Which term denotes a compute node in a Kubernetes cluster that runs a workload?

• A. controller
• B. backup
• C. storage
• D. worker

Answer: (D)

In Kubernetes, the compute node that actually runs workloads is the worker node. These nodes host pods, run containers via the container runtime, and execute the applications scheduled onto them by the control plane. The control plane—the API server, scheduler, and controller manager—manages the cluster's desired state but does not run user workloads on those nodes. A controller is a component of the control plane that maintains resource state, not a node that executes workloads. Storage refers to persistent volumes and storage resources used by pods, not compute nodes. Backup isn’t a Kubernetes term for a node type. So the node that runs the workloads is the worker.