What is Azure Kubernetes Services Aks? Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) is a fully managed Kubernetes service offered by Microsoft Azure. It allows you to deploy and manage Kubernetes clusters on the Azure cloud platform. Azure Kubernetes Service makes it easier for developers to deploy, manage and scale containerized applications using Kubernetes. In this article, we will delve deeper into Azure Kubernetes Service and look at its features, benefits, and drawbacks. One of the standout features of AKS lies in its role as an enabler for both development and operations teams. By offering a managed environment, AKS allows developers to channel their efforts towards crafting and refining applications without being burdened by the intricacies of infrastructure provisioning and maintenance. Simultaneously, operations teams benefit from the automation and optimization features inherent to AKS, which simplify the deployment and orchestration of containerized workloads.     Azure Kubernetes Service offers several features that make it an attractive option for developers. These features include: Managed Kubernetes: Azure Kubernetes Service is a fully managed Kubernetes service, meaning that Microsoft manages Kubernetes clusters. This includes provisioning, scaling, and upgrading the Kubernetes clusters. Easy Deployment: AKS makes it easy to deploy Kubernetes clusters on Azure. Developers can deploy a cluster with just a few clicks, making it easy to start with Kubernetes in Azure. High Availability: AKS provides high availability for Kubernetes clusters using multiple nodes in different availability zones. This ensures that the cluster is always available, even in a failure. Security: AKS provides security features such as role-based access control (RBAC) and network security groups (NSGs) to secure Kubernetes clusters. Scalability: AKS allows you to scale your Kubernetes cluster up or down based on your application’s workload. Integration: AKS integrates with other Azure services such as Azure Container Registry, Azure Active Directory, and Azure DevOps.Hybrid cloud capabilities: Azure provides hybrid cloud capabilities, enabling organizations to run Kubernetes clusters both on-premises and in the cloud, and easily move applications between the two environments.        Benefits of Azure Kubernetes Services Simplified Deployment: AKS simplifies the deployment of containerized apps by reducing the complexities of managing infrastructure. Developers can easily use familiar tools and workflows to deploy applications, reducing the learning curve associated with container orchestration. Cost-Efficiency: By leveraging AKS, organizations can achieve cost-efficiency through optimized resource utilization. Avoid unnecessary expenses by scaling resources based on demand, ensuring efficient resource allocation. High Availability: It provides high availability by distributing applications across multiple nodes and availability zones. This ensures that applications remain accessible even in the event of node failures or other infrastructure issues. Security and Compliance: AKS incorporates robust security features, including Azure Active Directory integration, role-based access control (RBAC), and network policies. This helps organizations meet their security and compliance requirements while deploying and managing containerized applications.   Cons of Azure Kubernetes Service Vendor Lock-In: AKS is a Microsoft Azure service, meaning you may be locked into the Azure cloud platform if you choose to use AKS. Cost: AKS is a paid service, which can quickly add up if you have large Kubernetes clusters. Limited Control: AKS is a managed Kubernetes service, meaning that Microsoft manages the Kubernetes cluster. This can limit the level of control you have over the underlying infrastructure. Learning Curve: Although AKS removes the complexity of managing Kubernetes clusters, there is still a learning curve associated with deploying and managing containerized applications on Kubernetes.                                            Why Azure Kubernetes Services? One of the main advantages of AKS is its seamless integration with other Azure services. This makes deploying and managing containerized applications on the Azure cloud platform easy. AKS can be used with Azure Container Registry (ACR) to store and manage container images and Azure DevOps to enable continuous containerized application integration and deployment (CI/CD). Azure Kubernetes Service also simplifies Kubernetes deployment. It automates the deployment, scaling, and management of Kubernetes clusters, so developers can focus on building and deploying their applications. AKS provides features such as automatic scaling, self-healing, and rolling updates, which help ensure that applications are always available and up-to-date. Another advantage of AKS is its high availability. AKS uses multiple nodes in different availability zones, ensuring the Kubernetes cluster is always available. It also supports horizontal scaling, which allows the cluster to adjust automatically to changes in demand. Conclusion Overall, AKS stands out for its seamless integration with Azure services, simplified Kubernetes management, high availability, security features, and Microsoft support.AKS provides a powerful platform for deploying and managing containerized applications, making it easier for organizations to adopt Kubernetes and leverage the full potential of containers in the cloud. Businesses already using Azure for their cloud infrastructure should consider using AKS to deploy and manage their containerized applications.

In this blog, I will guide you on the power of CI/CD in GitHub with a step-by-step guide. Learn to set up automated workflows, boost project efficiency, and streamline development processes for better code quality and faster deployments. Certainly! It seems that I've encountered a challenge in my current development workflow when deploying minor code changes. The existing process involves manually publishing code from Visual Studio, creating backups of the current code on the server, and then replacing it with the new code. To address this, it's advisable to transition to an automated solution utilizing a Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline.  By implementing a CI/CD pipeline, you can streamline and automate the deployment process, making it more efficient and reducing the risk of manual errors. The CI/CD pipeline will handle tasks such as code compilation, testing, and deployment automatically, ensuring that the latest changes are seamlessly deployed to the desired environment.  This transition will not only save time but also enhance the reliability of your deployment process, allowing your team to focus more on development and less on manual deployment tasks.  For additional information, refer to the steps outlined below for guidance.   Step 1:  Go to your repository and click on the Actions tab   Step 2:  Now, Select the workflow according to your development. Here I am using .NET workflow.   Step 3:  Now you can see the default pipeline as below. In that, you can change your branch as per your requirement. Step 4:  You can now incorporate three new sections as outlined below to build the code and publish the folder as an artifact.  - name: Build and publish      run: |        dotnet restore        dotnet build        dotnet publish -o publish    - name: Zip output      run: |        cd publish        zip -r ../output .  - name: Upload zip archive      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2      with:        name: test        path: ./publish  Upon integrating this code, your YAML file will now appear as follows.  In the code above, you have the flexibility to rename the zip file or the publish folder according to your preferences.  Build and Publish : This step is responsible for building and publishing the code.  Commands:  dotnet restore: Restores the project's dependencies.  dotnet build: Compiles the project.  dotnet publish -o publish: Publishes the project output to the 'publish' folder.    Zip Output : This step involves compressing the contents of the 'publish' folder into a zip file.  Commands:  cd publish: Changes the working directory to the 'publish' folder.  zip -r ../output .: Creates a zip file named 'output' containing the contents of the 'publish' folder.    Upload Zip Archive :This step uploads the zip archive to the workflow run as an artifact.  Using: The actions/upload-artifact@v2 GitHub Action.  Configuration:  name: test: Specifies the name of the artifact as 'test'.  path: ./publish: Indicates the path of the folder to be archived and uploaded.  By using the given code, you receive a finalized published folder prepared for deployment on the server. However, the deployment process on the server requires manual intervention.  To access the published folder, navigate to the "Actions" tab. Click on the "test" workflow, and you can download the published folder from there.  Step 5:  In the steps mentioned above, you previously followed a manual process, but now you have transitioned to an automatic process.  To automate the process, you'll need to install a self-hosted runner on the virtual machine where your application is hosted.  What is Self-hosted runner?  self-hosted runner is a system that you deploy and manage to execute jobs from GitHub Actions on GitHub.com.  To install the self-hosted runner, follow the basic steps.  Under your repository name, click Settings. If you cannot see the "Settings" tab, select the dropdown menu, then click Settings. In the left sidebar, click Actions, then click Runners and then click on New self-hosted runner.  Select the operating system image and architecture of your self-hosted runner machine.  Open a shell on your self-hosted runner machine and run each shell command in the order shown. For more details you can visit https://docs.github.com/en/enterprise-cloud@latest/actions/hosting-your-own-runners/managing-self-hosted-runners/adding-self-hosted-runners  Step 6:  To automate the process, you can remove the last two sections, "Zip Output" and "Upload Zip Archive," and replace them with the following code.  - name: Backup & Deploy      run: |        $datestamp = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMddHHmmss"        cd publish        Remove-Item web.config        Remove-Item appsettings.json        Remove-Item appsettings.Development.json        Stop-WebSite 'DemoGitHubPipeline'        Compress-Archive D:\Published\DemoGitHubPipeline         D:\Published\Backup\Backup_$datestamp.zip        Copy-Item * D:\Published\DemoGitHubPipeline -Recurse -Force        Start-WebSite 'DemoGitHubPipeline'  Backup & Deploy : This step is responsible for creating a backup, making necessary modifications, and deploying the application. Commands:  $datestamp = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMddHHmmss": Retrieves the current date and time in the specified format.  cd publish: Changes the working directory to the 'publish' folder.  Remove-Item web.config: Deletes the 'web.config' file.  Remove-Item appsettings.json: Deletes the 'appsettings.json' file.  Remove-Item appsettings.Development.json: Deletes the 'appsettings.Development.json' file.  Stop-WebSite 'DemoGitHubPipeline': Stops the website with the specified name.  Compress-Archive D:\Published\DemoGitHubPipeline D:\Published\Backup\Backup_$datestamp.zip: Creates a compressed archive (zip) of the existing deployment with proper timestamp.  Copy-Item * D:\Published\DemoGitHubPipeline -Recurse -Force: Copies all contents from the 'publish' folder to the deployment directory.  Start-WebSite 'DemoGitHubPipeline': Restarts the website with the specified name.    Note:  Ensure that the paths and folder structures match the actual locations in your setup.  Adjust the website name and paths based on your specific configuration.  Conclusion: In summary, implementing a CI/CD pipeline in GitHub is a pivotal step towards achieving efficiency, reliability, and accelerated development cycles. The integration of CI/CD streamlines the software delivery process by automating testing, building, and deployment, leading to consistent and high-quality releases.  GitHub Actions, with its native CI/CD capabilities, provides a powerful and flexible platform for orchestrating workflows. Leveraging its features, development teams can not only automate repetitive tasks but also ensure rapid feedback on code changes, enabling early detection of issues and facilitating collaboration.