KB:Kubernetes --dry-run Client vs Server
The main difference between the two is where the simulation occurs: With --dry-run= client , the simulation happens locally on the client machine before the request is sent to the server. With --dry-run= server , the simulation happens on the server side after the request is sent to the API server. In practice, --dry-run=client is often faster because it doesn't involve communication with the server, but --dry-run=server can provide a more accurate simulation of how the server will handle the request.