Amazon EKS — Node Groups
Chapter 5 — Node Groups
Node groups are the EC2 instances that run your Kubernetes pods. This chapter covers managed node groups, self-managed nodes, AMI types, GPU/ARM instances, and Spot instances.
What You’ll Learn
- Managed vs self-managed node groups
- AMI options (AL2, Bottlerocket, custom)
- GPU and ARM (Graviton) instances on EKS
- Spot instances for cost optimization
- Node labels, taints, and tolerations
Chapter Topics
| # | Topic | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Managed Node Groups | AWS-managed lifecycle for worker nodes |
| 2 | Self-Managed Nodes | Full control with your own ASG |
| 3 | AMI Types | AL2, Bottlerocket, Ubuntu, custom |
| 4 | GPU & ARM Instances | Specialized compute for ML and cost savings |
| 5 | Spot Instances | Save 60-90% on compute |
| 6 | Practice Exercises | 5 hands-on exercises |
Let’s start: Managed Node Groups
