Skip to main content

Managing Kubernetes Contexts in EKS Cluster

Objective​

This lab shows how to verify and switch Kubernetes contexts in an EKS cluster. We'll make use of the kubectl command-line tool, which allows you to run commands against Kubernetes clusters. Specifically, you'll learn how to check your current context and switch to a different one if needed, allowing your local environment to interact with the desired cluster.

Prerequisites​

Initial Setup​

Navigate to the root directory of the python-fastapi-demo-docker project where your environment variables are sourced:

cd ~/environment/python-fastapi-demo-docker

1. Verifying the Current Context​

In Kubernetes, the term "context" refers to the cluster and namespace currently targeted by the kubectl command-line tool. Start by verifying the current context with the following command:

kubectl config current-context

This command will output the current context, which should resemble:

arn:aws:eks:us-east-1:012345678901:cluster/fargate-quickstart

or

admin@fargate-quickstart.us-east-1.eksctl.io

2. Switching Contexts​

If your current context doesn't match your EKS cluster, you need to switch contexts. Switching contexts points your local Kubernetes CLI tool, kubectl, to interact with your desired cluster.

From the python-fastapi-demo-docker project directory, update your local kubeconfig file using either one of the following commands:

aws eks --region ${AWS_REGION} update-kubeconfig --name fargate-quickstart

or

eksctl utils write-kubeconfig --cluster fargate-quickstart --region ${AWS_REGION}

Executing the above commands should output a confirmation message similar to the output below, indicating a successful context switch:

Updated context arn:aws:eks:us-east-1:012345678901:cluster/fargate-quickstart in /Users/frank/.kube/config

or

2023-09-22 17:00:52 [✔]  saved kubeconfig as "/Users/frank/.kube/config"
tip
  • If using an AWS CLI version older than 1.16.156, make sure that the aws-iam-authenticator is installed in your environment. Refer to Installing aws-iam-authenticator in the EKS documentation.

Conclusion​

This lab provided a quick walkthrough on how to verify and switch Kubernetes contexts in an EKS cluster. With a good grasp of Kubernetes contexts, you're now better equipped to handle workloads on different EKS clusters efficiently.