Google Cloud Professional Cloud Developer Practice Test

Using `kubectl top` is effective for monitoring resource usage in Kubernetes because it provides real-time metrics on the resource consumption of pods and nodes within a cluster. When executing this command, it delivers crucial information such as CPU and memory usage, allowing developers and system administrators to quickly assess whether their applications are consuming the appropriate amount of resources or if they are experiencing resource constraints.

This command is essential for maintaining cluster health and performance, as it helps identify potential issues like resource starvation or inefficient resource allocation. By allowing visibility into the effective resource usage, it enables proactive management of workloads by promoting optimization and appropriate scaling based on observed metrics.

While other tools and services can provide valuable insights into different aspects of application health and performance, `kubectl top` specifically addresses the need for immediate and straightforward visibility into resource utilization, which is crucial for troubleshooting and optimizing Kubernetes workloads.