AWS have joined forces to deliver Ubuntu worker nodes optimized for Amazon’s Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS). EKS, a fully managed Kubernetes platform by AWS, streamlines Kubernetes cluster management on the AWS infrastructure.
These Ubuntu worker node images are based on the official Ubuntu Minimal LTS version and come equipped with a custom Ubuntu-aws optimized kernel tailored specifically for EKS. It’s important to note that these images are purpose-built for EKS and not intended for general-purpose use.
Should you require enhanced security and features, you have the option to upgrade to Ubuntu Pro. This upgrade unlocks capabilities such as FIPS mode, Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM), CIS or Disa STIG hardening, and Kernel Livepatch.
When it comes to deploying Ubuntu worker nodes on EKS, you have multiple methods at your disposal, including eksctl (a command-line tool), EC2 Launch templates within the EKS console, CloudFormation templates, and other deployment mechanisms.
For further details on upgrading to Ubuntu Pro and accessing these additional security features, you can visit the following link: AWS Ubuntu Pro Marketplace. AWS aims to simplify Kubernetes cluster management on AWS EKS while offering enhanced security options to users.
