This is a frequently asked DevOps and Kubernetes interview question. Should Kubernetes be used to host databases in production environments? The answer requires understanding how Kubernetes handles stateful workloads and where its limitations begin.
Interviewers ask this question to see whether you understand the operational realities of persistent storage, failover behavior, and whether Kubernetes is the right tool for managing mission-critical data.
What Interviewers Are Really Asking: Should Kubernetes Be Used to Host Databases?
When teams start adopting Kubernetes, the first workloads deployed are usually stateless microservices. But sooner or later, the question arises:
👉 Should Kubernetes be used to host databases?
And the interviewer wants to see if you understand:
- how Kubernetes handles state
- whether its storage model matches database requirements
- where managed cloud databases are a better choice
- what trade-offs exist in real-world production environments
Your answer should demonstrate practical platform engineering experience rather than just Kubernetes theory.
What Happens When You Host Databases on Kubernetes
Kubernetes supports stateful workloads through:
- StatefulSets
- PersistentVolumes
- PersistentVolumeClaims
- CSI drivers
But even with all of this, you must evaluate whether Kubernetes should be used to host databases based on reliability, performance, and operational effort.
Why Kubernetes Should Not Be Used to Host Databases in Most Cases
1. Storage Performance and Latency
Databases depend on predictable:
- IOPS
- latency
- throughput
Kubernetes introduces layers of abstraction that can lead to unpredictable performance.
2. Pod Rescheduling and Unstable Failover
If a node fails:
- your DB pod moves
- storage must reattach
- IP changes
- performance characteristics change
This is rarely acceptable in production database scenarios.
3. High Operational Overhead
To run a production database on Kubernetes, you must manually handle:
- backups
- PITR (point-in-time recovery)
- replication
- version upgrades
- high availability
Managed cloud databases already solve these problems.
4. Reinventing the Wheel
Cloud providers offer DB engines with:
- automated backups
- automatic failover
- monitoring
- encryption
- SLA-backed uptime
This makes self-hosting on Kubernetes unnecessary for most teams.
When Kubernetes Can Be Used to Host Databases
Although production databases generally don’t belong in Kubernetes, there are valid use cases where Kubernetes can be used to host databases safely:
1. Development and Testing Environments
Ephemeral databases work perfectly inside a cluster.
2. Edge or Air-Gapped Deployments
You may not have access to AWS RDS or Cloud SQL.
3. Cloud-Native Distributed Databases
Some databases are designed for Kubernetes:
- CockroachDB
- YugabyteDB
- TiDB
These systems gracefully tolerate pod rescheduling.
4. Internal, Low-Risk Applications
If downtime is acceptable, hosting the DB in Kubernetes may be cost-efficient.
Should Kubernetes Be Used to Host Databases?
| Aspect | Databases on Kubernetes | Managed Cloud Databases |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | PVs, CSI drivers | Optimized, dedicated storage |
| Failover | Pod rescheduling | Automated multi-AZ failover |
| Backups | Needs custom setup | Built-in backups & PITR |
| Maintenance | Manual | Fully automated |
| Reliability | Depends on cluster | Enterprise-grade SLAs |
| Complexity | High | Low |
| Best Use | Dev/test, edge, cloud-native DBs | Production workloads |
Why Teams Prefer Cloud Databases Over Kubernetes-Hosted Databases
For production workloads, managed database services are superior because they provide:
- performance guarantees
- high availability
- automated maintenance
- backups and PITR
- encryption
- reduced operational burden
For more details, see official documentation:
https://www.cockroachlabs.com/docs
https://cloud.google.com/sql/docs
Example Interview Answer
Here’s a clean way to answer when asked: Should Kubernetes be used to host databases?
“Kubernetes can run stateful workloads using StatefulSets and persistent storage, but I generally avoid hosting production databases in Kubernetes. Databases require stable storage, predictable IOPS, and reliable failover, all of which managed cloud databases handle better. Kubernetes is suitable for dev/test, edge deployments, or distributed cloud-native databases like CockroachDB, but for mission-critical workloads I prefer managed services like RDS or Cloud SQL.”
If you’re preparing for interviews, read our guide on Terraform Cloud vs Local Terraform for another commonly asked DevOps question.
https://acecloudinterviews.com/terraform-cloud-vs-local-terraform/
