Node groups (managed, self-managed, Fargate) in AWS - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Create an EKS Cluster with Managed, Self-Managed, and Fargate Node Groups

📖 Scenario: You are setting up a Kubernetes cluster on AWS using Amazon EKS. You want to create three types of node groups to run your workloads: a managed node group, a self-managed node group, and a Fargate profile for serverless compute.This setup helps you understand how to configure different node groups for various workload needs.

🎯 Goal: Build an Amazon EKS cluster with one managed node group, one self-managed node group, and one Fargate profile using AWS CloudFormation YAML syntax.This will demonstrate how to configure each node group type properly.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create an EKS cluster resource named MyEKSCluster.

Create a managed node group named ManagedNodeGroup attached to MyEKSCluster.

Create a self-managed node group using an Auto Scaling Group named SelfManagedNodeGroup.

Create a Fargate profile named MyFargateProfile for the cluster.

Use valid AWS CloudFormation YAML syntax with correct resource types and properties.

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

This project simulates setting up a Kubernetes cluster on AWS with different node group types to optimize cost and performance for various workloads.

💼 Career

Understanding how to configure managed, self-managed, and Fargate node groups is essential for cloud engineers and DevOps professionals working with AWS EKS.

1

Create the EKS Cluster Resource

Write the AWS CloudFormation YAML code to create an EKS cluster resource named MyEKSCluster with the Kubernetes version set to 1.27 and role ARN as arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKSClusterRole.

AWS

# Your code here to create the EKS cluster resource named MyEKSCluster

Hint

Use AWS::EKS::Cluster resource type and specify Version and RoleArn properties.

2

Add a Managed Node Group

Add a managed node group resource named ManagedNodeGroup attached to the cluster MyEKSCluster. Use instance types t3.medium and set the node group scaling to minimum 1, maximum 3, and desired 2 nodes.

AWS

Resources:
  MyEKSCluster:
    Type: AWS::EKS::Cluster
    Properties:
      Name: MyEKSCluster
      Version: '1.27'
      RoleArn: arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKSClusterRole
      ResourcesVpcConfig:
        SubnetIds:
          - subnet-abc12345
          - subnet-def67890
# Add ManagedNodeGroup resource here

Hint

Use AWS::EKS::Nodegroup resource type and link it to MyEKSCluster with ClusterName.

3

Add a Self-Managed Node Group with Auto Scaling Group

Add a self-managed node group by creating an Auto Scaling Group resource named SelfManagedNodeGroup with launch configuration SelfManagedLaunchConfig. Use instance type t3.medium, minimum size 1, maximum size 3, and desired capacity 2. Attach the Auto Scaling Group to subnets subnet-abc12345 and subnet-def67890.

AWS

Resources:
  MyEKSCluster:
    Type: AWS::EKS::Cluster
    Properties:
      Name: MyEKSCluster
      Version: '1.27'
      RoleArn: arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKSClusterRole
      ResourcesVpcConfig:
        SubnetIds:
          - subnet-abc12345
          - subnet-def67890
  ManagedNodeGroup:
    Type: AWS::EKS::Nodegroup
    Properties:
      ClusterName: !Ref MyEKSCluster
      NodegroupName: ManagedNodeGroup
      ScalingConfig:
        MinSize: 1
        MaxSize: 3
        DesiredSize: 2
      Subnets:
        - subnet-abc12345
        - subnet-def67890
      InstanceTypes:
        - t3.medium
      NodeRole: arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKSNodeGroupRole
# Add SelfManagedLaunchConfig and SelfManagedNodeGroup resources here

Hint

Create a launch configuration and an Auto Scaling Group with the specified properties.

4

Add a Fargate Profile for Serverless Compute

Add a Fargate profile resource named MyFargateProfile for the cluster MyEKSCluster. Set the pod execution role ARN to arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/AmazonEKSFargatePodExecutionRole. Configure selectors to run pods in namespace default.

AWS

Resources:
  MyEKSCluster:
    Type: AWS::EKS::Cluster
    Properties:
      Name: MyEKSCluster
      Version: '1.27'
      RoleArn: arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKSClusterRole
      ResourcesVpcConfig:
        SubnetIds:
          - subnet-abc12345
          - subnet-def67890
  ManagedNodeGroup:
    Type: AWS::EKS::Nodegroup
    Properties:
      ClusterName: !Ref MyEKSCluster
      NodegroupName: ManagedNodeGroup
      ScalingConfig:
        MinSize: 1
        MaxSize: 3
        DesiredSize: 2
      Subnets:
        - subnet-abc12345
        - subnet-def67890
      InstanceTypes:
        - t3.medium
      NodeRole: arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKSNodeGroupRole
  SelfManagedLaunchConfig:
    Type: AWS::AutoScaling::LaunchConfiguration
    Properties:
      ImageId: ami-0abcdef1234567890
      InstanceType: t3.medium
      IamInstanceProfile: EKSWorkerNodeInstanceProfile
      SecurityGroups:
        - sg-0123456789abcdef0
  SelfManagedNodeGroup:
    Type: AWS::AutoScaling::AutoScalingGroup
    Properties:
      LaunchConfigurationName: !Ref SelfManagedLaunchConfig
      MinSize: 1
      MaxSize: 3
      DesiredCapacity: 2
      VPCZoneIdentifier:
        - subnet-abc12345
        - subnet-def67890
      Tags:
        - Key: Name
          Value: SelfManagedNodeGroup
          PropagateAtLaunch: true
# Add MyFargateProfile resource here

Hint

Use AWS::EKS::FargateProfile resource type and specify selectors for the default namespace.

Practice

1. Which type of node group in AWS EKS automatically manages the worker nodes for you?

easy

A. On-premises node group

B. Managed node group

C. Fargate

D. Self-managed node group

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand node group types in EKS

   Managed node groups are designed to let AWS handle the worker nodes, including updates and scaling.

2. Step 2: Compare with other node groups

   Self-managed node groups require manual management of EC2 instances, and Fargate runs containers without servers.

3. Final Answer:

   Managed node group -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Managed node group = automatic worker node management [OK]

Hint: Managed node groups mean AWS manages nodes for you [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing self-managed with managed node groups
• Thinking Fargate manages EC2 instances
• Assuming on-premises node groups are managed by AWS

2. Which of the following is the correct way to specify a Fargate profile in AWS EKS configuration?

easy

A. Specify EC2 instance types under node group

B. Set up Auto Scaling group manually

C. Define selectors with namespaces and labels for Fargate profile

D. Create a launch configuration for EC2

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall Fargate profile setup

   Fargate profiles use selectors to match pods by namespace and labels to run on Fargate.

2. Step 2: Eliminate incorrect options

   EC2 instance types, Auto Scaling groups, and launch configurations relate to EC2, not Fargate.

3. Final Answer:

   Define selectors with namespaces and labels for Fargate profile -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Fargate profile uses selectors = Define selectors with namespaces and labels for Fargate profile [OK]

Hint: Fargate profiles use selectors, not EC2 settings [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to specify EC2 instance types for Fargate
• Confusing Auto Scaling with Fargate profiles
• Using launch configurations for Fargate

3. Given the following EKS setup, which node group type will run the pod?

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: myapp
  namespace: production
spec:
  containers:
  - name: app
    image: myapp:latest

Assuming a Fargate profile exists for namespace 'production' and a managed node group is also present.

medium

A. Managed node group

B. Self-managed node group

C. No node group will run the pod

D. Fargate

Solution

1. Step 1: Check pod namespace against Fargate profile

   The pod is in 'production' namespace, which matches the Fargate profile selector.

2. Step 2: Understand pod scheduling priority

   Pods matching Fargate profiles run on Fargate instead of node groups.

3. Final Answer:

   Fargate -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Pod in Fargate profile namespace runs on Fargate [OK]

Hint: Pod namespace matching Fargate profile means Fargate runs it [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming managed node group runs all pods
• Ignoring Fargate profile selectors
• Thinking self-managed node group runs pods by default

4. You created a self-managed node group but your pods are stuck in Pending state. What is a likely cause?

medium

A. EC2 instances in the node group are not registered with the cluster

B. Fargate profile is missing

C. Managed node group is not enabled

D. Pod namespace does not match Fargate profile

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand self-managed node group requirements

   Self-managed nodes must register with the cluster to run pods.

2. Step 2: Identify cause of Pending pods

   If EC2 instances are not registered, pods cannot schedule and remain Pending.

3. Final Answer:

   EC2 instances in the node group are not registered with the cluster -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Unregistered EC2 nodes cause Pending pods [OK]

Hint: Self-managed nodes must register to run pods [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming Fargate profile affects self-managed nodes
• Thinking managed node group must be enabled for self-managed nodes
• Ignoring node registration status

5. You want to run a highly scalable application without managing any servers. Which AWS EKS node group option should you choose and why?

hard

A. Fargate, because it runs containers without managing servers

B. Managed node group, because AWS handles node updates automatically

C. Self-managed node group, because you control EC2 instances directly

D. On-premises nodes, because they offer full control

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify requirement for no server management

   The question asks for running containers without managing servers.

2. Step 2: Compare node group options

   Self-managed and managed node groups require managing or at least maintaining EC2 instances. Fargate runs containers serverless.

3. Step 3: Confirm scalability and management

   Fargate automatically scales and removes server management burden.

4. Final Answer:

   Fargate, because it runs containers without managing servers -> Option A

5. Quick Check:

   No server management means Fargate [OK]

Hint: No servers to manage? Choose Fargate [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing self-managed for no server management
• Confusing managed node groups with serverless
• Selecting on-premises nodes for cloud scalability