eksctl

Task 2: Deploying a Kubernetes Cluster Using eksctl

eksctl is the easiest way to create and manage an Amazon EKS cluster. It automates creating EKS control planes, worker nodes, IAM roles, and networking.

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Step 1: Install eksctl

Commands

curl -sSL "https://github.com/weaveworks/eksctl/releases/latest/download/eksctl_$(uname -s)_amd64.tar.gz" | tar xz -C /usr/local/bin
eksctl version

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue	Cause	Solution
eksctl: command not found	Path issue.	Run export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/bin or move eksctl to /usr/bin/.
eksctl version shows an old version	Older binary in path.	Run which eksctl to check the location and update it.

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Step 2: Install AWS CLI & Configure Credentials

Commands

curl "https://awscli.amazonaws.com/awscli-exe-linux-x86_64.zip" -o "awscliv2.zip"
unzip awscliv2.zip && sudo ./aws/install
aws configure

• Enter AWS Access Key & Secret Key

• Region (e.g., us-east-2)

• Output format (json)

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue	Cause	Solution
aws: command not found	AWS CLI not installed.	Reinstall using curl or apt install awscli.
The config profile does not exist	Incorrect profile name.	Run aws configure list to check.

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Step 3: Create an EKS Cluster

Command

eksctl create cluster --name my-cluster --region us-east-2 --nodegroup-name my-nodes --nodes 2 --nodes-min 1 --nodes-max 3 --node-type t3.medium --managed

This command:

• Creates an EKS control plane in us-east-2

• Adds 2 worker nodes (autoscaling between 1-3 nodes)

• Uses t3.medium instances

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue	Cause	Solution
Cannot create cluster, IAM role is missing	IAM permissions are insufficient.	Attach AdministratorAccess or AmazonEKSFullAccess policy to the AWS user.
AWS IAM Authenticator not found	Missing dependency.	Install it: curl -o aws-iam-authenticator https://amazon-eks.s3.amazonaws.com/1.19.6/2020-11-02/bin/linux/amd64/aws-iam-authenticator && chmod +x aws-iam-authenticator && mv aws-iam-authenticator /usr/local/bin/.
Cluster creation takes too long	VPC misconfiguration.	Specify a custom VPC using --vpc-private-subnets or ensure your region has available subnets.
Error from server (Unauthorized)	Kubectl is not authorized to access EKS.	Update ~/.kube/config: aws eks update-kubeconfig --region us-east-2 --name my-cluster.

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Step 4: Verify Cluster & Node Status

Commands

kubectl get nodes
kubectl get pods -A
kubectl cluster-info

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue	Cause	Solution
nodes NotReady	Cluster is still provisioning.	Wait a few minutes and check kubectl get nodes.
Error from server (Forbidden)	IAM role does not have eks:DescribeCluster permission.	Attach AmazonEKSClusterPolicy to the role.

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Step 5: Deploy a Sample App

Commands

kubectl create deployment nginx --image=nginx
kubectl expose deployment nginx --type=LoadBalancer --port=80
kubectl get svc nginx

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue	Cause	Solution
Service pending external IP	AWS Load Balancer controller missing.	Install ALB Ingress Controller or use --type=NodePort.
Pods stuck in Pending	No nodes available.	Scale the node group: eksctl scale nodegroup --cluster=my-cluster --name=my-nodes --nodes=2.

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Step 6: Enable Cluster Autoscaler

Commands

kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes/autoscaler/releases/download/cluster-autoscaler-chart/cluster-autoscaler.yaml

kubectl set env deployment cluster-autoscaler -n kube-system AWS_REGION=us-east-2

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue	Cause	Solution
Cluster autoscaler not scaling	IAM permissions missing.	Attach AmazonEKSClusterAutoscalerPolicy to worker nodes.
Insufficient capacity error	AWS region has no free capacity.	Change instance type in eksctl scale nodegroup.

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Step 7: Delete the Cluster

Command

eksctl delete cluster --name my-cluster --region us-east-2

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue	Cause	Solution
Error deleting cluster: VPC not deleted	EKS leaves VPC intact.	Manually delete the VPC from AWS Console.
IAM role deletion failed	Role is still in use.	Detach all policies before deleting.

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Summary

✅ Cluster Created ✅ Worker Nodes Added ✅ Sample App Deployed ✅ Autoscaler Configured ✅ Cluster Deleted When Done

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Next Task: Do you want to set up EKS with Terraform or move to another Kubernetes admin task? 😊