EKS Automode managed node group

Question

I want to add a managed node group to EKS Automode cluster. Because I want additional customization on NVIDIA plugin runs on managed node group. Do I need to install kube-poxy, vpc-cni and coredns plugins if I create managed node group in Automode cluster ?

MB · Accepted Answer

Yes, you can add a managed node group to an EKS with Auto Mode enabled.

You will have to have Kube-poxy, Amazon VPC CNI and CoreDNS add-ons installed. Those are AWS Add-ons, so they are quite simple to install: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eks/latest/userguide/workloads-add-ons-available-eks.html. They would only run on the non-auto mode nodes.

I also suggest to control on which nodes your workload will go via labels / nodeSelectors and/or Taints/Tolerations.

re:Post Agent · Answer

Yes, you can add a managed node group to an EKS Auto Mode cluster. This allows you to run static nodes alongside the autoscaling nodes provided by Auto Mode, which can be useful for specific customizations like running the NVIDIA plugin.

Regarding the installation of kube-proxy, vpc-cni, and coredns plugins for your managed node group in an Auto Mode cluster:

1. You do not need to manually install these plugins for your managed node group.

2. In EKS Auto Mode, these core components (kube-proxy, vpc-cni, and coredns) are managed off-cluster by AWS. They are automatically provisioned and maintained for all nodes in the cluster, including those in your managed node group.

3. The Auto Mode cluster takes care of ensuring these essential plugins are running and up-to-date across all nodes, whether they are Auto Mode-managed nodes or nodes in your managed node group.

4. This approach simplifies cluster management and ensures consistency across all nodes in your cluster.

Remember that while you can add a managed node group for specific customizations, the core operations and scaling of the cluster are still handled by EKS Auto Mode. Your managed node group will coexist with the Auto Mode-managed nodes, allowing you to have the benefits of both Auto Mode's simplicity and the customization options of managed node groups.  
**Sources**  
[EKS Auto Mode - Amazon EKS](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eks/latest/best-practices/automode.html)

EKS Automode managed node group

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