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Getting Started with Kubernetes

Beginner 3.1 hours English
SkillsKubernetesContainer orchestrationDeploymentsCluster operationsDevOpsDocker

Is this course right for you?

Our take
Nigel Poulton's Pluralsight follow-on to Docker: running containers at scale, the natural next step once containers themselves click.

Good for: A clear first grounding in Kubernetes.

Skip if: You do not know Docker/containers or want advanced cluster operations.

Over about three hours it builds the foundations: Kubernetes architecture, setting up a deployment, and operating applications on a cluster. Kubernetes has a reputation for being punishing to learn, and this is a well-regarded way in, so it suits people who already grasp containers and isn't the place to start if you don't yet, or if you want advanced cluster operations. It's on a Pluralsight subscription (Standard about $29/month or $299/year, Premium about $45/month or $499/year, 10-day trial). Kubernetes moves quickly, so check commands against the release you're actually running (as of 2026).

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About this course

Getting Started with Kubernetes builds the foundational knowledge to run containers at scale. Over about three hours, Nigel Poulton explains Kubernetes architecture, how to set up a deployment, and how to operate applications on a cluster — turning abstract concepts into practical skills.

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Instructor

NP
Nigel Poulton
Pluralsight instructor

Taught by Nigel Poulton, a Docker Captain and best-selling author of definitive books on Kubernetes and container technologies.

Frequently asked questions

Strongly recommended. Kubernetes orchestrates containers, so understanding containers and Docker first makes it far more comprehensible — you need to know what Kubernetes is managing. This course may briefly set context, but it assumes some container familiarity. If Docker is new to you, learn it first; jumping into Kubernetes without understanding containers is the usual reason people find it bewildering.

The fundamentals of Kubernetes: what it is and the problems it solves, its core architecture and objects (pods, deployments, services), and how to run and manage containerised applications on a cluster. As a getting-started course it focuses on the essential concepts and basic hands-on use rather than advanced production operations, giving you a working foundation to build on.

Pluralsight courses are taught by experienced practitioners and recognised instructors in their fields, and its Kubernetes content is generally delivered by well-regarded container and cloud experts. The teaching is practical and industry-oriented; the value is in clear, credible explanation of a genuinely complex topic, so the focus is the quality of instruction rather than a specific celebrity name.

Yes. Pluralsight offers a free trial (commonly around ten days), enough to work through a getting-started course like this at no cost if you are disciplined. Beyond the trial it is a subscription, so ongoing access to this and Pluralsight's deeper Kubernetes courses is paid — the trial lets you sample it before committing.

Pluralsight issues a course completion record rather than an industry certification. If you want a recognised Kubernetes credential, those are the CNCF's separate exams like the CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator), which this kind of introduction helps set the stage for but does not grant. Treat the completion as a marker of learning; the CNCF certifications carry the real weight.
Paid
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