Streamlining Amazon EKS Deployment with Infrastructure as Code

Managing Kubernetes clusters can be a daunting task. Manual processes are often complex and prone to human error. However, by leveraging Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools and automation, we can significantly simplify and secure the deployment and management of Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) clusters. This post explores how to automate EKS provisioning using Terraform and a CI/CD approach.

Prerequisites

Before embarking on this automated journey, ensure you have the following in place:

An Existing AWS Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) and Subnets: You’ll need a VPC and associated subnets where your EKS cluster will reside. You can use the AWS CLI to get the IDs.
Terraform Installation: Install Terraform on your local machine. Terraform is an open-source IaC tool used to define and provision infrastructure.
Secure Authentication: Secure authentication credentials.
Proper IAM Permissions: An IAM role with appropriate permissions that allows actions to interact with AWS resources.
EKS Access Control: Security Group Rules that allow necessary access to your EKS cluster.

Project Structure

A well-organized project structure is key for maintainability. Consider the following structure:

repo-root/
├── terraform/
│   ├── main.tf
│   ├── variables.tf
│   ├── backend.tf
│   ├── outputs.tf
│   └── providers.tf
├── .github/workflows/
│   ├── terraform.yaml
│   └── tf-yaml-validator.yaml
├── .yamllint
├── README.md
└── .gitignore

This structure separates Terraform configuration files (in the terraform directory) from CI/CD workflow definitions (in .github/workflows).

Automated Deployment Workflow

The core of this approach is an automated workflow that handles the following stages:

Linting: This initial step validates the syntax of both your YAML and Terraform files. Catching errors early prevents deployment issues down the line.
Terraform Plan: This stage simulates the changes Terraform will make to your infrastructure. It’s a crucial step for reviewing the intended actions before they are applied.
Terraform Apply: If the plan is approved, this step executes the changes, provisioning the EKS cluster and related resources.

Gathering AWS Information

To configure Terraform correctly, you need to gather some information about your existing AWS environment. Specifically, you’ll need the VPC ID and the Subnet IDs where you want to deploy your EKS cluster. Use the AWS CLI to retrieve these:

aws ec2 describe-vpcs --query "Vpcs[].VpcId"
aws ec2 describe-subnets --query "Subnets[].SubnetId"

These IDs will be used as inputs to your Terraform configuration.

Securely Managing Credentials

To securely enable to interact with AWS, you need to set up an IAM role. This involves creating a trust policy that specifies who can assume the role.

1. Create an IAM Role:

aws iam create-role --role-name eks-cluster-role \
--assume-role-policy-document file://trust-policy.json

2. trust-policy.json Example:

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Principal": {
        "Federated": "arn:aws:iam::<AWS_ACCOUNT_ID>:oidc-provider/token.actions.githubusercontent.com"
      },
      "Action": "sts:AssumeRole",
      "Condition": {
        "StringLike": {
          "token.actions.githubusercontent.com:sub": "repo:<GITHUB_ORG>/*"
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

Important: Replace <AWS_ACCOUNT_ID> with your actual AWS account ID and <GITHUB_ORG> with your GitHub organization or user name.

3. Attach Policies:

Attach the necessary policies to the IAM role to grant it permissions to manage EKS clusters and related resources:

aws iam attach-role-policy --role-name eks-cluster-role \
--policy-arn arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/AmazonEKSClusterPolicy
aws iam attach-role-policy --role-name eks-cluster-role \
--policy-arn arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/AmazonEKSWorkerNodePolicy
aws iam attach-role-policy --role-name eks-cluster-role \
--policy-arn arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/AmazonEC2ContainerRegistryReadOnly

4. Verify:

Confirm the role creation:

aws iam get-role --role-name eks-cluster-role

CI/CD Workflow for EKS Deployment

The CI/CD pipeline automates the deployment process. Here’s a breakdown of the key components:

Validation:
Before any deployment, ensure that the Terraform and YAML files are syntactically correct.
Deployment Triggers:
Enable users to trigger specific Terraform actions (plan, apply, destroy) by commenting. For example:
- terraform plan
- terraform apply
- terraform destroy

Handling Sensitive Values

Store sensitive values, such as AWS credentials and environment-specific configurations.

AWS_OIDC_ROLE: The ARN of the IAM role.
VPC_ID: The ID of your existing VPC.
SUBNET_IDS: A comma-separated list of subnet IDs.

Troubleshooting

Here are some common issues and their potential solutions:

Error acquiring state lock: This usually indicates a problem with the Terraform backend configuration. Ensure it’s set up correctly.
ResourceNotFoundException: If you’re using DynamoDB for state locking, make sure the specified table exists (e.g., terraform-lock).
Missing VPC/Subnet values: Double-check that you’ve correctly provided the VPC ID and Subnet IDs as Terraform variables.
YAML validation fails: Review your YAML files for syntax errors, using a linter like .yamllint to help.

Key Features and Security Best Practices

This automated EKS deployment approach incorporates several best practices:

Secure Authentication: The setup uses secure authentication.
Review-Based Deployment: Changes are only applied after a review, promoting collaboration and preventing accidental misconfigurations.
Syntax Validation: YAML and Terraform validation ensures that only valid configurations are deployed.
State Management: Terraform’s backend with state locking prevents conflicts when multiple users or processes are managing the infrastructure.
IAM Role-Based Access: Access to AWS and EKS is controlled through IAM roles, adhering to the principle of least privilege.

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