[RCA] RCA Analysis Required

[gouravjshah]

Root Cause Analysis Report

Resource: configmap-mount-test
Kind: deployments
Namespace: instavote

RCA Report

Resource: deployments/configmap-mount-test
Namespace: instavote
Generated: 30/12/2025, 6:43:06 PM

---

Symptoms / Initial Diagnosis

The following symptoms triggered this RCA:

• The deployment is unavailable because the pod cannot start. The pod is failing to start because it is trying to mount a secret named 'missing-secret-does-not-exist' which does not exist. This is causing the pod to fail to start, and the deployment to be unavailable.

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Root Cause

The deployment is failing because the pod is trying to mount a secret named 'missing-secret-does-not-exist' which does not exist, preventing the pod from starting.

Confidence: 95%

---

Evidence

• The deployment's pod template includes a volume mount for a secret named 'missing-secret-does-not-exist'.

• The pod events indicate that it's failing to start due to this missing secret.

• The deployment description confirms the volume configuration.

• step-1: The deployment configmap-mount-test attempts to mount a secret volume named missing-secret-volume which references a secret named missing-secret-does-not-exist.

• step-2: The pod associated with the deployment has a volume mount configured for /secrets using the missing-secret-volume.

• step-3: The events for the deployment show that the pod is failing to start because the secret missing-secret-does-not-exist does not exist.

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Remediation Options

Option A

Remove the non-existent secret volume mount from the deployment

Low Risk | Moderate

Edit the deployment to remove the volume mount and volume associated with the missing secret. This will allow the pod to start successfully.

Command:

kubectl edit deployment configmap-mount-test -n instavote

YAML:

Remove the `missing-secret-volume` volume and corresponding `volumeMount` from the deployment YAML.

---

Option B

Create the missing secret

Medium Risk | Quick

Create the secret 'missing-secret-does-not-exist' in the 'instavote' namespace. This may be appropriate if the secret is actually required but was accidentally deleted or not created.

Command:

kubectl create secret generic missing-secret-does-not-exist --from-literal=key=value -n instavote

YAML:

apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
metadata:
  name: missing-secret-does-not-exist
  namespace: instavote
type: Opaque
data:
  key: dmFsdWU=

---

Analysis Steps

Click to expand step-by-step analysis

[OK] Planning

Plan generated: The deployment is failing because the pod is trying to mount a non-existent secret, 'missing-secret-does-not-exist'.

[OK] Describe the deployment

Name:                   configmap-mount-test
Namespace:              instavote
CreationTimestamp:      Sun, 07 Dec 2025 15:25:26 +0530
Labels:                 app=configmap-mount-test
Annotations:            deployment.kubernetes.io/revision: 1
Selector:               app=configmap-mount-test
Replicas:               1 desired | 1 updated | 1 total | 0 available | 1 unavailable
StrategyType:           RollingUpdate
MinReadySeconds:        0
RollingUpdateStrategy:  25% max unavailable, 25% max surge
Pod Template:
  Labels:  app=configmap-mount-test
  Containers:
   app:
    Image:      busybox:latest
    Port:       <none>
    Host Port:  <none>
    Command:
      sh
      -c
      cat /config/app.properties && sleep 3600
    Limits:
      cpu:     200m
      memory:  64Mi
    Requests:
      cpu:        100m
      memory:     32Mi
    Environment:  <none>
    Mounts:
      /config from config-volume (rw)
      /secrets from missing-secret-volume (rw)
  Volumes:
   config-volume:
    Typ

[OK] Describe the pod

[
  {
    "apiVersion": "v1",
    "kind": "Pod",
    "metadata": {
      "name": "configmap-mount-test-d449d85b9-xqx2b",
      "namespace": "instavote",
      "uid": "055b7157-e873-461b-bbad-91ae5aae9566",
      "resourceVersion": "2208921",
      "creationTimestamp": "2025-12-07T09:55:26Z",
      "labels": {
        "pod-template-hash": "d449d85b9",
        "app": "configmap-mount-test"
      },
      "annotations": null,
      "ownerReferences": [
        {
          "apiVersion": "apps/v1",
          "kind": "ReplicaSet",
          "name": "configmap-mount-test-d449d85b9",
          "uid": "176a4686-e6a7-4822-946d-ab0ee9f1ee43",
          "controller": true,
          "blockOwnerDeletion": true
        }
      ]
    },
    "spec": {
      "containers": [
        {
          "command": [
            "sh",
            "-c",
            "cat /config/app.properties && sleep 3600"
          ],
          "image": "busybox:latest",
          "imagePullPolicy": "Always",
          "name": "

[OK] Examine pod events

Name:                   configmap-mount-test
Namespace:              instavote
CreationTimestamp:      Sun, 07 Dec 2025 15:25:26 +0530
Labels:                 app=configmap-mount-test
Annotations:            deployment.kubernetes.io/revision: 1
Selector:               app=configmap-mount-test
Replicas:               1 desired | 1 updated | 1 total | 0 available | 1 unavailable
StrategyType:           RollingUpdate
MinReadySeconds:        0
RollingUpdateStrategy:  25% max unavailable, 25% max surge
Pod Template:
  Labels:  app=configmap-mount-test
  Containers:
   app:
    Image:      busybox:latest
    Port:       <none>
    Host Port:  <none>
    Command:
      sh
      -c
      cat /config/app.properties && sleep 3600
    Limits:
      cpu:     200m
      memory:  64Mi
    Requests:
      cpu:        100m
      memory:     32Mi
    Environment:  <none>
    Mounts:
      /config from config-volume (rw)
      /secrets from missing-secret-volume (rw)
  Volumes:
   config-volume:
    Typ

[...] Generating Conclusion

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Generated by KubeAgentics RCA