Streamlining Kubernetes Deployments with FluxCD on Amazon EKS

Overview

Kubernetes, the industry standard orchestration platform, dominates the dynamic world of containerized applications. Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) simplifies the deployment and management of containerized applications on AWS. However, managing Kubernetes configurations and ensuring continuous deployment can be challenging. This is where FluxCD, an open-source continuous delivery tool that automates the deployment of applications on Kubernetes clusters, comes in. This blog will delve into how to deploy applications on Amazon EKS using FluxCD, enhancing your DevOps workflow.

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Introduction

Navigating the dynamic realm of containerized applications, Kubernetes has solidified its position as the industry standard orchestration platform. Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) streamlines the deployment and management of containerized applications on AWS. However, managing Kubernetes configurations and ensuring continuous deployment can be challenging. Enter FluxCD, an open-source continuous delivery tool that automates the deployment of applications on Kubernetes clusters.

Understanding FluxCD

FluxCD is a GitOps tool designed to automate and streamline the deployment of Kubernetes applications. GitOps is a methodology where the entire Kubernetes configuration, including manifests and deployment scripts, is stored in a version-controlled repository.

FluxCD watches this repository for changes and automatically applies updates to the Kubernetes cluster, ensuring a consistent and auditable deployment process.

Prerequisites

Before embarking on the deployment process, ensure that the following prerequisites have been met:

Amazon EKS Cluster: Set up an Amazon EKS cluster on AWS and ensure you have the necessary permissions to interact with it.
kubectl: Install the Kubernetes command-line tool kubectl to interact with your EKS cluster.
FluxCD CLI: Install the FluxCD CLI tool on your local machine to interact with FluxCD.
Git Repository: Create a Git repository to store your Kubernetes manifests and configurations.

Deploying FluxCD on Amazon EKS

Step 1 – Install FluxCD

Use the FluxCD CLI to install Flux on your Amazon EKS cluster. This involves deploying the Flux daemon set and configuring it to sync with your Git repository.

flux bootstrap github --owner=<your-github-username> --repository=<your-repo-name> --branch=main --path=clusters/my-cluster

1	flux bootstrap github --owner=<your-github-username> --repository=<your-repo-name> --branch=main --path=clusters/my-cluster

Step 2 – Sync with Git Repository

FluxCD will continuously monitor your Git repository for changes. After installing FluxCD, it will automatically sync with your repository and apply the configurations to your Amazon EKS cluster.

flux create source git sample --url=<repo_url> --branch=master --interval=1m --export > ./source.yaml

1	flux create source git sample --url=<repo_url> --branch=master --interval=1m --export > ./source.yaml

flux create kustomization sample --target-namespace=default --source=<namespace> --path="./kustomize" --prune=true --wait=true --interval=30m --retry-interval=2m --health-check-timeout=3m --export > ./ kustomization.yaml

1	flux create kustomization sample --target-namespace=default --source=<namespace> --path="./kustomize" --prune=true --wait=true --interval=30m --retry-interval=2m --health-check-timeout=3m --export > ./ kustomization.yaml

Deploying Applications with FluxCD

Create Kubernetes Manifests:

Define your application’s Kubernetes manifests (e.g., Deployment, Service, ConfigMaps) and store them in your Git repository. FluxCD will use these manifests to deploy and update your application.

Commit and Push Changes:

Make changes to your manifests, commit them to your Git repository, and push the changes. FluxCD will detect the update and automatically apply the changes to your EKS cluster.

Monitor Deployment:

Use FluxCD’s monitoring features to track the status of your application deployment. FluxCD provides insights into the deployment process, making it easier to troubleshoot issues.

Benefits of Using FluxCD on Amazon EKS

Automation: FluxCD automates the deployment process, reducing the manual effort required for continuous delivery.
GitOps Workflow: The GitOps approach ensures that your entire Kubernetes configuration is version-controlled, providing transparency and traceability.
Rollbacks: In case of issues, FluxCD supports easy rollbacks to a previously known good state, ensuring the reliability of your applications.
Scalability: As your application and infrastructure evolve, FluxCD scales with your needs, providing a robust solution for managing deployments.

Conclusion

FluxCD simplifies and automates the deployment of applications on Amazon EKS, bringing the benefits of GitOps to your Kubernetes workflows. By adopting FluxCD, you can achieve a streamlined and auditable continuous delivery process, enhancing the reliability and scalability of your containerized applications on AWS.

Drop a query if you have any questions regarding FluxCD and we will get back to you quickly.

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FAQs

1. What is FluxCD?

ANS: – FluxCD is an open-source continuous delivery tool that automates the deployment and lifecycle management of applications on Kubernetes clusters. It follows the GitOps methodology, where the entire Kubernetes configuration is stored in a Git repository, and FluxCD continuously monitors and applies changes from that repository to the cluster.

2. Why should I use FluxCD for deploying applications on Amazon EKS?

ANS: – FluxCD simplifies and automates the deployment process, making it easier to manage Kubernetes configurations. Using GitOps practices, FluxCD enhances collaboration, transparency, and traceability in your deployment workflow. It also provides features such as automated rollbacks and monitoring for efficient application lifecycle management.

3. How do I roll back changes in case of issues?

ANS: – FluxCD simplifies rollbacks by allowing you to revert to a previous version of your Git repository. If a deployment causes issues, you can revert the changes in your Git repository, and FluxCD will automatically roll back the application to the previous known-good state.

WRITTEN BY Bhupesh .

Bhupesh is working as a Research Associate at CloudThat. He is passionate about learning and gaining industrial experience in cloud computing technologies like AWS and Azure. Bhupesh is also an excellent communicator and collaborator. He also proactively seeks new challenges and opportunities to learn and grow in his role. His passion for learning and exploring new technologies and his technical expertise make him a valuable member of any team working in the field.