Advanced Kubernetes/AKS Network & Infrastructure

Learn how to secure network communication in AKS/Kubernetes cluster
⏱️ Length: 20.3 total hours
⭐ 4.66/5 rating
👥 36,351 students
🔄 July 2025 update

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Course Overview
- This advanced course delves into the intricate world of Kubernetes and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) networking, moving beyond basic service exposure to architecting highly secure, performant, and resilient network infrastructures. You will gain a profound understanding of how network components interact within a distributed cloud-native environment, addressing the complexities of microservices communication and external access.
- Explore advanced CNI plugin capabilities, deep dive into custom network policies for granular traffic control, and master the art of securing inter-namespace and cross-cluster communication. The curriculum emphasizes practical application, guiding you through real-world scenarios to design and implement robust network segmentation strategies.
- Understand the nuances of integrating AKS networking with Azure’s broader ecosystem, including virtual networks, firewalls, and application gateways, to build an end-to-end secure and scalable solution. This course is designed to empower architects and senior engineers to tackle the most challenging networking dilemmas in enterprise-grade Kubernetes deployments.
- Discover strategies for advanced traffic management, including egress filtering, ingress routing optimization, and the deployment of sophisticated load balancing techniques. You will learn how to design network topologies that support high availability, disaster recovery, and hybrid cloud connectivity for your containerized applications.
Requirements / Prerequisites
- Intermediate Kubernetes Experience: A solid working knowledge of core Kubernetes concepts, including Pods, Deployments, Services, and Namespaces, is essential to fully grasp the advanced topics covered.
- Basic AKS Familiarity: While the course covers both K8s and AKS, prior exposure to deploying and managing clusters on Azure Kubernetes Service will be beneficial.
- Foundational Networking Knowledge: Understanding of IP addressing, subnets, routing, DNS, and common network protocols (TCP/UDP, HTTP/HTTPS) is expected.
- Comfort with Command Line and YAML: Proficiency with kubectl for interacting with Kubernetes clusters and writing/understanding YAML manifests is required for hands-on exercises.
- Linux Command Line Basics: Familiarity with basic Linux commands for navigating filesystems, managing processes, and inspecting network configurations within a container environment.
Skills Covered / Tools Used
- Advanced Network Segmentation: Implementing sophisticated network policies (e.g., Cilium, Calico) to achieve zero-trust principles and isolate workloads within and across namespaces, preventing lateral movement of threats.
- Custom CNI Plugin Configuration: Deep dive into configuring and troubleshooting various Container Network Interface (CNI) plugins, optimizing their performance, and extending their capabilities for specific use cases.
- Egress Traffic Control & Filtering: Mastering techniques for controlling and securing outbound traffic from your Kubernetes cluster, including integration with Azure Firewall or other perimeter security solutions.
- Multi-Cluster & Hybrid Cloud Networking: Exploring strategies for secure communication between multiple Kubernetes clusters, whether in the same cloud, different regions, or a hybrid on-premises/cloud setup.
- Advanced Ingress/Egress Controllers: Configuring and optimizing advanced Ingress controllers (e.g., NGINX, HAProxy, Contour) and understanding the role of Egress gateways for controlled external access.
- Network Observability & Troubleshooting: Utilizing advanced tools and methodologies for monitoring network traffic, identifying bottlenecks, and diagnosing complex connectivity issues within a distributed Kubernetes environment.
- Azure-Specific Network Integration: Leveraging Azure Virtual Network (VNet) integration, Network Security Groups (NSGs), Azure Load Balancer (ALB), Azure Application Gateway, and Azure Private Link for robust AKS networking.
- Service Mesh Fundamentals (Conceptual): Understanding how a service mesh like Istio or Linkerd enhances networking capabilities for advanced traffic management, observability, and security at the application layer, complementing traditional network policies.
- DNS Management & Resolution: Mastering internal and external DNS resolution within Kubernetes, configuring CoreDNS, and integrating with external DNS providers for seamless service discovery.
- Network Performance Optimization: Techniques for fine-tuning network parameters, managing resource limits for network-intensive applications, and reducing latency in high-traffic scenarios.
Benefits / Outcomes
- Architect Secure & Resilient K8s Networks: Design and implement enterprise-grade network architectures for Kubernetes and AKS that are highly secure, performant, and resilient against failures and attacks.
- Become a K8s Networking Subject Matter Expert: Gain the deep knowledge and practical skills required to confidently troubleshoot, optimize, and secure complex networking setups in cloud-native environments, positioning yourself as an indispensable resource.
- Enhance Operational Efficiency & Cost Management: Learn to implement efficient network configurations that reduce operational overhead, optimize resource utilization, and potentially lower cloud infrastructure costs associated with networking.
- Prepare for Advanced Certifications: Build a strong foundation for the networking sections of advanced Kubernetes certifications like CKS (Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist) or platform-specific Azure certifications.
- Drive Innovation with Advanced Deployments: Be equipped to explore and implement cutting-edge networking solutions, enabling sophisticated multi-tenant, multi-cluster, or hybrid cloud Kubernetes deployments.
- Mitigate Critical Security Risks: Proactively identify and address common and advanced network vulnerabilities in Kubernetes, safeguarding sensitive data and ensuring compliance with industry standards.
PROS
- Deep Dive into Critical Area: Focuses exclusively on advanced networking, a complex and often overlooked aspect crucial for production Kubernetes deployments.
- Practical & Hands-on Approach: Expect numerous labs and real-world scenarios, translating theoretical knowledge into actionable skills.
- Industry-Relevant Content: Covers modern networking challenges and best practices pertinent to current cloud-native ecosystems and enterprise requirements.
- Expert-Level Insights: Provides advanced strategies and troubleshooting techniques typically only acquired through years of experience.
- Comprehensive Security Focus: Emphasizes robust network security from multiple angles, including segmentation, ingress/egress control, and integration with cloud security services.
- Specific AKS Integration: Tailors content to leverage the unique networking features and services available within Azure Kubernetes Service, making it highly valuable for Azure users.
CONS
- Requires Significant Time Investment: The advanced nature and comprehensive scope of the course demand dedicated time and effort for complete understanding and mastery of the complex topics.