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Adi Polak
Adi Polak

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What are Kubernetes minions?

Ok. let's keep it short!

Kubernetes cluster is a collection of machines, each machine has a dedicated role. They can be master or worker. The master is our API point of contact and holds the information about what's going on in the cluster in terms of apps, pods, developments, etc. The workers are in charge of running the app in the pod, in the container.

The machines that acts as workers, used to be called minions.
Today they are called nodes.

That's it!

For more bitesize, you are welcome to follow me here and on twitter.

Top comments (6)

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ahmetb profile image
Ahmet Alp Balkan

I think it’ll only confuse beginners to call Nodes β€œminions”. That term was abandoned long ago and no docs/blog posts will call it that way, hence any reader will be confused.

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adipolak profile image
Adi Polak

Hi Ahmet, thank you for your comment and feedback.
Unfortunately, some interviewers and prev/future colleagues in the industry will continue to call it minions, this is why it is here. Also it is important to understand history for easier future integration and conversations.

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ahmetb profile image
Ahmet Alp Balkan

I’ll take your word for it. I have been working at Google on Kubernetes since past 3 years, never heard it being called minions. (:

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lkreimann profile image
Lea Reimann πŸ¦„

It's probably better to point out, that nodes were called minions for a time. That's what I heard in most of the talks and how it's written in some other references.

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adipolak profile image
Adi Polak

Hi Lea, thank you for your comment, it is pointed out in the article.
Line number 7+8.

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s50600822 profile image
HOA PHAN