OpenShift Certification Interview Questions [2025 Edition]

OpenShift Core Concepts

1. What is OpenShift, and how does it extend Kubernetes?

OpenShift, developed by Red Hat, is a Kubernetes-based platform with enterprise-grade features like integrated CI/CD, Source-to-Image (S2I), and a developer console. It simplifies container orchestration with enhanced security and user management compared to vanilla Kubernetes. A fintech firm streamlined Apache deployments using OpenShift’s S2I.

Key benefits include automated builds and strict security defaults. Version configurations with Git, secure with secrets, and monitor with observability tools to ensure robust workflows in dynamic ecosystems.

2. Why does an OpenShift cluster fail to initialize?

Cluster initialization failures often stem from insufficient resources or network misconfigurations. A retail company resolved a multi-node cluster issue by increasing VM memory. Debugging involves checking node status and etcd health.

• Use oc adm top nodes to verify resource availability.
• Validate DNS and network connectivity for master nodes.
• Monitor etcd logs for errors and ensure backups.

Version with Git, secure with secrets, and use observability for reliability.

3. How do you create a new project in OpenShift?

Create isolated namespaces for applications using projects. A startup automated project creation for microservices.

Create a project with the command: oc new-project my-project --display-name="My Project"

• Assign user roles with RBAC for access control.
• Version project configurations in a Git repository.
• Monitor project resources with observability tools.

4. When should you use OpenShift’s Source-to-Image (S2I)?

S2I is ideal for building container images from source code without Dockerfiles, streamlining developer workflows. A media company used S2I for rapid Node.js app deployments.

• Automates image builds from Git repositories.
• Supports languages like Java, Python, and Node.js.
• Integrates with CI/CD for continuous deployment.

Version builds with Git, secure with secrets, and monitor with observability tools.

5. Where do you configure persistent storage in OpenShift?

Persistent storage is configured using Persistent Volumes (PVs) and Persistent Volume Claims (PVCs). A healthcare firm used Ceph for database persistence.

Define a PVC with the following YAML:

• apiVersion: v1
• kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
• metadata: name: my-pvc
• spec: accessModes: - ReadWriteOnce, resources: requests: storage: 10Gi

Version with Git and monitor with observability tools for reliability.

6. Which components are critical for OpenShift cluster management?

• API Server: Handles RESTful requests and cluster state.
• etcd: Stores configuration data for high availability.
• Controller Manager: Manages replication and pod scheduling.
• Scheduler: Assigns pods to nodes based on resources.

A logistics firm optimized cluster management with these components. Version configurations with Git and monitor with observability tools for stability.

7. Who manages OpenShift cluster upgrades?

Cluster administrators handle upgrades to ensure minimal disruption. A telecom company upgraded to OpenShift 4.12 successfully.

• Use oc adm upgrade to initiate upgrades.
• Back up etcd before starting the process.
• Monitor upgrade status with observability tools.

Version with Git and secure with secrets for compliance.

8. What causes a pod to enter a CrashLoopBackOff state?

CrashLoopBackOff indicates application errors or misconfigured containers. A gaming company resolved an Apache pod issue by fixing environment variables.

• Check logs with oc logs pod-name.
• Inspect pod details using oc describe pod pod-name.
• Validate container images and configurations.

Version with Git and monitor with observability tools for stability.

9. How do you debug an OpenShift application failure?

Debugging involves analyzing logs and events to identify issues. A financial firm debugged a Node.js app failure by using GitOps to version configurations, ensuring traceability and streamlined recovery.

• Access logs with oc logs pod-name for runtime errors.
• Use oc events to track cluster-wide issues.
• Monitor with observability tools for insights.

Deployments and Scaling

10. How do you implement a rolling deployment in OpenShift?

Rolling deployments ensure zero-downtime updates by gradually replacing pods. A retail team updated a microservice seamlessly.

Configure a DeploymentConfig with the following YAML:

• apiVersion: apps.openshift.io/v1
• kind: DeploymentConfig
• spec: strategy: type: Rolling

Version with Git, secure with secrets, and monitor with observability tools.

11. Why does a pod fail to schedule in OpenShift?

Scheduling failures occur due to insufficient resources or node taints. A logistics company resolved this by adding nodes.

• Check node status with oc describe node.
• Adjust resource limits in pod specs.
• Remove taints if necessary with oc adm taint.

Version with Git and monitor with observability tools for reliability.

12. When is Horizontal Pod Autoscaling (HPA) used in OpenShift?

HPA is used to automatically scale