Cloud Platforms

Managed Kubernetes services let you run Kubernetes clusters without managing the control plane yourself. Instead of installing, configuring, and maintaining Kubernetes components like the API server, etcd, and scheduler, cloud providers handle these operational tasks for you. You focus on deploying applications while the provider ensures high availability, security patches, and version updates.

What Are Managed Kubernetes Services?

Managed Kubernetes services are cloud provider offerings that run Kubernetes clusters for you. The provider manages the control plane (the “brain” of Kubernetes), handles upgrades, monitors health, and ensures high availability. You manage the worker nodes (where your applications run) and deploy your workloads.

Control Plane (Provider Managed):

• API server for cluster communication
• etcd for cluster state storage
• Scheduler for pod placement
• Controller manager for maintaining desired state
• Automatic updates and patches
• High availability configuration
• Security hardening

Data Plane (Your Responsibility):

• Worker nodes (EC2 instances, VMs, or serverless)
• Node configuration and updates
• Application deployments
• Scaling decisions
• Resource management

Benefits of Managed Services

Managed Kubernetes services offer several advantages over self-managed clusters:

✅ Reduced Operational Overhead - No need to manage control plane components, upgrades, or patches

✅ High Availability - Providers ensure control plane redundancy across availability zones

✅ Security - Automatic security patches and hardened configurations

✅ Integration - Native integration with cloud provider services (storage, networking, IAM)

✅ Compliance - Built-in compliance certifications and audit logging

✅ Support - Provider support for cluster issues and troubleshooting

✅ Cost Efficiency - Pay only for worker nodes and control plane usage

Major Cloud Platforms

The three major cloud providers each offer managed Kubernetes services:

Amazon EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service)

AWS’s managed Kubernetes service, deeply integrated with AWS services like VPC, IAM, EBS, and CloudWatch. EKS runs the Kubernetes control plane across multiple AWS availability zones for high availability.

Best for: Organizations already using AWS, needing deep AWS service integration, or requiring enterprise-grade security and compliance.

Key Features:

• VPC-native networking with AWS VPC CNI
• IAM integration for authentication and authorization
• Native integration with AWS services (EBS, EFS, Load Balancers)
• Support for Fargate (serverless containers)
• Karpenter for advanced autoscaling

Google GKE (Google Kubernetes Engine)

Google’s managed Kubernetes service, built on the same infrastructure that runs Google’s services. GKE offers advanced features like multi-cluster management and serverless workloads.

Best for: Organizations using Google Cloud, needing advanced multi-cluster capabilities, or wanting Google’s Kubernetes expertise.

Key Features:

• Google Cloud-native networking
• Integrated with Google Cloud services
• Multi-cluster management with GKE Hub
• Autopilot mode (fully managed)
• Advanced security features

Azure AKS (Azure Kubernetes Service)

Microsoft’s managed Kubernetes service, integrated with Azure Active Directory, Azure Monitor, and other Azure services.

Best for: Organizations using Azure, needing Windows container support, or requiring Microsoft ecosystem integration.

Key Features:

• Azure AD integration for authentication
• Virtual node support (serverless)
• Windows container support
• Azure Monitor integration
• Azure Policy for governance

Choosing a Platform

When selecting a managed Kubernetes platform, consider:

Cloud Provider Alignment:

• If you’re already using a cloud provider, their managed Kubernetes service offers the best integration
• Existing investments in cloud services (databases, storage, networking) work seamlessly with the same provider’s Kubernetes

Feature Requirements:

• Multi-cluster management - GKE offers advanced multi-cluster features
• Serverless containers - All platforms offer serverless options (Fargate, Autopilot, Virtual Nodes)
• Windows containers - AKS has strong Windows support
• Cost optimization - Compare pricing models and spot instance support

Compliance and Security:

• All platforms offer compliance certifications (SOC, ISO, HIPAA)
• Consider which provider’s security model aligns with your requirements
• Evaluate IAM integration and access control mechanisms

Support and Ecosystem:

• Consider provider support levels and SLAs
• Evaluate ecosystem tools and third-party integrations
• Check community support and documentation quality

Platform Comparison

Getting Started

Each platform has its own setup process and tools:

• Amazon EKS - Use eksctl, AWS Console, or Terraform to create clusters
• Google GKE - Use gcloud CLI or Google Cloud Console
• Azure AKS - Use Azure CLI, Portal, or Terraform

Topics

Amazon EKS

• EKS Overview - Introduction to Amazon EKS
• Cluster Setup - Creating and configuring EKS clusters
• Networking - VPC CNI and networking configuration
• Storage - EBS, EFS, and storage management
• Security - IAM, IRSA, and security best practices
• Node Management - Managed and self-managed node groups
• Autoscaling - Cluster Autoscaler and Karpenter
• Observability - CloudWatch, Prometheus, and monitoring
• Add-ons - EKS add-ons and extensions
• Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions

Google GKE

• GKE Overview - Introduction to Google GKE
• Cluster Setup - Creating and configuring GKE clusters

Azure AKS

• AKS Overview - Introduction to Azure AKS

See Also

• Cluster Operations - General Kubernetes cluster management concepts
• Fundamentals - Core Kubernetes concepts and architecture
• Getting Started - Kubernetes basics and getting started guide