> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://notes.kodekloud.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Course Introduction
> Learn to deploy, manage, and secure containerized applications on Microsoft Azure using Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) in this comprehensive course.
Welcome to **Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)**! I’m Pranav Holavanahalli, and in this course you’ll learn how to deploy, manage, and secure containerized applications on Microsoft Azure. As organizations embrace cloud-native architectures, proficiency with containers—and Kubernetes in particular—has become essential for DevOps, data, and cloud engineers.
Kubernetes powers a wide range of cloud workloads, from infrastructure and data services to machine learning and developer platforms. If you plan to specialize in Azure, mastering AKS is non-negotiable. This course covers core Azure concepts, containerization best practices, and end-to-end AKS operations.
***
## What You’ll Learn
| Module | Key Topics |
| -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Azure Fundamentals Refresher | Compute, Storage, Networking, Identity, and Data Services on Azure |
| Containerizing a Web Application | Dockerfile authoring, image building, local testing, and publishing to Azure Container Registry (ACR) |
| Deploying to AKS | Creating and configuring AKS clusters, scaling workloads, integrating with ACR, and rolling updates |
| Security & Networking in AKS | Virtual Networking, Azure Active Directory integration, Azure Policy enforcement, and Azure Defender for containers |
| Monitoring & CI/CD for AKS | Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and building GitHub/Azure DevOps pipelines tailored to AKS deployments |
Hands-on practice is essential. We recommend using your own [Azure free account](https://azure.microsoft.com/free/) to follow along with the labs.
***
## Course Outline
### 1. Azure Fundamentals Refresher
We’ll begin with a concise review of Azure’s core services:
* **Compute**: Virtual Machines, VM Scale Sets, and App Services
* **Storage**: Blob, File, and Disk storage options
* **Networking**: Virtual Networks, Subnets, and Load Balancers
* **Data**: Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, and Data Lake Storage
### 2. Containerizing a Web Application
You’ll learn how to package your code into a container:
* Author and optimize a Dockerfile
* Build and test container images locally
* Publish images to Azure Container Registry
### 3. Deploying to AKS
Provision and manage your AKS cluster:
* Create and configure AKS clusters
* Scale pods and nodes to meet demand
* Integrate with Azure Container Registry for seamless image pulls
* Manage rolling updates to ensure zero-downtime deployments
### 4. Security & Networking in AKS
Protect your cluster and workloads:
* **Virtual Networks**: Isolate AKS in your VNet
* **Azure AD Integration**: Enable RBAC and pod identity
* **Azure Policy**: Enforce guardrails on namespaces and cluster add-ons
* **Azure Defender**: Runtime threat detection for containers
Always restrict API server access and enable network policies to prevent unauthorized lateral movement within your cluster.
### 5. Monitoring & CI/CD for AKS
Streamline observability and deployment:
* **Azure Monitor** & **Log Analytics**: Collect metrics, logs, and alerts
* **CI/CD Pipelines**: Set up GitHub Actions or Azure DevOps to build, test, and deploy your containers to AKS
***
## Links and References
* [Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Overview](https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/aks/)
* [Kubernetes Documentation](https://kubernetes.io/docs/)
* [Azure Container Registry](https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/container-registry/)
* [Docker Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/)
Let's get started on your journey to mastering **Azure Kubernetes Service!**