The Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) is all about enhancing efficiency and performance, and the latest update hits the mark by optimizing how AKS nodes interact with load balancer backend pools. By transitioning from a traditional Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS) based membership to an IP address-based approach, AKS deployments become significantly more efficient. Let’s dive into how you can leverage this update in your AKS clusters, both new and existing.
Why Change the Inbound Pool Type?
Traditionally, AKS nodes were referenced in the load balancer backend pools via their IP configurations in VMSS. However, this update allows for a much-needed alternative: referencing by IP address alone. This IP-based backend pool membership facilitates faster updates and load balancer provisioning, a boon particularly noticeable in clusters with high node counts.
The move towards IP-based membership, when paired with NAT Gateway or user-defined routing for egress, translates into swifter provisioning of nodes and services, ensuring your AKS environment scales not just with ease, but with speed.
Pool Membership Types: A Closer Look
AKS offers two pool membership types to choose from:
nodeIPConfiguration– The legacy method utilizing VMSS IP configuration.nodeIP– The new, streamlined IP-based membership type.
Setting the Stage: Requirements for the Switch
Before making the switch, ensure your cluster is primed for the update:
- Your AKS cluster version must be 1.23 or newer.
- The cluster should be configured with standard load balancers and virtual machine scale sets.
Be Mindful of the Limitations
While IP-based backend pools elevate efficiency, they do come with a cap:
- Clusters utilizing IP-based pools can support up to 2500 nodes.
Creating a New AKS Cluster with IP-Based Backend Pools
Ready to start fresh with optimal performance? Here’s how to create a new cluster using the Azure CLI:
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az aks create \ --resource-group rg-aks-ip-lb \ --name aks-ip-lb \ --load-balancer-backend-pool-type=nodeIP |
Just make sure you change the resource group and cluster name to match your needs.
Upgrading an Existing Cluster? Heed This Warning! ⚠️
Looking to upgrade your current cluster? Keep in mind that transitioning to an IP-based backend pool will temporarily disrupt incoming service traffic. The larger your cluster, the longer the impact time.
Execute the following command to update your cluster, but plan accordingly for the brief traffic disruption:
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az aks update \ --resource-group rg-aks-ip-lb \ --name aks-ip-lb \ --load-balancer-backend-pool-type=nodeIP |
Just make sure you change the resource group and cluster name to match your needs.
In Conclusion
Embracing the new IP-based load balancer backend pools in AKS paves the way for faster, more efficient deployments. Whether you’re setting up a new cluster or updating an existing one, this shift is poised to significantly boost your service provisioning and update management processes.
Remember to test thoroughly and ensure your deployments are as seamless as possible.
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