<h2>Building Your First EKS Cluster</h2>
<p>Setting up your first <a href="https://apiblog.cloudastra.co/2024/11/08/building-your-first-eks-cluster/">Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS)</a> cluster may seem challenging, but it’s also an exciting process. This guide will walk you through each step, from gathering prerequisites to deploying the cluster, to help you gain a strong understanding of EKS setup and management.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-8497" src="https://apiblog.cloudastra.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/DALL·E-2024-11-08-11.39.27-A-simplified-visual-representation-of-setting-up-an-Amazon-EKS-Elastic-Kubernetes-Service-cluster.-The-image-should-show-a-cloud-with-AWS-icons-Kub-300x300.webp" alt="Building your first EKS cluster" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://apiblog.cloudastra.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/DALL·E-2024-11-08-11.39.27-A-simplified-visual-representation-of-setting-up-an-Amazon-EKS-Elastic-Kubernetes-Service-cluster.-The-image-should-show-a-cloud-with-AWS-icons-Kub-300x300.webp 300w, https://apiblog.cloudastra.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/DALL·E-2024-11-08-11.39.27-A-simplified-visual-representation-of-setting-up-an-Amazon-EKS-Elastic-Kubernetes-Service-cluster.-The-image-should-show-a-cloud-with-AWS-icons-Kub-150x150.webp 150w, https://apiblog.cloudastra.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/DALL·E-2024-11-08-11.39.27-A-simplified-visual-representation-of-setting-up-an-Amazon-EKS-Elastic-Kubernetes-Service-cluster.-The-image-should-show-a-cloud-with-AWS-icons-Kub-768x768.webp 768w, https://apiblog.cloudastra.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/DALL·E-2024-11-08-11.39.27-A-simplified-visual-representation-of-setting-up-an-Amazon-EKS-Elastic-Kubernetes-Service-cluster.-The-image-should-show-a-cloud-with-AWS-icons-Kub-96x96.webp 96w, https://apiblog.cloudastra.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/DALL·E-2024-11-08-11.39.27-A-simplified-visual-representation-of-setting-up-an-Amazon-EKS-Elastic-Kubernetes-Service-cluster.-The-image-should-show-a-cloud-with-AWS-icons-Kub.webp 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
<h2>Prerequisites for Setting Up an EKS Cluster</h2>
<p>Before creating your EKS cluster, make sure you have a few essentials ready:</p>
<ol>
<li>
<p><strong>AWS Account</strong>: You need an active AWS account. If you don’t have one, you can create it on the <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/" target="_new" rel="noopener">AWS website</a>.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>AWS CLI</strong>: Install the AWS Command Line Interface (CLI) on your computer. This tool allows you to access AWS services directly from your terminal. You can find the installation guide <a href="https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/cli-configure-quickstart.html" target="_new" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>kubectl</strong>: Install <code>kubectl</code>, the command-line tool for interacting with Kubernetes clusters. Follow the instructions <a href="https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eks/latest/userguide/install-kubectl.html" target="_new" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>IAM Permissions</strong>: Ensure you have IAM permissions to create and manage EKS clusters, including permissions for EC2, IAM, VPC, and EKS.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Familiarity with YAML</strong>: Since Kubernetes configurations are usually in YAML format, basic knowledge of YAML will be helpful.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Networking Basics</strong>: Understanding AWS VPCs and networking concepts is crucial for setting up your EKS cluster correctly.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<h2>Configuring the AWS CLI Environment</h2>
<p>To set up your AWS CLI environment, run the command:</p>
<div class="contain-inline-size rounded-md border-[0.5px] border-token-border-medium relative bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-gray-950">
<div class="flex items-center text-token-text-secondary px-4 py-2 text-xs font-sans justify-between rounded-t-md h-9 bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary select-none">bash</div>
<div class="sticky top-9 md:top-[5.75rem]">
<div class="absolute bottom-0 right-2 flex h-9 items-center">
<div class="flex items-center rounded bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary px-2 font-sans text-xs text-token-text-secondary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary"><span class="" data-state="closed"><button class="flex gap-1 items-center select-none py-1">Copy code</button></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="overflow-y-auto p-4" dir="ltr"><code class="!whitespace-pre hljs language-bash">aws configure<br />
</code></div>
</div>
<p>This command will prompt you to enter your AWS Access Key ID, Secret Access Key, default region, and output format. If you’d rather not store your root credentials, set them as environment variables:</p>
<div class="contain-inline-size rounded-md border-[0.5px] border-token-border-medium relative bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-gray-950">
<div class="flex items-center text-token-text-secondary px-4 py-2 text-xs font-sans justify-between rounded-t-md h-9 bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary select-none">bash</div>
<div class="sticky top-9 md:top-[5.75rem]">
<div class="absolute bottom-0 right-2 flex h-9 items-center">
<div class="flex items-center rounded bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary px-2 font-sans text-xs text-token-text-secondary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary"><span class="" data-state="closed"><button class="flex gap-1 items-center select-none py-1">Copy code</button></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="overflow-y-auto p-4" dir="ltr"><code class="!whitespace-pre hljs language-bash"><span class="hljs-built_in">export</span> AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=&lt;your_access_key&gt;<br />
<span class="hljs-built_in">export</span> AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=&lt;your_secret_key&gt;<br />
<span class="hljs-built_in">export</span> AWS_DEFAULT_REGION=&lt;your_region&gt;<br />
</code></div>
</div>
<h3>Creating IAM Policies and Users</h3>
<ol>
<li>
<p><strong>Create an EKS Admin Policy</strong>: This policy should grant only the permissions needed for EKS cluster management. You can create the policy through the AWS Management Console or the CLI.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Create an EKS Admin Group</strong>: Assign the new EKS Admin policy to this group.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Add a User</strong>: Add a new user to the EKS Admin group, and generate access credentials for them.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<h3>Setting Up Your VPC</h3>
<p>EKS requires a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) to function. You can either use an existing VPC or create a new one. If you create a new VPC, make sure it includes at least two public and two private subnets across different availability zones.</p>
<h2>Creating Your First EKS Cluster</h2>
<p>There are several ways to create an EKS cluster, including using the AWS Console, CLI, Terraform, <code>eksctl</code>, and AWS CDK. Let’s go through each method.</p>
<h3>Option 1: Using the AWS Console</h3>
<ol>
<li>
<p><strong>Sign in to AWS Console</strong> and go to the EKS service.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Create the Cluster</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li>Click &#8220;Add cluster&#8221; and select &#8220;Create.&#8221;</li>
<li>Provide a name for your cluster and select the Kubernetes version.</li>
<li>Select the IAM role you created for the cluster.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Configure Networking</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li>Select your VPC and subnets.</li>
<li>Set up security groups for your worker nodes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Cluster Endpoint</strong>: Decide if the cluster API should be publicly accessible.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Enable Logging</strong>: Enable CloudWatch logging for better visibility.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Review and Launch</strong>: Review the settings, then click &#8220;Create.&#8221; The process may take about 20-30 minutes.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<h3>Option 2: Using the AWS CLI</h3>
<p>You can also create an EKS cluster with the AWS CLI. Use this command as a basic template:</p>
<div class="contain-inline-size rounded-md border-[0.5px] border-token-border-medium relative bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-gray-950">
<div class="flex items-center text-token-text-secondary px-4 py-2 text-xs font-sans justify-between rounded-t-md h-9 bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary select-none">bash</div>
<div class="sticky top-9 md:top-[5.75rem]">
<div class="absolute bottom-0 right-2 flex h-9 items-center">
<div class="flex items-center rounded bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary px-2 font-sans text-xs text-token-text-secondary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary"><span class="" data-state="closed"><button class="flex gap-1 items-center select-none py-1">Copy code</button></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="overflow-y-auto p-4" dir="ltr"><code class="!whitespace-pre hljs language-bash">aws eks create-cluster --name my-cluster --role-arn arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKS-Cluster-Role --resources-vpc-config subnetIds=subnet-12345,subnet-67890,securityGroupIds=sg-12345<br />
</code></div>
</div>
<p>After running the command, you can check the status of your cluster with:</p>
<div class="contain-inline-size rounded-md border-[0.5px] border-token-border-medium relative bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-gray-950">
<div class="flex items-center text-token-text-secondary px-4 py-2 text-xs font-sans justify-between rounded-t-md h-9 bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary select-none">bash</div>
<div class="sticky top-9 md:top-[5.75rem]">
<div class="absolute bottom-0 right-2 flex h-9 items-center">
<div class="flex items-center rounded bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary px-2 font-sans text-xs text-token-text-secondary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary"><span class="" data-state="closed"><button class="flex gap-1 items-center select-none py-1">Copy code</button></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="overflow-y-auto p-4" dir="ltr"><code class="!whitespace-pre hljs language-bash">aws eks describe-cluster --name my-cluster --query <span class="hljs-string">"cluster.status"</span><br />
</code></div>
</div>
<h3>Option 3: Using Terraform</h3>
<p>Terraform enables you to define infrastructure as code. Here’s how to set up an EKS cluster with Terraform:</p>
<ol>
<li>
<p><strong>Install Terraform</strong>: Follow the steps on the <a href="https://www.terraform.io/downloads.html" target="_new" rel="noopener">Terraform website</a>.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Write a Configuration File</strong>: Below is a basic Terraform configuration for an EKS cluster:</p>
</li>
</ol>
<div class="contain-inline-size rounded-md border-[0.5px] border-token-border-medium relative bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-gray-950">
<div class="flex items-center text-token-text-secondary px-4 py-2 text-xs font-sans justify-between rounded-t-md h-9 bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary select-none">hcl</div>
<div class="sticky top-9 md:top-[5.75rem]">
<div class="absolute bottom-0 right-2 flex h-9 items-center">
<div class="flex items-center rounded bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary px-2 font-sans text-xs text-token-text-secondary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary"><span class="" data-state="closed"><button class="flex gap-1 items-center select-none py-1">Copy code</button></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="overflow-y-auto p-4" dir="ltr"><code class="!whitespace-pre hljs language-hcl">provider "aws" {<br />
  region = "us-west-2"<br />
}</p>
<p>resource "aws_eks_cluster" "my_cluster" {<br />
  name     = "my-cluster"<br />
  role_arn = "arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/EKS-Cluster-Role"</p>
<p>  vpc_config {<br />
    subnet_ids = ["subnet-12345", "subnet-67890"]<br />
  }<br />
}<br />
</code></div>
</div>
<ol start="3">
<li><strong>Initialize and Apply</strong>:
<ul>
<li>Run <code>terraform init</code> to initialize the setup.</li>
<li>Run <code>terraform apply</code> to create the resources from the configuration file.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
<h3>Option 4: Using <code>eksctl</code></h3>
<p><code>eksctl</code> is a simple CLI tool that streamlines EKS setup.</p>
<ol>
<li>
<p><strong>Install eksctl</strong>: Follow the installation instructions on the <a href="https://eksctl.io/" target="_new" rel="noopener">eksctl website</a>.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Create the Cluster</strong>: Use this command to set up your cluster:</p>
</li>
</ol>
<div class="contain-inline-size rounded-md border-[0.5px] border-token-border-medium relative bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-gray-950">
<div class="flex items-center text-token-text-secondary px-4 py-2 text-xs font-sans justify-between rounded-t-md h-9 bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary select-none">bash</div>
<div class="sticky top-9 md:top-[5.75rem]">
<div class="absolute bottom-0 right-2 flex h-9 items-center">
<div class="flex items-center rounded bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary px-2 font-sans text-xs text-token-text-secondary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary"><span class="" data-state="closed"><button class="flex gap-1 items-center select-none py-1">Copy code</button></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="overflow-y-auto p-4" dir="ltr"><code class="!whitespace-pre hljs language-bash">eksctl create cluster --name my-cluster --region us-west-2 --nodegroup-name my-nodes --node-type t2.micro --nodes 2<br />
</code></div>
</div>
<p>This will create a cluster with two <code>t2.micro</code> nodes.</p>
<h3>Option 5: Using AWS CDK</h3>
<p>The AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK) lets you use programming languages to define cloud infrastructure. Here’s a Python example:</p>
<ol>
<li>
<p><strong>Install AWS CDK</strong>: Follow instructions on the AWS CDK website.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Set Up a CDK Application</strong>:</p>
</li>
</ol>
<div class="contain-inline-size rounded-md border-[0.5px] border-token-border-medium relative bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-gray-950">
<div class="flex items-center text-token-text-secondary px-4 py-2 text-xs font-sans justify-between rounded-t-md h-9 bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary select-none">python</div>
<div class="sticky top-9 md:top-[5.75rem]">
<div class="absolute bottom-0 right-2 flex h-9 items-center">
<div class="flex items-center rounded bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary px-2 font-sans text-xs text-token-text-secondary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary"><span class="" data-state="closed"><button class="flex gap-1 items-center select-none py-1">Copy code</button></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="overflow-y-auto p-4" dir="ltr"><code class="!whitespace-pre hljs language-python"><span class="hljs-keyword">from</span> aws_cdk <span class="hljs-keyword">import</span> core<br />
<span class="hljs-keyword">from</span> aws_cdk.aws_eks <span class="hljs-keyword">import</span> Cluster</p>
<p><span class="hljs-keyword">class</span> <span class="hljs-title class_">MyEksClusterStack</span>(core.Stack):</p>
<p>    <span class="hljs-keyword">def</span> <span class="hljs-title function_">__init__</span>(<span class="hljs-params">self, scope: core.Construct, <span class="hljs-built_in">id</span>: <span class="hljs-built_in">str</span>, **kwargs</span>) -&gt; <span class="hljs-literal">None</span>:<br />
        <span class="hljs-built_in">super</span>().__init__(scope, <span class="hljs-built_in">id</span>, **kwargs)</p>
<p>        cluster = Cluster(self, <span class="hljs-string">"MyCluster"</span>,<br />
            cluster_name=<span class="hljs-string">"my-cluster"</span>,<br />
            default_capacity=<span class="hljs-number">2</span><br />
        )</p>
<p>app = core.App()<br />
MyEksClusterStack(app, <span class="hljs-string">"MyEksClusterStack"</span>)<br />
app.synth()<br />
</code></div>
</div>
<ol start="3">
<li><strong>Deploy the Stack</strong>: Run the command below to deploy:</li>
</ol>
<div class="contain-inline-size rounded-md border-[0.5px] border-token-border-medium relative bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-gray-950">
<div class="flex items-center text-token-text-secondary px-4 py-2 text-xs font-sans justify-between rounded-t-md h-9 bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary select-none">bash</div>
<div class="sticky top-9 md:top-[5.75rem]">
<div class="absolute bottom-0 right-2 flex h-9 items-center">
<div class="flex items-center rounded bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary px-2 font-sans text-xs text-token-text-secondary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary"><span class="" data-state="closed"><button class="flex gap-1 items-center select-none py-1">Copy code</button></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="overflow-y-auto p-4" dir="ltr"><code class="!whitespace-pre hljs language-bash">cdk deploy<br />
</code></div>
</div>
<h2>Verifying Your EKS Cluster</h2>
<p>After creating the cluster, verify its status by running:</p>
<div class="contain-inline-size rounded-md border-[0.5px] border-token-border-medium relative bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-gray-950">
<div class="flex items-center text-token-text-secondary px-4 py-2 text-xs font-sans justify-between rounded-t-md h-9 bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary select-none">bash</div>
<div class="sticky top-9 md:top-[5.75rem]">
<div class="absolute bottom-0 right-2 flex h-9 items-center">
<div class="flex items-center rounded bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary px-2 font-sans text-xs text-token-text-secondary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary"><span class="" data-state="closed"><button class="flex gap-1 items-center select-none py-1">Copy code</button></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="overflow-y-auto p-4" dir="ltr"><code class="!whitespace-pre hljs language-bash">kubectl get svc<br />
</code></div>
</div>
<p>This command shows the services running in your cluster. If everything is configured correctly, you’ll see the Kubernetes services.</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Setting up your first EKS cluster is a big step toward utilizing Kubernetes for your applications. You can use the AWS Console, CLI, Terraform, <code>eksctl</code>, or AWS CDK—each method has its benefits. As you become more comfortable with EKS, you can explore advanced setups and optimizations. With this guide, you’re ready to begin managing your own EKS cluster. Happy clustering!</p>
<p>Do you like to read more educational content? Read our blogs at<a href="https://www.cloudastra.co/blogs"> Cloudastra Technologies</a> or contact us for business enquiry at <a href="https://www.cloudastra.co/contact">Cloudastra Contact Us</a>.</p>


Blog Details

Building Your First EKS Cluster