupled containers) | One lemonade cart with all tools and ingredients inside | Single application on a server |
| Deployment | Ensures a desired number of identical pods are running and updated | A manager who ensures 3 lemonade carts are always operating | Manual app deployments and scaling |
| Service (ClusterIP) | Stable internal networking for Pods (within the cluster) | Your stand gives each cart a walkie-talkie channel for internal comms | Internal DNS & load balancer setups |
| Service (NodePort) | Exposes service on a static port on each Node | Opens a window to your cart that people can reach from the outside | Static IP setups and firewall rules |
| Service (LoadBalancer) | Provisions external load balancer if supported by cloud | You hire a street team to bring in customers and balance traffic | Hardware load balancers |
| Ingress | Routes external HTTP/HTTPS traffic to services via rules | Big signpost on the street telling customers where to go | Reverse proxies (e.g., NGINX, Apache) |
| ConfigMap | Stores non-sensitive key-value pairs for configs | A dry-erase board with recipe tweaks for lemonade | .env files or app config files |
| Secret | Stores sensitive config (e.g., passwords) | A locked recipe safe with your secret sugar formula | Encrypted config management |
| Volume | Persistent or shared storage | A cooler or cabinet you can reuse between carts | Mounted disks, NAS, or shared drives |
| Namespace | Virtual cluster within a physical cluster | A neighborhood block of stands with different themes and rules | Multiple environments on one infra |
| kubelet | Agent on each node to run/manage pods | Cart attendant who keeps the lemonade flowing and reports to HQ | Supervisor scripts on physical servers |
| kube-proxy | Handles internal networking and routing rules | Routes walkie-talkie calls and deliveries between carts | iptables, manual proxy rules |
| Scheduler | Assigns pods to the best nodes based on resource availability | Dispatches new carts to available street corners | Human decisions or VM placement scripts |
| Controller Manager | Watches cluster state and drives changes (e.g., replicas, jobs) | The regional manager checking in to adjust staff and cart numbers | CRON jobs, custom management scripts |
| etcd | Stores all cluster configuration/state as a key-value database | The central filing cabinet of lemonade operations | Configuration management systems |
| API Server | Central access point for managing the cluster | The main office you call to make changes (add cart, change recipe, etc.) | SSHing into servers or control panels |
| kubectl | CLI to interact with the API server | Your walkie-talkie for contacting the lemonade HQ | Bash, cPanel, or custom scripts |