Deploying Super Mario on AWS EKS: A Step-by-Step Guide 🎮🚀

In this blog I will be deploying the iconic Super Mario game on AWS EKS, and I'm here to guide you through the process step by step.

A big shoutout to the creator and maintainer of the Docker image (kaminskypavel/mario) on Docker Hub.

Keep in mind that using certain AWS services for these tasks may result in associated costs.

To get started, make sure you have AWS CLI installed on your machine. If you haven't installed it yet, refer to the AWS Official Documentation for installation instructions.

Once AWS CLI is set up, configure a role on your machine using the AWS CLI. Detailed steps can be found in the same documentation as above

Now, let's address the prerequisites: EKSCTL, kubectl, and Git. Ensure you have these tools installed before moving forward. If you need assistance, you can follow the official documentation links provided below:

Next, acquire the YAML files essential for cluster creation, deployment and service. You have two options: clone the repository or manually create the files. Ensure you preserve the file names for consistency, or adjust them as the tutorial progresses.

1. Clone the Repository:
If you prefer to clone the repository, use the following command:

git clone https://github.com/balavi7/eks-mario-game

This will copy all the necessary files to your local machine.

2. Create Files Manually:
If you choose to create the files manually, follow these steps:

For the cluster configuration, create a file named ekctl-config.yml.
For the deployment configuration, create a file named deployment.yml.
For the service configuration, create a file named service.yml

You can use your preferred text editor or IDE to craft these YAML files. Ensure the contents align with the specifications outlined in the tutorial.

Whether you clone the repository or create the files manually, maintaining the file names is crucial for a seamless tutorial experience

Let's create the first manifest file "ekctl-config.yml" and add the below content inside

apiVersion: eksctl.io/v1alpha5
kind: ClusterConfig

metadata:
  name: mario-cluster
  region: ap-south-1

nodeGroups:
  - name: ng-1
    desiredCapacity: 2
    instanceType: t3.small

Once saved this file, lets run the file and create the cluster

eksctl create cluster -f eksctl-config.yaml

This will take upto 15 minutes depending upon speed of the internet. Once the cluster is created you will see the output something like the below screenshot

Once cluster is ready, we need to update kubectl for this newly created cluster, the command is as follows

aws eks --region ap-south-1 update-kubeconfig --name mario-cluster

In which mario-cluster is the name of the cluster, once you run the above command you should get the output which will look like the below screenshot

Once done with updating kubectl, lets create the deployment file. Copy the below contents inside the deployment.yml file

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: mario
spec:
  replicas: 3
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: my-app
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: my-app
    spec:
      containers:
        - name: mario
          image: kaminskypavel/mario
          ports:
          - name: mario
            containerPort: 8080

Once you have saved the file, execute the file using the below command

kubectl apply -f deployment.yaml

Now the application has been created, next step is to create a service for this application so that it can be accessed publicly. Copy the below contents and paste inside the service.yml file

apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  name: mario-service
  labels:
    app: my-app
spec:
  ports:
  - port: 80
    targetPort: 8080
  selector:
    app: my-app
  type: LoadBalancer

Save the file, and you'll use it in the upcoming steps to expose and access your application using the Load Balancer.

Execute the file using the below command

kubectl apply -f service.yaml

Once service is created run the following command and get the load balancer DNS

kubectl get svc

Copy the DNS value and paste in into a new browser.

Congratulations! You've successfully deployed the Mario game on Amazon EKS. Your journey from configuring the environment to deploying the application showcased your skills in orchestrating a resilient and scalable Kubernetes cluster.🚀🍄

Do not forget to delete all the services once you're done with the demo

eksctl delete cluster --name mario-cluster
kubectl delete --all deployments,svc,pods

Cheers to conquering new heights in the world of cloud-native applications and Kubernetes mastery!