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Deploy a Kubernetes cluster by using the Azure portal

Applies to: AKS on Azure Local

This article describes how to create Kubernetes clusters in Azure Local by using the Azure portal. You need to:

  • Create a Kubernetes cluster by using the Azure portal. By default, the cluster is connected to Azure Arc.
  • Provide a Microsoft Entra group that contains the list of Microsoft Entra users with Kubernetes cluster administrator access.

Before you begin

  • Make sure that you have the following details from your on-premises infrastructure administrator:

    • Azure subscription ID: The Azure subscription ID where the Azure Arc resource bridge, the Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) extension enabled by Azure Arc, and the custom location are created.
    • Custom location ID: The Azure Resource Manager ID of the custom location. Your infrastructure admin should give you Contributor access to the custom location. Custom location is a required parameter to create Kubernetes clusters.
    • AKS logical network ID enabled by Azure Arc: The Azure Resource Manager ID of the Azure Arc logical network. Your infrastructure admin should give you Contributor access to an AKS logical network enabled by Azure Arc. The logical network ID is a required parameter to create Kubernetes clusters.

  • Create a Microsoft Entra group and add members to it so that you can connect to the cluster from anywhere. All the members in the Microsoft Entra group have cluster administrator access to the AKS cluster enabled by Azure Arc.

    Make sure to add yourself to the Microsoft Entra group. If you don't add yourself, you can't access the AKS cluster enabled by Azure Arc by using kubectl. For more information about how to create Microsoft Entra groups and add users, see Create Microsoft Entra groups by using the Azure portal.

Create a Kubernetes cluster

  1. Sign in to the Azure portal.

  2. In the Azure portal search bar, enter Kubernetes Azure Arc.

  3. Select Add > Create a Kubernetes cluster with Azure Arc.

    Screenshot that shows the cluster creation page in the portal.

  4. On the Basics tab, configure the following options.

    Screenshot that shows the Basics tab for cluster creation in the portal.

    • Project details:
      • Select an Azure subscription. This Azure subscription is where your infrastructure administrator deployed the Azure Arc resource bridge, the AKS extension enabled by Azure Arc, and the custom location.
      • Select an Azure resource group, such as myResourceGroup.
    • Cluster details:
      • Enter a Kubernetes cluster name, such as myk8scluster. The name of a Kubernetes cluster name must consist of lowercase alphanumeric characters.
      • Select a custom location where you want to deploy the cluster. Make sure that your infrastructure administrator gives you Contributor access on a custom location.
      • Select a Kubernetes version from the list of available versions.
    • Primary node pool:
      • Leave the default values selected, or change the default value from the dropdown list.
    • Secure Shell (SSH) keys:
      • Use SSH keys because they're essential for troubleshooting and log collection. Save your private key file for future use.
      • Use an existing SSH key or generate a new key pair during cluster creation. For information about how to create new SSH keys from the Azure portal, see Create and store SSH keys in the portal.
      • Provide the SSH public key value to use an existing public key. Use an RSA public key in the single line format (starting with ssh-rsa) or the multiline Privacy-Enhanced Mail format.

  5. Select Next: Node pools after configuration is finished.

  6. On the Node pools page, configure the following options:

    • Control plane nodes:
      • ⁠Use control plane nodes to host Kubernetes components. These nodes make global decisions about the cluster, such as scheduling containers and detecting and responding to cluster events. An example is starting up a new pod. For simplicity and reliability, run these important Kubernetes components in separate control plane nodes.
      • Leave the default values selected.
    • Node pools:
      • Add optional node pools in addition to the primary node pool that you created on the Basics page.

  7. At the bottom of the screen, select Next: Access.

  8. On the Access page, configure the following options:

    • Select Local accounts with Kubernetes RBAC, which is the default value for Kubernetes cluster authentication. This option requires that you have a direct line of sight to your on-premises infrastructure to access the cluster by using kubectl.

    • Select Microsoft Entra authentication with Kubernetes role-based access control (RBAC). This option lets you choose one or more Microsoft Entra groups. By default, all members of the specified Microsoft Entra groups have cluster administrator access to the Kubernetes cluster.

      You can also use this option to connect to AKS enabled by Azure Arc from anywhere, without requiring a line of sight to the on-premises infrastructure. Make sure to add yourself to the Microsoft Entra group. If you don't add yourself, you can't access the AKS cluster enabled by Azure Arc by using kubectl.

    • Choose one or more Microsoft Entra groups. At the bottom of the screen, select Next: Networking.

  9. On the Networking page, select an AKS logical network enabled by Azure Arc from the Logical Network dropdown list. The Kubernetes nodes and services in your cluster get IP addresses and networking configurations from this logical network. Make sure that your infrastructure administrator gives you Contributor access on an AKS logical network enabled by Azure Arc.

  10. Select Integration. Connect your cluster to other services, such as Azure Monitor, which is enabled by default. You can also add Kubernetes extensions to your cluster from the Home > YourClusterName > Settings > Extensions pane.

    You can choose the default Log Analytics workspace or create one of your own. This workspace stores monitoring data.

  11. Select Tags. Tags are name/value pairs that you can use to categorize resources and view consolidated billing by applying the same tag to multiple resources and resource groups. Use this page to assign tags (optional) to your resource groups.

  12. Select Review + create. When you go to the Review + create tab, Azure runs validation on the settings that you chose. If validation passes, select Create to create the cluster. If validation fails, the tab indicates which settings you must modify.

  13. It takes a few minutes to create the cluster. When your deployment is finished, go to your resource by either selecting Go to resource or browsing to the Kubernetes cluster resource group and selecting the resource.

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