Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service

(EKS): Getting Started with Managed

Kubernetes

Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) is a managed Kubernetes service that

simplifies the deployment, management, and scaling of containerized
applications using Kubernetes on Amazon Web Services (AWS).

This article will cover the architecture, benefits, use cases, and step-by-step
instructions on using Amazon EKS.

Table of Content
 What is Kubernetes?
 What is Amazon EKS?
 Benefits of Amazon EKS
 How Amazon EKS Works
 Amazon EKS Workflow
 Use Cases of Amazon EKS
 Features of Amazon EKS
 Conclusion
What is Kubernetes?
Kubernetes, often abbreviated as K8s, is an open-source container orchestration
platform designed to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of
containerized applications. It was initially developed by Google and later donated
to the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). Kubernetes provides a
platform to manage containers across multiple hosts, providing features like load
balancing, storage orchestration, automated rollouts, and more.

Kubernetes Components
1. Master Node (Control Plane): Manages the cluster, scheduling, state
management, and API interactions.
2. Worker Nodes: Runs the containerized applications and communicates to
the master node.
3. Pods: The smallest deployable units in Kubernetes.
4. Services: Defines networking rules to expose applications running in
pods.
5. Namespaces: Logical partitions for isolating resources within a cluster.

However, running Kubernetes on your infrastructure requires expertise in

managing the control plane, networking, security, and scaling. This is where
Amazon EKS comes in.

What is Amazon EKS?

Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) is a fully managed Kubernetes
service provided by AWS. It handles the operational complexities of Kubernetes,
including setting up, maintaining, and scaling the control plane. EKS integrates
natively with AWS services like IAM, VPC, CloudWatch, and Auto Scaling,
enabling organizations to run secure and high-performing Kubernetes clusters.
 Amazon EKS Architecture

Benefits of Amazon EKS

There are several benefits of using Amazon EKS:

1. Ease of Management
With EKS, AWS handles the setup and management of the Kubernetes
control plane, reducing the operational overhead. This allows teams to
focus on developing and managing applications instead of managing
infrastructure.

2. High Availability and Security

The EKS control plane is designed for high availability, distributed across
multiple Availability Zones, and is regularly updated with the latest security
patches. It also integrates with AWS IAM, providing robust access control
and security management.

3. Flexible Compute Options

EKS gives you the flexibility to choose between EC2 instances for more
control over your infrastructure or Fargate for a serverless, fully managed
compute environment. This allows you to choose the best option for your
workload’s needs and scale seamlessly.

4. Cost-Effective Scaling
EKS allows you to scale workloads dynamically, adding or removing nodes
based on demand. This flexibility helps in managing costs effectively, as
you only pay for the compute resources you use. With Spot Instances, you
can run workloads at a lower cost by taking advantage of unused EC2
capacity.
 5. Seamless Multi-Environment Consistency
EKS enables you to move workloads between on-premises environments
(using EKS Anywhere) and the AWS cloud, maintaining consistent
configurations. This allows for easy testing, development, and production
deployments across different environments.

How Amazon EKS Works

The control plane is managed by Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS),
which simplifies running Kubernetes clusters on AWS while allowing you to focus
on application deployment and scaling. Below we break down the main
components and how they work within the Amazon EKS environment using the
diagram provided as a reference.

Amazon EKS Components

1. Nodes: A node refers to either a physical or virtual machine. EKS

manages both the Master Node and the Worker Node. There are two types
of nodes.

a. Master Nodes (Control Plane): A Master Node comprises various

components such as Storage, Controller, Scheduler, and API server,
which together form the control plane of Kubernetes. The Master
Node is created and managed by the EKS itself. The master node
includes key components like
 i. API Servers: Manages communication between Kubernetes
components and responds to API queries.
ii. etcd: This is a highly available key-value database that is
spread across the Kubernetes cluster for storing configuration
information.
iii. Controller Manager: The Cloud Controller Manager manages
the VMs, storage, databases, and various resources linked to
the Kubernetes cluster. It ensures that you are utilizing only
the necessary amount of containers at any given moment. It
tracks the number of containers being used and additionally
logs the status.
iv. Scheduler: It verifies what tasks must be completed and
when they should be done. It connects with the Controller
manager and API servers.

b. Worker Nodes: The worker nodes within a cluster are the machines
or physical servers that execute your applications. The user is
tasked with creating and managing worker nodes. Each worker node
runs multiple pods and consists of components like:
i. Kubelet: Manages the pods and containers present on the
node.
ii. Kube-proxy: Manages network communication for pods.
iii. Container Runtime: The core software that manages the
execution of containers such as Docker or containerd.

Master and Worker Nodes

 2. Pods: Pods are the smallest deployable units in Kubernetes and can
consist of one or more containers. In Amazon EKS
 Pods run on the Worker Nodes.
 Each pod is assigned an IP address and can communicate with
other pods or external services.

3. DaemonSets: A DaemonSet ensures that a copy of a pod runs on all

worker nodes or a selected group of nodes. In EKS DaemonSets are often
used for tasks like
 Log collection
 Monitoring
 Running essential services like networking or security agents on
each node.

Amazon EKS Workflow

Step 1: Provision an EKS Cluster
Start by creating an EKS cluster using the AWS Management Console, CLI, or
CloudFormation. AWS will provision the control plane across multiple Availability
Zones ensuring high availability and redundancy.

Step 2: Provision Worker Nodes

After the EKS cluster (control plane) is up and running, select your preferred
method for managing workloads either by incorporating EC2 instances as worker
nodes or by utilizing Fargate, a serverless computing engine. You can set up
Managed Node Groups for EC2 instances to simplify lifecycle management.

Step 3: Connect to EKS

Once the EKS cluster is running with worker nodes, use standard Kubernetes
tools like kubectl, Helm, or CI/CD pipelines to deploy and manage your
containerized applications.

Step 4: Deploy and Run Kubernetes Application

With the cluster set up and connected you can deploy your containerized
applications onto the worker nodes. Applications can be updated, scaled, and
monitored using Kubernetes-native features such as deployments, services, and
DaemonSets.

Below is an overview of the Amazon EKS workflow using the provided diagram to
visually explain how it works.
 Amazon EKS Workflow

Use Cases of Amazon EKS

1. Microservices Architecture: As an architectural style, microservices
entail the decomposition of monolithic applications into smaller, self-
contained services that can be developed, deployed, and scaled
independently. The challenge lies in managing the complex network of
these services, but with EKS, this task has become a effortless. EKS
provides a powerful platform for microservices management by allowing
each service to run in its container, thus facilitating ease of updates,
scaling, and management. EKS seamlessly integrates with popular
microservices tools such as Istio, enabling enhanced traffic management
and service mesh capabilities.

2. Machine Learning: EKS can be used for deploying and managing

machine learning workloads at scale. You can use Kubernetes to deploy
machine learning models, using AWS services such as Amazon
SageMaker, to build, train, and deploy your models.

3. Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Deployment: EKS ensures consistency in how

Kubernetes clusters are deployed and managed across on-premises
environments. AWS is also integrated into hybrid cloud environments
where workloads are split between on-premises and AWS.

4. Batch Processing: Organizations can use EKS for batch processing

tasks, where workloads need to be scheduled and run periodically.
Kubernetes can handle the scheduling, execution, and scaling of these
tasks, ensuring efficient use of resources.

5. CI/CD Pipelines and Automation: EKS can be used to create continuous

integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines for faster and more
reliable application delivery. With Kubernetes tools like Helm and Jenkins,
teams can automate testing, deployment, and rollbacks.
Features of Amazon EKS
1. Fully Managed Control Plane: EKS provides a managed Kubernetes
control plane that handles the scheduling, health monitoring, and scaling of
containers. AWS takes care of the control plane components, including
etcd and API servers, and ensures they are running across multiple
Availability Zones (AZs) for high availability and reliability.

2. Seamless Integration with AWS Services: EKS integrates with various

AWS services like IAM, CloudWatch, VPC, Route 53, and ECR (Elastic
Container Registry). This integration provides enhanced security,
monitoring, and networking capabilities, making it easier to build and
manage Kubernetes workloads in the AWS ecosystem.

3. High Availability and Scalability: The EKS control plane is distributed

across multiple Availability Zones, ensuring it is resilient and highly
available. This setup minimizes downtime and provides fault tolerance.
EKS also allows you to scale your workloads seamlessly, from small
clusters to large-scale deployments with hundreds of nodes.

4. Managed Node Groups and Fargate: With EKS, users can create
Managed Node Groups, where AWS handles the provisioning, lifecycle,
and scaling of EC2 instances that run your Kubernetes workloads.
Alternatively, users can run workloads on AWS Fargate, a serverless
compute engine, to eliminate the need to manage EC2 instances entirely.

5. Security and Compliance: The IAM Feature allows Kubernetes service

accounts to assume specific IAM roles giving you fine-grained permissions
for your Kubernetes workloads.

Conclusion
Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) redefines what it means to deploy and
manage containerized applications at scale, offering a seamless blend of power,
simplicity, and security. By taking the complexity out of Kubernetes management,
EKS enables organizations to channel their energy into innovation, accelerating
application delivery without compromising reliability. Its deep integration with
AWS’s vast ecosystem, combined with built-in high availability and cross-AZ
resilience, ensures a robust and scalable foundation for workloads of any size.
Whether you are orchestrating microservices, processing real-time data streams,
or navigating hybrid and multi-cloud architectures, Amazon EKS delivers the
agility and performance modern businesses demand. In an era where speed and
adaptability are paramount, EKS is more than a service—it’s a catalyst for digital
transformation.