Amazon EKS Extended Support for Kubernetes Versions

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Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS) now offers extended support for Kubernetes versions, providing customers with an additional 12 months of support beyond the standard support period. This means you can run Amazon EKS clusters on a Kubernetes version for up to 26 months from the time the version is generally available on Amazon EKS.

Understanding the Support Periods

Standard Support : This begins when a Kubernetes version is released on Amazon EKS and lasts for 14 months. During this period, you will be billed at the standard rate of $0.10 per cluster per hour.

Extended Support: After the standard support period ends, the extended support period begins and lasts for an additional 12 months. During extended support, the cost increases to $0.60 per cluster per hour.

What Does Extended Support Include?

Extended support ensures that your clusters receive ongoing security patches for the Kubernetes control plane managed by EKS. It also includes critical patches for key add-ons like the Amazon VPC CNI, kube-proxy, and CoreDNS. Additionally, AWS provides support for EKS Optimized Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) for Amazon Linux, Bottlerocket, Windows, and EKS Fargate nodes during this period.

EKS extended support pricing

Running a Cluster for 26 Months Without Upgrading

   – First 14 months (Standard Support): $0.10 per hour.

   – Next 12 months (Extended Support): $0.60 per hour.

   – Average cost over 26 months: $0.33 per hour.

Using Extended Support for Part of the Lifecycle

 – If you start using a version 4 months into the standard support window and use extended support for 6 months before upgrading, you’ll pay:

  – First 10 months: $0.10 per hour.

  – Next 6 months: $0.60 per hour.

   – Average cost over 16 months: $0.29 per hour.

Regular Upgrades Avoid Extended Support Costs

   – If you upgrade before the end of the 14-month standard support window, you only pay $0.10 per hour.

Cost-Saving Tip

To avoid the additional costs associated with extended support, you can upgrade your clusters to the latest stable Kubernetes version before the end of the standard support period. This proactive approach not only saves costs but also ensures you benefit from the latest features and security improvements.

Conclusion

Extended support for Kubernetes versions in Amazon EKS offers flexibility and additional time for maintaining and upgrading your clusters, albeit at a higher cost. By understanding the support windows and planning upgrades accordingly, you can manage your EKS clusters effectively while optimizing costs.

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