Amazon Web Services (AWS) has introduced a new enhancement to its AWS Backup service, allowing for the integration with Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS). This integration is a significant step forward for businesses looking to simplify the protection of their Kubernetes applications using an already trusted centralized platform. The complexity often associated with safeguarding containerized applications is greatly reduced, while still providing robust, enterprise-grade backup capabilities for both cluster configurations and application data.
AWS Backup is a fully managed service that centralizes and automates data protection across both AWS and on-premises workloads. Meanwhile, Amazon EKS is a managed service designed to ensure the availability and scalability of Kubernetes clusters. With the new capability, businesses can now centrally manage and automate data protection across their Amazon EKS environments, streamlining backup processes alongside other AWS services.
Prior to this integration, customers had to rely on custom solutions or third-party tools to back up their EKS clusters. This often meant dealing with complex scripting and maintenance for each cluster. However, the new support for Amazon EKS in AWS Backup eliminates these challenges by offering a single, centralized, and policy-driven solution. This solution protects both the Kubernetes deployments and resources as well as stateful data stored in services like Amazon Elastic Block Store (Amazon EBS), Amazon Elastic File System (Amazon EFS), and Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3).
Benefits of AWS Backup for Amazon EKS
- Centralized Management: AWS Backup provides a fully managed, multi-cluster backup experience by eliminating the need for custom scripts and third-party solutions. This centralized, policy-based management simplifies the backup lifecycle and makes it seamless to back up and recover application data.
- Enterprise-Grade Protection: Users can create immutable backups that safeguard against malicious or inadvertent changes. This capability helps businesses meet regulatory compliance needs and ensures continuity in case of data loss or cluster downtime.
- Automated Restore Processes: During restore operations, users can now create new EKS clusters based on previous configurations. AWS Backup handles the provisioning of the new EKS cluster, making the process more efficient and reducing the need for pre-provisioned infrastructure.
- Backup Vaults: AWS Backup allows users to store and organize their backups using backup vaults. This feature enables the assignment of policies to grant access for creating backup plans and conducting on-demand backups, while also restricting the ability to delete recovery points once they’re created.
How AWS Backup Works with Amazon EKS
To start using AWS Backup with Amazon EKS, users must first enable EKS protection in the AWS Backup console. The process involves configuring resources, creating an on-demand backup for existing EKS clusters, and setting up necessary permissions with an IAM role.
For a backup, users navigate to the AWS Backup console, enable EKS cluster protection, and create an on-demand backup for their cluster. Once the backup process is initiated, AWS Backup will save both the EKS cluster state and any persistent volumes. If Amazon S3 buckets are attached, additional permissions may be needed to include them in the backup.
When it comes to restoring, users can choose between restoring the full EKS cluster or restoring individual resources. The restore process can be initiated via the AWS Backup Console, and users have the option to restore to an existing cluster without overwriting it, ensuring no data is lost in the process.
Good to Know
- AWS Backup for EKS can be managed through the AWS Backup Console, API, or AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI).
- Users can create secondary copies of EKS backups across different accounts and AWS Regions to minimize the risk of accidental deletion.
- Restorations are non-destructive, meaning they do not overwrite existing Kubernetes versions or data. Instead, they restore only the differences between the backup and the source resource.
- Namespace restoration to existing clusters ensures successful restores, as Kubernetes resources may be scoped at the cluster level.
Voice of the Customer
Srikanth Rajan, Senior Director of Engineering at Salesforce, emphasized the importance of having a robust backup and restore strategy for Kubernetes platforms. He noted that AWS’s new EKS Backup and Restore feature addresses a critical resiliency gap by providing a more reliable solution for safeguarding Kubernetes control planes against software bugs or unintended deletions.
Availability
The integration of Amazon EKS with AWS Backup is now available in all AWS commercial regions except China, as well as in AWS GovCloud (US). Users interested in this new capability can explore further details on the AWS Backup product page and the AWS Backup pricing page.
AWS encourages users to try out this feature and provide feedback through AWS re:Post for AWS Backup or through their usual AWS Support contacts. This integration makes protecting EKS clusters more efficient, allowing businesses to focus on their core operations without worrying about data protection complexities.
Conclusion
The support for Amazon EKS in AWS Backup marks a significant advancement in Kubernetes data protection strategies, providing a comprehensive, centralized solution for businesses leveraging AWS services. By integrating EKS into the AWS Backup ecosystem, AWS consolidates its position as a leader in cloud service management, offering enhanced capabilities that meet the evolving needs of modern enterprises.
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