10 Best Practices for Optimizing Kubernetes on AWS
Tags: kubernetes, aws, devops, developer
Published: 2023-07-06 10:26:34

As more businesses adopt Kubernetes to manage containerized applications, optimizing Kubernetes on AWS has become a crucial aspect of managing and deploying applications in the cloud. Kubernetes on AWS provides many benefits, including scalability, high availability, and flexibility, but it also poses several challenges that require careful consideration and planning.
As a disclaimer, I'm the co-founder of [Qovery](https://www.qovery.com/), a platform specifically designed to easily scale and manage Kubernetes on AWS. Given the significant interest in this subject, I've decided to share insights and best practices for optimizing Kubernetes on AWS. My intention is to simplify your journey in the complex realm of Kubernetes, with actionable knowledge to enhance your operations.

Let's start by understanding the basics of Kubernetes on AWS.

#Basics of Kubernetes on AWS
Kubernetes is a super popular container orchestration platform that automates the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. It allows developers to easily deploy and manage their applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.

AWS provides two primary options for running Kubernetes: Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS) and Kubernetes on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2). Amazon EKS is a fully-managed Kubernetes service that simplifies the deployment and management of Kubernetes clusters, while Kubernetes on Amazon EC2 provides more control over the underlying infrastructure and is ideal for organizations that require more customization.

Regardless of which option you choose, there are certain best practices that you should follow to optimize Kubernetes on AWS. 

#10 Best Practices for Optimizing Kubernetes on AWS
Here we have shortlisted best practices for optimizing Kubernetes applications on AWS :

##1. Use Amazon EKS or EC2 Kubernetes
Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) simplifies AWS Kubernetes cluster deployment, control, and scaling. EKS handles control plane management, updates, and patching so you can launch and manage applications. Self-managed Kubernetes clusters on EC2 instances require management and maintenance but give you more control over the solution. 

##2. Optimize EC2 servers and storage for Kubernetes
The right EC2 instance types and sizes for Kubernetes worker nodes optimize speed and cost. Consider application CPU, memory, and network needs. Configure and optimize Amazon EBS volumes for your workflow.

##3. Auto-scale and load-balance
The horizontal pod autoscaler scales release pods, and the Kubernetes cluster autoscaler scales cluster nodes based on demand. Use AWS Load Balancers (ALB or NLB) with Kubernetes Ingress or Service resources to efficiently distribute traffic among your apps.

##4. Optimize network options for latency reduction and performance
Amazon VPC CNI plugin for Kubernetes lets you give pods VPC IP addresses directly. Jumbo Frames, Enhanced Networking, and VPC Peering can effectively connect multiple VPCs.

##5. Kubernetes Operators automate program deployment and management
Operators launch, manage, and scale complex applications using custom Kubernetes controllers. Use Operators or build your own to manage stateful applications like databases and message brokers in Kubernetes.

##6. RBAC and Network policies
Kubernetes RBAC allows fine-grained user and application access. Network policies limit cluster attack surfaces by controlling pod traffic. To limit AWS resource access for worker nodes, configure AWS IAM roles.

##7. Prometheus and Grafana can monitor Kubernetes clusters
Install Prometheus for data and Grafana for visualization. Integrate AWS services like Amazon CloudWatch with Kubernetes Metrics Server to track resource usage.

##8. Serverless container setup with AWS Fargate
Amazon EKS can use the serverless container compute engine AWS Fargate. Fargate automatically supplies and scales compute resources without infrastructure management. This can reduce costs and ease workload management.

##9. Consider Amazon ECR for container file management
Amazon Elastic Container Registry (ECR) works with EKS and other AWS services. ECR stores, manages, and deploys container images safely and efficiently.

##10. Use Helm and Kubectl for easy management
Use Helm for package management and Kubectl for command-line cluster control. Helm charts ease the configuration and deployment of even complex Kubernetes apps.

#Wrapping Up 
Optimizing Kubernetes on AWS is crucial for achieving optimal performance, security, and cost savings. By following the best practices discussed above, such as using managed Kubernetes services, implementing security best practices, and leveraging monitoring tools, you can ensure your Kubernetes applications run efficiently on AWS. 
I hope this post has been useful to you. Please feel free to comments or share your feedback.