Overview
Managed Kubernetes Clusters
The astro platform supports the following managed Kubernetes clusters:
The astro platform deploys K8s clusters with best practices and provides simple interface to interact with the clusters. The astroctl CLI tool is used to interact with the clusters to make it easier to manage the clusters.
Key Advantages
- Ease of Use: Managed clusters require less setup and maintenance, as the cloud provider handles the underlying infrastructure.
- Scalability: Managed clusters can scale automatically to meet your application's needs, reducing the need for manual intervention.
- Security: Managed clusters often include built-in security features and compliance standards, reducing the risk of security breaches.
Managed clusters (EKS, GKE, AKS) use dynamic, short-lived credentials for enhanced security. In your cluster YAML, this is configured with credentials: { type: dynamic }.
The credentials: { type: vault } option, which uses the platform's internal vault, is exclusively for self-hosted clusters.
Kubernetes Version Discovery
Use the CLI to discover available Kubernetes versions for your provisioner and region:
# AWS EKS versions
astroctl cloud aws k8s-versions
astroctl cloud aws k8s-versions -r us-west-2
astroctl cloud aws k8s-versions --show-upgrade-paths
# Google GKE versions
astroctl cloud gcp k8s-versions
astroctl cloud gcp k8s-versions -r us-central1
astroctl cloud gcp k8s-versions --show-upgrade-paths
# Azure AKS versions
astroctl cloud azure k8s-versions
astroctl cloud azure k8s-versions -r eastus
astroctl cloud azure k8s-versions --show-upgrade-paths
| Provisioner | Version Format | Upgrade Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| AWS EKS | 1.30 or 1.30.14 | Sequential minor versions only |
| Google GKE | 1.30 or 1.30.14-gke.xxx | Same major version only |
| Azure AKS | 1.30 or 1.30.5 | Sequential minor versions only |
The console UI also shows available versions during cluster creation and upgrade. Use the CLI commands above for scripting and automation.
Release Channels (GKE Only)
GKE supports release channels for automatic version management:
| Channel | Update Frequency | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| RAPID | Weekly | Testing, development |
| REGULAR | Bi-weekly | Pre-production |
| STABLE | Monthly | Production (default) |
Auto-Upgrade Channels (AKS Only)
AKS supports auto-upgrade channels for automatic version management:
| Channel | Behavior | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
patch | Auto-upgrade to latest patch | Production (recommended) |
stable | Upgrade to N-1 minor stable patch | Conservative production |
rapid | Upgrade to latest supported version | Testing, development |
node-image | Upgrade node images only | Node OS freshness |
none | No automatic upgrades | Full manual control |
Cluster Updates & Upgrades
EKS, GKE, and AKS all support:
- Kubernetes version upgrades via
astroctl infra k8s upgrade - Node group scaling via
astroctl infra k8s update - Configuration updates (AMI family for EKS, image type for GKE, OS upgrade channel for AKS)
See the provider-specific documentation for detailed upgrade procedures:
Networking
To understand the networking architecture, follow the Networking section.