Cluster Autoscaler vs Karpenter: Choosing at 500 Nodes

Most engineers assume Karpenter is always the right answer for Kubernetes node autoscaling, but at 500 nodes the tradeoffs around ASG lock-in, provisioner complexity, and migration risk get serious. This episode breaks down when to keep Cluster Autoscaler, when Karpenter wins, and how to articulate both sides clearly in a senior DevOps or SRE interview. Covers real configuration details, scaling latency numbers, and common wrong answers interviewers flag.

Full interview prep guides and scenario walkthroughs: DevOpsInterview.Cloud