Inside kubectl apply: How Kubernetes Turns YAML into Running Containers

The article traces the full lifecycle of a `kubectl apply` command, from YAML submission to the API Server, storage in ETCD, reconciliation by the Controller Manager, scheduling by the Scheduler, and finally container creation by Kubelet and the container runtime. It explains how Deployments automatically generate ReplicaSets and how the system self-heals by comparing desired and current states. The piece is part of a series aimed at helping engineers understand Kubernetes internals.