Kubernetes Configuration Patterns 101

Vino Alex
Jan 18, 2023

Topic 9: The Downward API

The downward API is a mechanism that allows containers to consume information about API objects without coupling to the Kubernetes Platform.

Such information includes the Pod’s name, namespace, and resource values.

Containers can consume their metadata from the downward API using environment variables or a volume plug-in.

The pattern often referred to as The Reflection Pattern

There are two ways to expose Pod and Container fields to a running Container:

1. Environment variables

2. Volume files

These two ways of exposing Pod and Container fields are called the “Downward API.”

Downward API

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