Kubernetes Training Notes

This repository contains Kubernetes examples for Batch 16A, including simple root manifests, a Flask/PostgreSQL learning app under app/, and the ordered course labs under sessions/.

Current EKS Version

As of 2026-06-13, the latest Amazon EKS Kubernetes version in standard support is 1.36.

Reference:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eks/latest/userguide/kubernetes-versions.html

Before creating a cluster in the future, check the versions currently available in your AWS account and region:

aws eks describe-cluster-versions --region us-east-2

Prerequisites

Install and configure these tools before creating the cluster:

• AWS CLI v2
• eksctl
• kubectl
• An AWS IAM user or role with permissions to create EKS, EC2, VPC, IAM, and load balancer resources

Confirm AWS access:

aws sts get-caller-identity

Create The EKS Cluster

The original notes used the cluster name demo-batch16a in us-east-2. This README keeps the same values and adds the latest EKS version.

export CLUSTER_NAME=demo-batch16a
export AWS_REGION=us-east-2
export EKS_VERSION=1.36

eksctl create cluster \
  --name "$CLUSTER_NAME" \
  --region "$AWS_REGION" \
  --version "$EKS_VERSION" \
  --nodegroup-name standard-workers \
  --node-type t3.medium \
  --nodes 2 \
  --nodes-min 2 \
  --nodes-max 3

This creates:

• An EKS control plane running Kubernetes 1.36
• A managed node group named standard-workers
• Two t3.medium worker nodes, autoscaling between two and three nodes
• AWS networking resources required by the cluster

Configure kubectl

aws eks --region "$AWS_REGION" update-kubeconfig --name "$CLUSTER_NAME"

Verify access:

kubectl version
kubectl get nodes
kubectl get namespaces

Deploy The Root Nginx Example

From the repository root:

kubectl apply -f namespace-pk.yml
kubectl apply -f deployment-pk.yml
kubectl apply -f service-pk.yml

Check the workload:

kubectl get all -n pk
kubectl get service nginx-service -n pk

The nginx-service is a LoadBalancer service. On EKS, AWS provisions an external load balancer for it. Wait until the EXTERNAL-IP or hostname appears, then open it in a browser.

Cleanup the root example:

kubectl delete -f service-pk.yml --ignore-not-found
kubectl delete -f deployment-pk.yml --ignore-not-found
kubectl delete -f namespace-pk.yml --ignore-not-found

Run The Training Sessions

Start with the roadmap:

sessions/00-prerequisites-and-roadmap/README.md

The repository is now organized as a 30-session Kubernetes path plus a scenario-driven case study section. Session 00 is the prerequisite and roadmap entry point; Sessions 01-30 are the teaching flow, and Session 31 collects real-world scenario labs.

Session	Topic	Guide
00	Prerequisites and roadmap	sessions/00-prerequisites-and-roadmap/README.md
01	Kubernetes architecture	sessions/01-kubernetes-architecture/README.md
02	Core Kubernetes objects	sessions/02-core-k8s/README.md
03	Configuration and Pod lifecycle	sessions/03-configuration-and-pod-lifecycle/README.md
04	Services and DNS	sessions/04-services-and-dns/README.md
05	Deployment operations	sessions/05-deployment-operations/README.md
06	Workload controllers, Jobs, CronJobs, DaemonSets	sessions/06-workload-controllers/README.md
07	Storage, PV, PVC, StatefulSet	sessions/07-storage-pv-pvc-statefulset/README.md
08	Ingress and edge routing	sessions/08-ingress-edge-routing/README.md
09	Gateway API and TLS	sessions/09-gateway-api-and-tls/README.md
10	Advanced scheduling	sessions/10-advanced-scheduling/README.md
11	Resource management and disruption safety	sessions/11-resource-management/README.md
12	Pod autoscaling	sessions/12-pod-autoscaling/README.md
13	Node autoscaling	sessions/13-node-autoscaling/README.md
14	RBAC and identity	sessions/14-rbac-and-identity/README.md
15	EKS IAM integration	sessions/15-eks-iam-integration/README.md
16	Security hardening	sessions/16-security-hardening/README.md
17	Secrets management	sessions/17-secrets-management/README.md
18	CNI, networking, eBPF	sessions/18-cni-networking/README.md
19	Observability	sessions/19-observability/README.md
20	Troubleshooting	sessions/20-troubleshooting/README.md
21	Helm	sessions/21-helm/README.md
22	Kustomize	sessions/22-kustomize/README.md
23	Argo CD and GitOps	sessions/23-argocd-gitops/README.md
24	Advanced Argo CD	sessions/24-advanced-argocd/README.md
25	Admission control and policy	sessions/25-admission-control-and-policy/README.md
26	CRDs, controllers, operators	sessions/26-crds-controllers-operators/README.md
27	Service mesh	sessions/27-service-mesh/README.md
28	Cluster operations	sessions/28-cluster-operations/README.md
29	Supply chain and CI/CD	sessions/29-supply-chain-cicd/README.md
30	Production capstone	sessions/30-production-capstone/README.md
31	Case studies and scenarios	sessions/31-case-studies/README.md

Each session now has an ordered guide, sub-session structure, and app-based lab examples where the topic can be demonstrated through the training application. Some advanced examples require installing their controller or CRD first, and cloud-specific examples include placeholder values that should be replaced for your own AWS account, domain, registry, or Git repository.

Important provider prerequisites:

• Dynamic EBS StorageClass examples need the Amazon EBS CSI driver.
• Session 08 uses AWS Load Balancer Controller for the default ALB Ingress path.
• Session 12 needs Metrics Server for HPA and VPA resource metrics.
• Session 13 needs EKS Auto Mode, Karpenter, or Cluster Autoscaler for live node scaling.
• Session 23 needs outbound access to GitHub.

Delete The EKS Cluster

Delete application resources first, then delete the cluster:

eksctl delete cluster --name "$CLUSTER_NAME" --region "$AWS_REGION"

If you did not keep the environment variables from earlier:

eksctl delete cluster --name demo-batch16a --region us-east-2

EKS clusters, worker nodes, EBS volumes, and load balancers can create AWS charges while they exist. Delete the cluster when the lab is finished.