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Overview

The Astro Platform offers a flexible approach to creating Kubernetes Clusters, allowing you to choose between self-hosted and managed options.

For self-hosted clusters, you have the freedom to select GCP and AWS compute nodes that best suit your needs.

In the managed Kubernetes space, the Astro Platform exclusively supports EKS clusters, which come pre-configured with Karpenter. However, you can always tailor this configuration to meet your specific requirements.

Some of the key benefits of the Astro Platform include:

  • Production-ready K8s Clusters: Deployed directly into your account, with the options to Bring Your Own Account (BYOA) or Bring Your Own VPC (BYO-VPC).
  • Simplified Kubeconfig Management: A straightforward API for retrieving the kubeconfig (complete with expiration) for any K8s cluster under management.
  • Seamless EKS Integration: No credentials required for managed K8s on EKS, thanks to the use of assume role and AWS security service token for credential generation.
  • Streamlined Role Provisioning: The Astro platform provides a simple CLI command to set up the necessary assume roles, ensuring compatibility with the security service token.
  • Customizable VPC: Bring your own VPC for managed K8s clusters, particularly EKS. The astroctl tool offers a command to generate the expected cloudformation, which includes:
    • 3 Availability Zones: Ensuring zonal fault tolerance.
    • 3 Public Subnets: Deploying internet gateways, NATs, and more.
    • 3 Private Subnets: Dedicated to worker nodes.
  • Cluster Creation Workflow: A notification and approval process for cluster creation.
  • Quota Validation: The astroctl tool includes quota validation to minimize issues during cluster creation.
  • BYO VPC for EKS: The platform offers a means to generate cloudformation for bringing your own VPC, providing a starting point for configuration.
  • Worker Node Flexibility: The option to choose between spot and on-demand worker nodes.
  • Notification System: A comprehensive notification system for cluster lifecycle events.
    • Web UI Configuration: Configure notifications through Settings → Notifications in the console.
    • Multiple Channels: Support for Email and Slack notifications (Enterprise plans).
    • Real-time Updates: Automatic notifications for cluster creation, updates, and status changes.
    • Wizard Integration: Notification preferences can be set during cluster creation through the wizard interface.

Beyond these features, the Astro Platform also offers:

  • Deterministic Delete Workflow: Ensuring a predictable and controlled deletion process.
  • Upcoming Upgrade Workflow: Enhancing the platform with a streamlined upgrade process in the near future.