Azure Kubernetes Certification: A Comprehensive Guide to AKS

If you're new to Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), you might be wondering where to start with the certification process. The good news is that Microsoft offers a range of certifications that can help you demonstrate your skills and knowledge.

Microsoft Azure Certified: Azure Developer Associate certification covers Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and other Azure services. This certification validates your ability to design, implement, and manage cloud-based solutions using Azure.

To get started with AKS certification, you'll need to have some hands-on experience with Azure and Kubernetes. The Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) on Azure certification is designed for Azure administrators and developers who want to validate their skills in deploying, managing, and securing containerized applications on Azure.

The certification process typically involves passing a single exam, which covers topics such as cluster creation, deployment, and management, as well as security and monitoring.

The course curriculum for the Azure Kubernetes certification is packed with valuable content to help you get started with Kubernetes and AKS. You'll learn about the basics of Kubernetes, including what it is and why you should use it.

The course starts with a lecture on what Kubernetes is and why you should use it, which covers the basics of the platform and its benefits. This is a great introduction to the world of Kubernetes.

You'll also learn about the different components of Kubernetes, including master nodes and worker nodes. Master nodes are responsible for managing the cluster, while worker nodes run the containers.

The course also covers Kubernetes pods and deployments, which are essential concepts to understand when working with Kubernetes. Pods are the basic execution unit in Kubernetes, and deployments manage the rollout of new versions of an application.

In addition to lectures, the course includes practical demos to help you get hands-on experience with Kubernetes. You'll learn how to get started with Kubernetes and Minikube, which is a great way to start experimenting with Kubernetes.

Here are some of the key topics covered in the course:

The course also covers Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), which is a managed container orchestration service provided by Azure. You'll learn about the benefits of using AKS and how to deploy a Kubernetes cluster through the portal.

You'll also learn about AKS best practices, including how to automate cluster creation with Terraform and how to manage clusters with Visual Studio Code.

In the final part of the course, you'll learn about monitoring and logging in AKS, including how to use built-in monitoring and logging tools. You'll also learn about alerting in AKS and how to use the Kubernetes dashboard.

To get started with Azure Kubernetes certification, you'll need to meet a few prerequisites.

First and foremost, you'll need an Azure subscription. If you don't already have one, you can create a free account. This will give you access to the Azure services you'll need for the certification process.

You'll also need Azure CLI installed on your machine, specifically version 2.43.0 or greater. This will allow you to interact with Azure services from the command line.

Lastly, you'll need a base64 encoded certificate string or a text file with a certificate. This will be required for certain steps in the certification process.

To configure and manage Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), you'll want to start by deploying a baseline AKS cluster. This will give you recommendations for networking, security, identity, management, and monitoring based on your organization's business requirements.

To customize your AKS cluster, you can configure it to use a custom Certificate Authority (CA) using the az aks create command with the --enable-custom-ca-trust parameter. You can also configure a new AKS cluster to use custom CA with CAs installed before the node boots up using the az aks create command with the --enable-custom-ca-trust and --custom-ca-trust-certificates parameters.

To update an existing AKS cluster to use a custom CA, you can use the az aks update command with the --custom-ca-trust-certificates parameter. For an existing node pool, you can configure it to use a custom CA using the az aks nodepool update command with the --enable-custom-ca-trust parameter.

In AKS, multi-tenancy is a feature that allows you to run multiple isolated clusters.

This means you can have separate environments for different teams or applications, each with its own resources and configuration.

Cluster isolation is a key aspect of multi-tenancy, ensuring that each cluster operates independently without affecting others.

To set up multi-tenancy, you'll need to configure authentication and authorization to manage access to your clusters.

Advanced scheduler features can also be used to schedule tasks and manage resources across multiple clusters, making it easier to manage your multi-tenant environment.

A control plane is a managed Azure resource where the components run, including the API server and cluster database (etcd). This is where the magic happens, folks!

You can run at least two nodes in the default node pool to ensure your cluster operates reliably. I've seen clusters with fewer nodes struggle to stay up, so it's always a good idea to have a few extra nodes on standby.

Kubernetes runs an application in your instance using pods. Pods are essentially the smallest unit of deployment in Kubernetes.

A node is made up of several pods, and node pools are a group of nodes with the same configuration. This makes it easy to manage and scale your cluster.

You can use a node selector to control where a pod should be placed. This is super useful if you have specific requirements for your pods, like running on a node with a certain amount of CPU power.

Multi-container pods are placed on the same node and allow containers to share the related resources. I've seen this come in handy when deploying complex applications with multiple components.

You can specify maximum resource limits that prevent a given pod from consuming too much compute resources from the underlying node. This is like setting a speed limit on your cluster to prevent any one pod from hogging all the resources.

Here's a quick rundown of the components that make up a Kubernetes cluster:

Storage is a critical component of any Kubernetes cluster, and AKS is no exception. Persistent volumes are provided by Azure disk and file storage.

You can create a Kubernetes DataDisk resource using Azure Disk, which is a convenient option for storing data.

Azure Files allows you to mount an SMB 3.0 share backed by an Azure Storage account to pods, making it easy to share data between containers.

Volumes that are defined and created as part of the pod lifecycle only exist until the pod is deleted, so be sure to plan accordingly.

AKS has four initial storage classes, which can help you manage your storage resources more efficiently.

If no StorageClass is specified for a persistent volume, the default StorageClass is used, so make sure to choose the right one for your needs.

Here are the four initial storage classes available in AKS:

You can create roles to define permissions and then assign those roles to users with role bindings using Kubernetes RBAC. This allows you to control who has access to what resources within your cluster.

To limit network traffic between pods, you can use Kubernetes network policies. This helps prevent unauthorized access and keeps your cluster secure.

Here are some key security features to keep in mind:

Gaining Azure certification is a smart move for your career. It provides the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the IT field you're interested in.

Azure is one of the most popular cloud platforms used by businesses worldwide. This makes certification in Azure a valuable asset in a high-demand job market.

Certification helps you demonstrate your expertise in Azure's different components and features. This is exactly what businesses look for in candidates, making you a more competitive candidate for IT roles.

Having industry-recognized certifications is a must in today's job market. It shows that you have the skills and knowledge needed to be a successful member of an IT team.

As a developer, it's essential to follow best practices to ensure the security and efficiency of your app. Managing resources as an app developer is crucial, and one way to do this is by limiting network traffic between pods in your cluster with Kubernetes network policies.

Here are some key best practices to keep in mind:

By following these best practices, you can ensure that your app is secure and efficient, and that you're using the right tools to manage your resources.

Operational best practices for Kubernetes are crucial for ensuring the security and efficiency of your deployment. This involves learning from real-world deployments described by subject matter experts.

Kubernetes operational best practices include monitoring and logging, which helps identify potential security threats and issues. Proper configuration of Kubernetes components is essential for secure and efficient operations.

Implementing role-based access control (RBAC) is a best practice for securing Kubernetes clusters. This involves assigning specific permissions to users and groups based on their roles.

Regularly updating and patching Kubernetes components is essential for preventing security vulnerabilities. This involves staying up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates.

Kubernetes operational best practices also involve implementing network policies to control traffic flow within the cluster. This helps prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.

By following these best practices, you can ensure the security and efficiency of your Kubernetes deployment.