Deployment Options¶

This article discusses various methods for managing Amazon EKS clusters, including AWS Console, CloudFormation, Terraform, and other tools.

Managing Amazon EKS clusters can be done in multiple ways—from point-and-click in the AWS Console to fully scripted Infrastructure as Code (IaC). Select the method that aligns with your team’s skills, automation goals, and compliance requirements.

1. AWS Management Console¶

Create an EKS cluster directly in the AWS Console by navigating to Kubernetes (EKS), clicking Create cluster, and completing the forms for Cluster name, Networking, Node groups, and Permissions.

Note

The console UI offers quick setup without writing code, but switching between IAM, VPC, EC2, and EKS tabs can be error-prone and difficult to reproduce at scale.

Pros	Cons
No coding required	Manual steps; low repeatability
Visual feedback for each resource	Hard to automate CI/CD pipelines
Good for learning and demos	Inconsistent environment configurations

2. AWS CloudFormation¶

Define your EKS infrastructure as code using CloudFormation YAML/JSON or the AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK).

CloudFormation templates: Hand-craft IAM roles, VPCs, subnets, security groups, and EKS resources.
AWS CDK: Write TypeScript, Python, Java, or .NET code that synthesizes into CloudFormation.

Feature	CloudFormation	AWS CDK
Syntax	YAML / JSON	TypeScript, Python, Java, .NET
Drift detection	✅	✅ via synthesized templates
High-level constructs	Limited	Rich L2/L3 abstractions

The image illustrates a diagram showing AWS CloudFormation connected to a central user icon, surrounded by multiple Kubernetes icons.

Parameterize your templates to spin up multiple clusters with consistent settings. Use Change Sets and drift detection to manage updates and rollbacks safely.

3. Terraform¶

Terraform uses declarative HCL to provision EKS clusters. Leverage community or official modules from the Terraform Registry and AWS IaC Blueprints for best practices out of the box.

Warning

Terraform state management is your responsibility. Configure a remote backend (e.g., S3 + DynamoDB) to lock state files and prevent concurrent modifications.

Feature	Details
Language	HCL
Official Modules	EKS Blueprints GitHub
State Backend	S3 + DynamoDB for locking
Responsibilities	AWS API access, credentials, state security, backend config

The image illustrates the concept of "Infrastructure as Code" using Terraform and AWS EKS Blueprints, with associated logos.

4. Other Tools and Services¶

Several third-party and community-driven tools can simplify EKS cluster provisioning:

Tool	Language / Approach	Description
Pulumi	Go, Python, TypeScript, .NET	Write IaC in general-purpose languages
Cluster API	Kubernetes manifests (CRDs)	Manage cluster lifecycle via Kubernetes operators
AWS CLI	Shell	Script `aws eks create-cluster …` with full AWS service access
SaaS Providers	N/A	Hosted control planes or operators that wrap Terraform/API calls

The image shows logos for "Pulumi" and "Cluster API" under the heading "Other Services."

No matter which path you choose, standardize on templates or scripts to ensure consistency and speed. In the next section, we’ll introduce lightweight tools for spinning up disposable test clusters in minutes.