September 2024 Edition

Welcome to the AKS Monthly Newsletter!

Hello, AKS enthusiasts! Welcome to the first edition of our AKS Monthly Newsletter. This newsletter aims to bring you the latest in Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) – including product updates, community contributions, and upcoming events. Whether you're an experienced Kubernetes user or just getting started, we hope this monthly edition will provide valuable insights to help you stay ahead in the world of cloud-native technologies. Let's dive into what’s happening this month!

Product Updates

Here are the key updates for AKS this month:

• Advanced Container Networking Services: Enhancing Security and Observability in AKS : AKS continues to strengthen security and observability with advanced container networking services, ensuring a more secure and resilient environment for your applications.
• Long-term support for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) versions : AKS version 1.27 is now deprecated. Users are encouraged to upgrade to the community-supported version 1.28 for continued stability and security. For those requiring long-term support (LTS), both AKS versions 1.27 and 1.30 are now available as LTS versions, offering extended support options.
• Migrate from Dapr OSS to the Dapr Extension for AKS : The Dapr extension for Azure Kubernetes Service is now available, offering a more integrated experience. We recommend migrating from Dapr OSS to the extension for better support and functionality.
• Dapr Extension for AKS and Arc-enabled Kubernetes : Configure the Dapr extension across AKS and Arc-enabled Kubernetes projects to streamline distributed application development with ease.

Community Contributions

We’ve seen some incredible contributions from the community this month. Here are some highlights:

• AKS Learning Path : A comprehensive resource designed to help you navigate Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). This learning path consolidates foundational concepts, best practices, and advanced topics into a single location, making it easier to accelerate your AKS expertise. Explore step-by-step guides, architecture patterns, and real-world use cases to enhance your cloud-native journey.
• Use Mixed SKU Node Pools (Preview) in Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS) : A fantastic preview feature that allows you to use different VM SKUs in the same AKS node pool, optimizing performance and cost.
• Optimizing AKS Upgrades to Improve Performance and Minimize Disruptions : Learn how the community is working on optimizing AKS upgrades for seamless performance, minimizing disruptions to production workloads.
• Harnessing Generative AI with Weaviate on AKS and Azure NetApp Files : Discover how Generative AI is being leveraged with Weaviate on AKS to push the boundaries of machine learning workloads.
• Azure Container Apps (ACA) vs Azure Container Instances (ACI) vs AKS : A detailed comparison of these three containerization services, helping you choose the right solution for your workloads.
• Microsoft Copilot in Azure Series - Kubectl : Explore how Microsoft Copilot enhances Kubernetes operations with kubectl, simplifying command execution and management tasks for your AKS clusters.
• Microsoft Copilot in Azure Series – AKS Cluster Configuration and Management : Learn how to leverage Microsoft Copilot to streamline the configuration and management of AKS clusters, improving efficiency and reducing complexity.
• Inside Look: How AKS Supports OS SKU Migration between Ubuntu and Azure Linux : Learn how AKS supports OSSKU migration, simplifying the transition from Ubuntu to Azure Linux.
• Using AKS-managed Istio External Ingress Gateway with Gateway API : Explore how AKS-managed Istio leverages the Gateway API to handle external ingress.
• Leveraging Azure Native Tooling to Hunt Kubernetes Security Issues : A deep dive into how Azure native tools can be used to identify and resolve Kubernetes security vulnerabilities effectively.

Events

Don't miss these upcoming AKS-focused events to sharpen your skills and stay informed!

• Learn Live: Containerizing and Deploying AI Workloads on AKS : Learn how to containerize and deploy AI workloads to an enterprise-ready AKS cluster. We’ll go from "works on my machine" to "works on all machines" in 90 minutes! When: September 18, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (EST)
• Learn Live: Operational Excellence with AKS : This session explores the key components of operational excellence for AI applications on AKS. You’ll learn best practices for monitoring, logging, and scaling AI workloads at scale. When: September 25, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (EST)

Closing Thoughts

Thank you for reading the first edition of the AKS Monthly Newsletter! We’re excited to build a space where the AKS community can stay informed, share insights, and grow together. If you have any feedback or topics you'd like to see in future editions, feel free to reach out. Let’s continue exploring, innovating, and leveraging the power of Azure Kubernetes Service!

Until next month – stay curious and keep building!