How to Install an AKS Cluster with the Istio service mesh add-on via Bicep
Introduction
The Istio service mesh add-on is a powerful tool to make use of the distributed nature of cloud computing. It can be used to make applications more resilient, secure, and easier to manage. In this tutorial, we will cover how to install an AKS cluster with the Istio service mesh add-on via Bicep.
What is Istio?
Istio is an open source service mesh framework that enables developers to quickly and easily deploy and manage microservices in a cloud environment. It offers a range of features including dynamic routing, service discovery, and monitoring. It also offers security features such as TLS encryption and identity management.
What is AKS?
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) is a managed Kubernetes service that enables users to quickly deploy, scale, and manage containerized applications. It is ideal for deploying stateless applications such as web applications and microservices.
What is Bicep?
Bicep is an open source language created by Microsoft that simplifies the process of deploying complex infrastructure in the Azure cloud. It is designed to be easy to use and understand, and can be used to quickly deploy AKS clusters with the Istio service mesh add-on.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, you will need to have the following:
* A valid Azure subscription.
* An Azure resource group.
* An Azure storage account.
* An Azure Active Directory (AAD) tenant.
* The Azure CLI installed on your machine.
* The Bicep CLI installed on your machine.
Step 1: Create an Azure Service Principal
The first step is to create an Azure Service Principal. This is a security identity that is used to authenticate and authorize access to Azure resources. To create a Service Principal, you will need to run the following command in the Azure CLI:
az ad sp create-for-rbac –name –role contributor –scopes
Replace with a name for the Service Principal and with the ID of the Azure subscription you are using.
Step 2: Create an Azure Storage Account
The next step is to create an Azure Storage Account. This will be used to store the Bicep template files and the AKS cluster configuration files. To create an Azure Storage Account, you will need to run the following command in the Azure CLI:
az storage account create –name –resource-group –sku Standard_LRS
Replace with a name for the Storage Account and with the name of the resource group you are using.
Step 3: Create an AKS Cluster
The next step is to create an AKS cluster. To do this, you will need to run the following command in the Azure CLI:
az aks create –name –resource-group –node-count –service-principal –client-secret
Replace with a name for the cluster, with the name of the resource group you are using, with the number of nodes you want to create, with the name of the Service Principal you created, and with the secret associated with the Service Principal.
Step 4: Install Istio on the AKS Cluster
The next step is to install Istio on the AKS cluster. To do this, you will need to run the following command in the Azure CLI:
az aks install-addons –name –resource-group –addons istio
Replace with the name of the cluster and with the name of the resource group you are using.
Step 5: Create a Bicep Template File
Now that you have installed Istio on the AKS cluster, you will need to create a Bicep template file. This file is used to define the configuration of the cluster and the Istio service mesh. To create a Bicep template file, you will need to run the following command:
az bicep create –name –resource-group –storage-account –aks-name
Replace with a name for the template, with the name of the resource group you are using, with the name of the Storage Account you created, and with the name of the AKS cluster.
Step 6: Deploy the Bicep Template
Once you have created the Bicep template file, you will need to deploy it to the AKS cluster. To do this, you will need to run the following command in the Azure CLI:
az bicep deploy –name –resource-group –storage-account –aks-name
Replace with the name of the template, with the name of the resource group you are using, with the name of the Storage Account you created, and with the name of the AKS cluster.
Step 7: Verify the Installation
The final step is to verify the installation. To do this, you will need to run the following command in the Azure CLI:
az aks get-credentials –name –resource-group
Replace with the name of the cluster and with the name of the resource group you are using.
Conclusion
In this tutorial, we have covered how to install an AKS cluster with the Istio service mesh add-on via Bicep. We have discussed what Istio and AKS are and how to create an Azure Service Principal and an Azure Storage Account. We have also discussed how to create an AKS cluster, install Istio on the cluster, create a Bicep template file, and deploy the template. Finally, we have discussed how to verify the installation.
