Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Made Easy

🌟 Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Made Easy: Updated May 2024 🌟

Course Headline:

"A Comprehensive and Practical Course: Containers, K8s, Networking, Security, Scaling, Storage, Monitoring, HA and More!"

Introduction to the Course:

In today's fast-paced business environment, containerization and orchestration are becoming critical components for managing modern applications. Kubernetes, as the de facto standard for container orchestration, provides organizations with the flexibility and scalability needed to keep up with the ever-changing demands of technology and business.

Microsoft's Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) is a fully managed Kubernetes service that simplifies the management of your Kubernetes clusters, allowing you to focus on what matters most—building and deploying your applications. AKS offers numerous benefits such as seamless integration with other Azure services, rapid deployment and scaling, automatic upgrades, built-in security and compliance features, and much more.

This course is designed to make AKS easy to learn, understand, and provide students with a comprehensive and practical experience with AKS. Whether you're new to containers and Kubernetes or looking to deepen your understanding, this course will guide you through the core concepts and advanced functionalities of AKS.

Course Structure:

1. Getting Started with Containers & Kubernetes:

• Understanding the role of Docker containers
• Introduction to Kubernetes architecture and terminologies

2. Creating and Managing AKS Clusters:

• Setting up your first AKS cluster
• Managing resources and applications within AKS

3. Core AKS Components & Azure Services:

• Exploring the components of a Kubernetes cluster at both AKS and Azure levels
• Configuring and managing networking within AKS
  • Network plugins and Kubernetes services
  • SNAT and outbound types
  • Types of AKS clusters (Public, Private, VNET integrated)

4. AKS Security:

• Integrating Active Directory with AKS
• Identity management, certificates, and network policies
• Secure secrets with Azure Key Vault
• Compliance and security with Azure policy and Microsoft Defender for IoT
• Implementing AppArmor and Seccomp for enhanced security

5. Scaling Your AKS Clusters:

• Resource reservations and autoscaling (HPA, CAS, KEDA)
• Understanding the Virtual Nodes add-on

6. Storage Solutions with Azure:

• Working with Azure Disk Storage (snapshots and resize operations)
• Utilizing Azure File Share and Azure Blob Storage in AKS

7. Monitoring, Logging & Troubleshooting:

• Leveraging default monitoring features
• Integrating Container Insights or managed Prometheus and Grafana

8. Cluster Upgrades and Maintenance:

• Navigating auto-upgrade options and planned maintenance

9. Ingress Controllers & Exposure:

• Setting up ingress controllers (AGIC, nginx)
• Exposing applications via HTTPS and using Let's Encrypt with Cert Manager

10. Ensuring High Availability in AKS:

• Understanding AKS tiers and availability zones
• Routing traffic between multiple AKS clusters for high reliability

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Deploy, manage, and scale Kubernetes applications using Azure Kubernetes Service
• Implement robust security practices in your AKS deployment
• Leverage Azure services to enhance performance, scalability, and reliability of your AKS clusters
• Monitor your applications with industry-standard tools and techniques
• Confidently upgrade and maintain your AKS clusters
• Integrate AKS with various Azure services for a seamless development experience
• Understand the concepts of high availability in AKS and how to implement them effectively

Join us on this journey to master Azure Kubernetes Service, and unlock the potential of containerized applications at scale! 🚀🐳

Your Instructor:

Andrei Barbu, a dedicated Microsoft employee with extensive experience working with AKS, will be your guide through this course. With a deep understanding of both the theoretical and practical aspects of AKS, Andrei is well-equipped to provide you with valuable insights and real-world knowledge that will set you up for success in your Kubernetes journey. 🧑‍💻✨