Author: Meghann Cunningham

Introduction

In today's cloud-native landscape, managing Kubernetes clusters efficiently is paramount for ensuring smooth operations. Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) simplifies Kubernetes management on AWS, but staying on top of updates and changes can be challenging. In this blog post, we'll introduce a handy tool that automates the process of checking EKS cluster add-ons for updates and sends notifications directly to Slack, keeping your team informed and your cluster up to date.

Understanding the Challenge

Managing an EKS cluster involves keeping track of various add-ons, including CloudWatch observability, CoreDNS, EKS pod identity agent, kube-proxy, and VPC CNI. These add-ons frequently receive updates for bug fixes, security patches, and feature enhancements. However, manually monitoring these updates can be time-consuming and prone to errors, especially in large-scale deployments with multiple clusters.

## Introducing EKS Slack Notifications

We designed a tool to simplify the process of monitoring EKS cluster add-ons for updates and notifying relevant teams via Slack. By leveraging AWS Lambda, AWS EventBridge (formerly CloudWatch Events), and Slack webhooks, this tool automates the update-checking process and sends notifications directly to designated Slack channels or users.

How It Works

The tool consists of three main components:

1. AWS Lambda Function: The Lambda function uses the AWS SDK to interact with the EKS API, querying the cluster for add-on versions and comparing them to the latest available versions. It is triggered periodically by an EventBridge rule.

2. EventBridge Rule: An EventBridge rule triggers the Lambda function at predefined intervals (e.g., daily or hourly). This rule is configured to execute the Lambda function automatically, ensuring regular update checks.

3. Slack Webhook: When the Lambda function detects updates to any add-ons, it formats a notification message and sends it to Slack using a webhook. The webhook posts the message to the specified Slack channel or user, providing real-time visibility into the status of EKS cluster add-ons.

Setting Up EKS Slack Notifications

To set up EKS Slack Notifications for your EKS clusters, follow these steps:

1. Deploy CloudFormation Template: Use a CloudFormation template to create the Lambda function, EventBridge rule, and necessary IAM roles. Ensure that the Lambda function has permission to interact with the EKS API and invoke Slack webhooks.

2. Create a Slack Webhook: Before configuring the Lambda function, create a Webhook in Slack to enable communication between AWS Lambda and Slack. Here's how to create a Webhook:

   1. Click on the upper left corner > Go > Workflow Builder.

   2. Click "Create Workflow".

   3. Choose "From Webhook".

   4. Click "Set Up Variables".

      Key: text

      Data type: Text

   5. Add the following:

   6. Click "Done" and then "Continue".

   7. Click the circle below the "Starts with a Webhook" to add a new step.

   8. Click "Messages" > "Send an 'only visible to you' message".

   9. Select your Slack Channel and your name.

   10. Under "Add a message," insert the {text} variable created earlier. You can format the message however you'd like.

   11. Copy the generated webhook URL, which you'll use to configure the Lambda function.

3. Test and Monitor: Once deployed, test the setup by triggering the Lambda function manually and verifying that notifications are delivered to Slack as expected. Monitor the EventBridge rule's execution logs for any errors or issues

Conclusion

With EKS Slack Notifications, staying informed about EKS cluster add-on updates has never been easier. By automating the update-checking process and integrating with Slack, this tool empowers teams to proactively manage their EKS clusters, improve security, and optimize performance. Try it out today and streamline your EKS cluster management workflow!

For more information and to access the source code, visit our GitHub Repository.