AKSFlexNode

AKS Flex Node

A Go agent that extends Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) to non-Azure VMs, enabling hybrid and edge computing scenarios. Optionally integrates with Azure Arc for enhanced cloud management capabilities.

Status: Work In Progress Platform: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Architecture: x86_64 (amd64), arm64

Overview

AKS Flex Node transforms any Ubuntu VM into a semi-managed AKS worker node by:

• 📦 Container Runtime Setup - Installs and configures runc and containerd
• ☸️ Kubernetes Integration - Deploys kubelet, kubectl, and kubeadm components
• 🌐 Network Configuration - Sets up Container Network Interface (CNI) for pod networking
• 🚀 Service Orchestration - Configures and manages all required systemd services
• ⚡ Cluster Connection - Securely joins your VM as a worker node to your existing AKS cluster
• 🔗 Azure Arc Registration (Optional) - Registers your VM with Azure Arc for cloud management and managed identity

Documentation

• Usage Guide - Installation, configuration, and usage instructions
• Design Documentation - System design, data flow, Azure integration, and technical specifications
• Development Guide - Building from source, testing, and contributing

Quick Start

Installation

# Switch to root
sudo su

# Install aks-flex-node
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Azure/AKSFlexNode/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

# Verify installation
aks-flex-node version

Usage

Important: All commands below assume you are running as root (sudo su). The agent installs and configures system-level components (containerd, kubelet, CNI) and manages systemd services, all of which require root privileges.

# Start the agent
aks-flex-node agent --config /etc/aks-flex-node/config.json

For detailed setup instructions, prerequisites, requirements, and configuration options, see the Usage Guide.

Contributing

We welcome contributions! See the Development Guide for details on building, testing, and submitting pull requests.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Security

Microsoft takes the security of our software products and services seriously. If you believe you have found a security vulnerability, please report it to us as described in SECURITY.md.