Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): Features, Benefits & Use Cases

Have you ever wished deploying and managing apps in the cloud could be easier? With Azure Kubernetes Service, that wish becomes a reality. It takes the complexity out of container orchestration and gives developers a powerful, managed platform to scale applications effortlessly. Whether you're a startup or an enterprise, AKS offers the flexibility and control you need to scale with confidence.

In this blog, we’ll explore everything you need to know about Azure Kubernetes Service, its features, benefits, pricing, and real-world use cases. This will help you decide if it’s the right fit for your business or development goals.

Table of Contents

1) What is Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)?

2) How Can You Run Kubernetes in Azure?

3) Benefits of Running Kubernetes in Azure

4) Architecture of Azure Kubernetes Service

5) Uses of Azure Kubernetes Service

6) Features of Azure Kubernetes Service

7) Azure Kubernetes Pricing

8) What is the Difference Between AKS and ACS?

9) What is the Difference Between AKS and Service Fabric?

10) Conclusion

What is Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)?

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) is a cloud-based platform that helps you run and manage containerised applications using Kubernetes. It is a managed service by Microsoft that takes care of important tasks like updates, security, and scaling.

AKS is useful because you don’t have to worry about setting up servers or keeping everything up to date. It works well with other Microsoft tools and makes it easy for teams to build, test, and launch applications faster. For example, if you run an online shopping site and traffic increases during sales, AKS can automatically add more resources to handle the extra load.

How Can You Run Kubernetes in Azure?

You can run Kubernetes in Azure in several ways. Here are some of the ways:

Using Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

AKS is a simple way to run Kubernetes in Azure. It handles most of the setup for you, like managing the control plane. You only need to take care of your apps and the nodes they run on.

a) Easy to set up and manage

b) Automatically updates and monitors your cluster

c) You only pay for the worker nodes

Deploying with Azure Container Instances

Azure Container Instances (ACI) let you run containers without setting up a full server. It’s great for quick tasks or apps that don’t need a full Kubernetes setup. It starts fast and is easy to use.

a) No need to manage servers

b) Starts containers in seconds

c) Good for simple or short-term tasks

Running Kubernetes on Azure Virtual Machines

You can manually set up Kubernetes on Azure Virtual Machines (VMs). This gives you full control, but you have to manage everything yourself. It's better for teams that need custom setups.

a) Full control over configuration

b) More work to install and manage

c) Best for special or advanced needs

Using Azure Arc for Multi-cloud Kubernetes

Azure Arc helps you run Kubernetes clusters across different clouds or on-premise, but manage them all from Azure. It connects your setup to Azure tools. This is useful for big companies using multiple platforms.

a) Works with other clouds or on-premise

b) Central control from Azure

c) Great for hybrid or multi-cloud systems

Infrastructure as Code for Kubernetes Deployment

You can use tools like Terraform or ARM templates to set up Kubernetes with code. This makes deployments faster and more consistent. It also helps you manage changes easily.

a) Automates setup and updates

b) Makes deployments repeatable

c) Good for teams using DevOps practices

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Benefits of Running Kubernetes in Azure

Kubernetes in Azure offers numerous organisational advantages for deploying and managing containerised applications. Here are some of those key benefits:

1) Seamless Integration: Azure can seamlessly integrate with Kubernetes, further simplifying the deployment and management of containerised applications on Azure infrastructure.

2) Scalability: Azure's scalable infrastructure accommodates the evolving requirements of modern applications, enhancing the scalability to meet application demands.

3) Availability: Azure ensures high Kubernetes cluster availability and disaster recovery, ensuring uninterrupted operation and swift recovery from disruptions.

4) Security: Azure provides robust security measures involving network security, identity and easily access management, and encryption. This acts to streamline the security of Kubernetes clusters and their applications.

5) Automation: Azure features automation capabilities that can easily streamline the deployment, scaling, and Kubernetes cluster management and associated applications, reducing time and effort in infrastructure management.

6) Hybrid Cloud Capabilities: Azure supports hybrid cloud deployments, allowing organisations to run Kubernetes clusters both on-premises and in the cloud. This allows flexibility to effortlessly migrate applications between these environments.

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Architecture of Azure Kubernetes Service

When a user creates an Azure Kubernetes Service cluster, a control plane is immediately built and configured. Users cannot access this control plane because it is a controlled Azure resource. Those key resources include:

a) Allows interaction between management tools.

b) Keeps the Kubernetes cluster in good shape and configured.

c) Contains workload schedule and node specifications.

d) Manages simpler tasks like performing node activities or recreating Kubernetes pods.

The Azure platform configures secure communication between the nodes and the control plane while the user specifies the size and number of nodes. There is at least one node in an AKS cluster. The resources used by a node to support cluster operation are the central processing unit and memory. Node pools are collections of nodes with identical configurations.

AKS Deployments mainly cover two resource groups:

a) Kubernetes Service Resource Group: Provides access control for several Kubernetes clusters.

b) Node Resource Group: Contains all the infrastructure resources related to the cluster.

Uses of Azure Kubernetes Service

Here are some of the key uses of it:

1) Create Portable Workloads

Running container applications on Kubernetes makes them portable, meaning they don’t depend on the underlying hardware or operating system. As a result, you can quickly transfer them between on-premises, hybrid, and various cloud environments while keeping local machines consistent with production.

2) Easily Move Containers

With Kubernetes, you can define complex containerised apps and distribute them across a server cluster or several clusters. Kubernetes automatically monitors and maintains container health as it scales applications according to your requirements.

3) Increase App Flexibility

Extensions and plugins that add features like security, monitoring, and management are actively developed by a large open-source community of developers and organisations. Additionally, every Kubernetes version must provide APIs that are compliant with the Certified Kubernetes Conformance programmes.

4) Optimise Resource Management

The fully managed AKS simplifies containerised application deployment and management. It offers effective resource management by elastically adding new resources, all without the need to oversee the Kubernetes infrastructure.

5) Accelerate Application Development

Bug fixes consumed most of the developers' time. However, AKS handles patching, automatic updates, and self-healing, simplifying container orchestration. This undoubtedly saves significant time, enabling developers to work more efficiently and focus on building their applications.

6) Facilitate Rapid Integration

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) simplifies infrastructure maintenance by enabling auto-upgrades, monitoring, and scaling, resulting in quicker development and integration. Additionally, it allows users to quickly add new compute resources to Serverless Kubernetes without worrying about maintaining the infrastructure.

7) Ensure Security and Compliance

AKS can easily connect with Azure Active Directory (AD) and provides users with on-demand access, minimising risks and threats. Moreover, AKS complies fully with all legal and regulatory standards, including System and Organisation Controls (SOC).

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Features of Azure Kubernetes Service

Microsoft Azure offers the Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), which not only manages the health and monitoring of Kubernetes but also simplifies the installation of managed Kubernetes clusters in a public cloud environment. Here are the key features of Azure Kubernetes Service:

1) Open-source Integration

In recent years, Microsoft has significantly increased its workforce to simplify Kubernetes for businesses and encourage developer contributions to open-source projects. As the third-largest contributor to Kubernetes, Microsoft brings best practices and cutting-edge insights from various clients and users, helping to make Kubernetes more business-focused, cloud-native, and accessible.

2) Clusters And Nodes

A key feature of Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) is that applications and services run on Kubernetes nodes within the AKS cluster, which consists of one or more nodes powered by Azure Virtual Machines. A "node pool" is a group of nodes with the same configuration. Nodes can be rapidly scaled up or down direction based on resource demands.

3) Role-based Access Control (RBAC)

AKS seamlessly integrates with Azure Active Directory (AD), enabling role-based access control (RBAC) based on identities and groups. This integration enhances security and monitoring across your Kubernetes architecture. Additionally, RBAC allows you to effectively monitor the performance of your applications and AKS environment.

4) Integration With Development Tools

Another essential factor of AKS is the integration of development tools like Helm and Draft, allowing Azure Dev Spaces to give Developers a more rapid and adaptive Kubernetes development experience. In the Azure Kubernetes environment, containers can be directly executed and debugged with minimal impact on the settings.

5) Flexibility in Running Various Workloads

The AKS ecosystem offers seamless scalability for a wide range of workloads. Whether you're migrating .NET applications to Windows Server containers, updating Java applications in Linux containers, or hosting microservices, AKS enables you to run any workload within a cluster environment.

6) Reduces Operational Complexity

AKS eliminates the complexities of implementation, installation, maintenance, and security within the Azure cloud architecture. Additionally, removing per-cluster fees offers significant cost savings.

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Azure Kubernetes Pricing

Here are the three pricing options based on your needs:

a) Free Tier: Cluster management is free; you only pay for the underlying resources you use, such as virtual machines and storage.

b) Standard Tier: Includes a financially backed Service Level Agreement (SLA) for the Kubernetes API server, ensuring higher availability for production workloads. Priced at approximately £0.08 per cluster per hour.

c) Premium Tier: Offers Long-term Support (LTS) for enterprise applications, providing extended support for up to two years. Priced at approximately £0.48 per cluster per hour.

What is the Difference Between AKS and ACS?

AKS (Azure Kubernetes Service) is a newer service made just for running Kubernetes. ACS (Azure Container Service) was the older version that supported many tools like Docker Swarm, Mesosphere, and Kubernetes.

Microsoft now recommends using AKS instead of ACS. AKS is easier to use because it manages most of the setup and updates for you. If you're still using ACS, it's best to move to AKS for better support and features.

What is the Difference Between AKS and Service Fabric?

AKS is built for running container apps using Kubernetes, while Service Fabric is made for microservices and more complex setups. AKS is great for teams using open-source tools and container-based apps. Service Fabric is better if you're working with Windows apps or need deep control over services.

AKS uses containers and clusters, but Service Fabric uses services and can run without containers. Both are good, but your choice depends on what kind of app you're building.

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Conclusion

We hope this blog helped you understand how Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) works and why it’s useful. From easy setup to strong security and smart scaling, AKS makes running apps in the cloud simple and stress-free. Whether you're just starting or growing fast, AKS gives you the tools to build and manage with ease. Now you’re ready to explore Kubernetes confidently with Azure!