EKS cluster creation in AWS - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is Amazon EKS?

Amazon EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service) is a managed service that makes it easy to run Kubernetes on AWS without needing to install and operate your own Kubernetes control plane.

beginner

Name the main components involved in creating an EKS cluster.

The main components are: the EKS control plane managed by AWS, worker nodes (EC2 instances or Fargate), and networking setup including VPC, subnets, and security groups.

intermediate

Why do you need to create a VPC before creating an EKS cluster?

A VPC provides isolated networking for your cluster. It defines where your cluster resources run and controls communication between nodes and the internet.

beginner

What is the role of worker nodes in an EKS cluster?

Worker nodes run your containerized applications. They join the EKS cluster and communicate with the control plane to receive instructions and report status.

intermediate

How does AWS manage the EKS control plane?

AWS manages the control plane by handling the Kubernetes API servers, etcd database, and other control components, ensuring high availability and security without user intervention.

What is the first step when creating an EKS cluster?

A Configure IAM roles

B Create a VPC with subnets

C Deploy applications

D Launch worker nodes

You must first create a VPC with subnets to provide networking for your EKS cluster.

Who manages the Kubernetes control plane in EKS?

A It is managed by worker nodes

B You manage it on EC2 instances

C AWS manages it automatically

D It is managed by your local machine

AWS manages the control plane automatically, so you don't have to operate it yourself.

What do worker nodes in EKS do?

A Run your containerized applications

B Manage the Kubernetes API

C Store cluster configuration

D Provide internet access

Worker nodes run the containers that make up your applications.

Which AWS service is used to create and manage EKS clusters?

A Amazon CloudFront

B Amazon S3

C Amazon RDS

D Amazon EKS

Amazon EKS is the service specifically designed to create and manage Kubernetes clusters.

What is required for worker nodes to join an EKS cluster?

A Proper IAM roles and security group settings

B A public IP address only

C Manual installation of Kubernetes control plane

D Direct access to AWS console

Worker nodes need correct IAM roles and security groups to communicate securely with the cluster.

Explain the process of creating an EKS cluster from scratch.

Think about networking, permissions, control plane, nodes, and access.

Describe the roles of the control plane and worker nodes in an EKS cluster.

Focus on management vs. execution roles.

Practice

1.

What is the main purpose of creating an Amazon EKS cluster?

easy

A. To store large amounts of data in the cloud

B. To run Kubernetes applications without managing the underlying servers

C. To create virtual machines for running Windows applications

D. To manage user access and permissions in AWS

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand EKS cluster purpose

   Amazon EKS is a managed Kubernetes service that lets you run containerized applications without managing servers.

2. Step 2: Compare options

   Options A, B, and D describe other AWS services or functions unrelated to EKS clusters.

3. Final Answer:

   To run Kubernetes applications without managing the underlying servers -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   EKS = Managed Kubernetes service [OK]

Hint: EKS runs Kubernetes without server management [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing EKS with EC2 virtual machines
• Thinking EKS is for data storage
• Mixing EKS with IAM user management

2.

Which of the following is the correct AWS CLI command to create an EKS cluster named my-cluster with role ARN arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKSRole and subnets subnet-abc123 and subnet-def456?

easy

A. aws eks create-cluster --cluster-name my-cluster --role arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKSRole --vpc-config subnets=subnet-abc123,subnet-def456

B. aws eks create-cluster --name my-cluster --role-arn arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKSRole --resources-vpc-config subnetIds=subnet-abc123 subnet-def456

C. aws eks create-cluster --name my-cluster --role-arn arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKSRole --resources-vpc-config subnetIds=subnet-abc123,subnet-def456

D. aws eks create-cluster --name my-cluster --role arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKSRole --resources-vpc-config subnetIds=subnet-abc123,subnet-def456

Solution

1. Step 1: Check AWS CLI syntax for EKS cluster creation

   The correct command uses --name for cluster name, --role-arn for IAM role, and --resources-vpc-config subnetIds=... for subnet IDs separated by commas.

2. Step 2: Identify correct option

   aws eks create-cluster --name my-cluster --role-arn arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKSRole --resources-vpc-config subnetIds=subnet-abc123,subnet-def456 matches the correct syntax exactly. Options A and D use incorrect flags (--cluster-name, --role). aws eks create-cluster --name my-cluster --role-arn arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKSRole --resources-vpc-config subnetIds=subnet-abc123 subnet-def456 misses a comma between subnet IDs.

3. Final Answer:

   aws eks create-cluster --name my-cluster --role-arn arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKSRole --resources-vpc-config subnetIds=subnet-abc123,subnet-def456 -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Correct CLI syntax = aws eks create-cluster --name my-cluster --role-arn arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKSRole --resources-vpc-config subnetIds=subnet-abc123,subnet-def456 [OK]

Hint: Use --name, --role-arn, and comma-separated subnetIds [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using --role instead of --role-arn
• Missing commas between subnet IDs
• Using wrong flag names like --cluster-name

3.

Given this AWS CLI command to create an EKS cluster:

aws eks create-cluster --name test-cluster --role-arn arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKSRole --resources-vpc-config subnetIds=subnet-11111111,subnet-22222222,securityGroupIds=sg-12345678

What will happen after running this command?

medium

A. The command will fail due to incorrect subnet ID format

B. The command will fail because security groups cannot be specified during cluster creation

C. The cluster will be created but only in one subnet ignoring the second subnet

D. The cluster test-cluster will be created using the specified subnets and security group

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand parameters in the command

   The command specifies cluster name, IAM role, subnet IDs, and security group IDs correctly using --resources-vpc-config.

2. Step 2: Check if security groups are allowed

   Security groups can be specified during cluster creation to control network access. The subnet IDs are comma-separated and valid format.

3. Final Answer:

   The cluster test-cluster will be created using the specified subnets and security group -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Valid subnet and security group syntax = The cluster test-cluster will be created using the specified subnets and security group [OK]

Hint: Security groups allowed in --resources-vpc-config [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking security groups can't be set at creation
• Assuming only one subnet is allowed
• Confusing subnet ID format with invalid syntax

4.

You tried to create an EKS cluster with this command:

aws eks create-cluster --name mycluster --role-arn arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKSRole --resources-vpc-config subnetIds=subnet-12345 subnet-67890

The command failed. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. Missing comma between subnet IDs in subnetIds parameter

B. Incorrect IAM role ARN format

C. Cluster name mycluster is invalid

D. Subnets are in different availability zones

Solution

1. Step 1: Review subnetIds parameter format

   The subnet IDs must be comma-separated inside the subnetIds= value. Here, a space separates them, which is invalid syntax.

2. Step 2: Check other parameters

   The IAM role ARN format looks correct, cluster name is valid, and subnets in different zones are recommended, not an error.

3. Final Answer:

   Missing comma between subnet IDs in subnetIds parameter -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Comma separates subnet IDs [OK]

Hint: Comma separate subnet IDs, not spaces [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using spaces instead of commas between subnet IDs
• Assuming cluster name rules cause failure
• Confusing subnet zones with errors

5.

You want to create a highly available EKS cluster. Which setup is best practice for the network configuration?

• Use a single subnet in one availability zone
• Use multiple subnets in different availability zones
• Use only public subnets
• Use subnets without any security groups

hard

A. Use multiple subnets in different availability zones

B. Use a single subnet in one availability zone

C. Use only public subnets

D. Use subnets without any security groups

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand high availability in EKS

   High availability means the cluster stays up even if one zone fails. Using multiple subnets in different availability zones achieves this.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other options

   Single subnet risks zone failure. Only public subnets expose resources unnecessarily. Subnets without security groups lack network protection.

3. Final Answer:

   Use multiple subnets in different availability zones -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Multi-AZ subnets = High availability [OK]

Hint: Spread subnets across zones for reliability [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using only one subnet risking downtime
• Exposing cluster on public subnets unnecessarily
• Ignoring security groups for network safety