Overview

In this lab you explore foundational capabilities for a Kubernetes cluster that make it easier to deploy new services and applications. You will cover three core areas:

• Secrets Management: Avoid committing secrets to Git or configuring them manually. You will use OpenBao as the backend for External Secrets to securely supply application secrets.
• DNS Management: Manual DNS record handling does not scale for self‑service platforms. You will set up External DNS to automatically create and manage DNS records.
• TLS Certificates: TLS is expected for internal and external services. You will use cert-manager to automate certificate issuance and renewal.

By the end you will be able to implement these building blocks and understand how they fit together.