docker-kubernetes
Docker and Kubernetes production patterns: multi-stage Dockerfile, distroless images, Kubernetes Deployment with resource limits, HPA, liveness/readiness/startup probes, ConfigMaps and Secrets, PodDisruptionBudget, NetworkPolicy, RBAC. Production checklist. Use when containerizing apps, writing K...
SKILL.md
Full skill instructions
Docker & Kubernetes Production Patterns
When to Use This Skill
- Writing production-grade Dockerfiles
- Creating Kubernetes Deployment manifests
- Configuring autoscaling with HPA
- Setting up liveness/readiness probes
- Hardening cluster security with RBAC and NetworkPolicy
Core Principles
- Multi-stage builds for small images — builder stage installs dependencies; final stage is minimal; 180MB vs 1.2GB
- Resource limits are mandatory — no limits = one pod can starve all others on the node
- Readiness != Liveness — readiness controls traffic; liveness triggers restart; startup handles slow init
- Pods are ephemeral — never store state in a pod; PVCs for persistence, external services for state
- Least privilege RBAC — service accounts with minimum permissions; separate SA per service
References available
references/dockerfile-patterns.md— multi-stage Node.js Dockerfile, distroless Go image, non-root user, dumb-initreferences/k8s-manifests.md— Deployment with resource limits, HPA, PodDisruptionBudget, health check endpoints, topology spreadreferences/helm-patterns.md— Helm chart structure, values templating, hooks, release strategies
Scripts available
scripts/docker-lint.sh— lint Dockerfile against production checklist