Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

Deploy, manage, and scale containerized applications with Azure's managed Kubernetes service.

Introduction to Azure Kubernetes Service

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) simplifies deploying, managing, and automating containerized applications using Kubernetes. AKS manages your Kubernetes control plane, making it free and reducing operational overhead.

With AKS, you can leverage the power of Kubernetes without the complexity of managing the underlying infrastructure. Azure handles the availability and security of the control plane, and you can focus on building and running your applications.

Key Features

  • Managed Control Plane: Azure manages the Kubernetes control plane, including its availability and scaling.
  • Integrated Identity: Seamless integration with Azure Active Directory for authentication and authorization.
  • Scalability: Easily scale your applications and cluster resources up or down as needed.
  • Hybrid and Multi-Cloud: Deploy consistently across Azure, on-premises, and other cloud providers with Azure Arc.
  • Developer Productivity: Fast, simplified deployments and CI/CD integration.
  • Secure by Design: Built-in security features, including network policies and secrets management.

Get Started with AKS

Create an AKS Cluster

You can create an AKS cluster using the Azure portal, Azure CLI, or Azure PowerShell. Here's an example using the Azure CLI:

az group create --name myResourceGroup --location eastus
az aks create --resource-group myResourceGroup --name myAKSCluster --node-count 1 --enable-addons monitoring --generate-ssh-keys

This command creates a resource group, then an AKS cluster with one node. The monitoring add-on is enabled for logging and metrics.

Deploy Your First Application

Once your cluster is created, you can deploy a sample application. First, get your Kubernetes configuration file:

az aks get-credentials --resource-group myResourceGroup --name myAKSCluster

Now, deploy a simple Nginx application:

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: nginx-deployment
spec:
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: nginx
  replicas: 2
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: nginx
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: nginx
        image: nginx:latest
        ports:
        - containerPort: 80

Apply this deployment using kubectl:

kubectl apply -f nginx-deployment.yaml

Manage Your Cluster

AKS provides various tools for managing your cluster, including scaling, upgrading, and monitoring. Explore the Azure portal for a visual interface or use Azure CLI commands.

Core Concepts

Understand the fundamental building blocks of Kubernetes and how they apply to AKS.

Nodes and Node Pools

Nodes are virtual machines that run your containerized applications. Node pools are groups of nodes with the same configuration. AKS allows you to have multiple node pools for different workloads.

Pods and Deployments

Pods are the smallest deployable units in Kubernetes, representing a single instance of a running process. Deployments manage the desired state of your Pods, ensuring that a specified number of replicas are running.

Services and Ingress

Services provide a stable IP address and DNS name for a set of Pods, enabling network access. Ingress manages external access to services within the cluster, typically for HTTP and HTTPS traffic.

Networking

AKS supports various networking models, including Azure CNI and Kubenet. Understand how to configure network policies and secure communication between pods.

Storage

AKS integrates with Azure storage solutions like Azure Disks and Azure Files to provide persistent storage for your applications.

Security

Learn about securing your AKS clusters using Azure Active Directory integration, network policies, secrets management, and vulnerability scanning.

Tutorials

Dive into practical guides to master AKS:

API Reference

Access the comprehensive Kubernetes API reference and AKS-specific API documentation.

View API Reference

Pricing

Understand the pricing model for AKS. The Kubernetes control plane is free. You pay for the underlying Azure infrastructure resources used by your agent nodes.

View Pricing Details

Support

Get help and support for your AKS deployments. Access community forums, Azure support plans, and troubleshooting guides.

Deploy AKS Now