Kubernetes Retrieve Logs from a Previously terminated container within a Pod

In Kubernetes, the kubectl logs -p command is a critical tool for troubleshooting and analyzing the behavior of previously terminated containers within a pod. This is particularly important in environments where applications are running in containers, and pods may experience crashes, restarts, or failures.

How kubectl logs -p Works

When working with Kubernetes, each pod can have multiple containers, and these containers can crash or terminate due to various reasons. Normally, kubectl logs <pod_name> retrieves logs from the currently running container. However, when a container terminates, either due to a failure or intentional restart, accessing its logs for debugging becomes challenging. That’s where the -p option comes in handy.

The -p option allows you to fetch logs from the last terminated instance of a container. This is particularly useful in the following scenarios:

• CrashLoopBackOff Scenarios: When containers keep crashing and restarting in quick succession, it’s important to understand why the container crashed. Using kubectl logs -p helps retrieve the logs from the previous instance before it was restarted.
• Failed Job Analysis: If you are running Kubernetes jobs, the containers are often…