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Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) is a managed container orchestration service based on the open-source Kubernetes system.

Key Features

  • Managed Control Plane: Azure manages the Kubernetes master nodes (API server, etcd) for free. You only pay for the worker nodes.
  • Integration: Seamless integration with Azure Active Directory (Entra ID), Azure Monitor, and Azure DevOps.
  • Scaling: Cluster Autoscaler (nodes) and Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (pods).

Use Cases

  • Microservices: Deploy and manage complex microservices architectures.
  • Migration: Lift and shift existing applications to containers.
  • Machine Learning: Run ML workloads on scalable infrastructure.

Key Concepts

  • Node Pools: Groups of nodes with the same configuration (e.g., a GPU node pool for ML).
  • CNI Networking: Advanced networking allowing pods to get real VNet IP addresses.
  • Add-ons: Easy installation of ingress controllers, monitoring agents, and policy enforcement.