Managing Kubernetes infrastructure often feels like juggling too many moving parts. It can drain valuable time and attention from developers whose real priority is building applications. To address this, Microsoft has introduced AKS Automatic — a new deployment mode for Azure Kubernetes Service that’s currently in preview. Its goal: offload much of the heavy operational lifting to the Azure platform so teams can focus on code, not clusters.

In this article, we’ll break down what AKS Automatic is, its core advantages, and how you can spin up your first automated cluster.

What is AKS Automatic?

AKS Automatic is a streamlined deployment option for AKS clusters. Instead of requiring users to manually configure, scale, and maintain the underlying infrastructure, it takes care of it all behind the scenes. From upgrades to security, the platform automates cluster operations so your team can stay focused on application delivery.

Key Features and Advantages

1. Intelligent Node Management and Scaling

One of the biggest benefits is fully automated node management powered by Node Autoprovisioning (NAP), built on the open-source Karpenter project. The system looks at pending pod requirements and automatically provisions the best VM type to balance performance and cost efficiency.

In addition, AKS Automatic activates multiple scaling mechanisms right out of the box:

• Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA): Scales pod replicas based on workload demand.

• KEDA (Kubernetes Event-driven Autoscaling): Scales applications in response to external events, such as database triggers or message queues.

• Vertical Pod Autoscaler (VPA): Dynamically adjusts pod resource requests (CPU, memory) for optimal performance.

Other highlights include:

• Automatic Node Repair: Detects and fixes unhealthy nodes.

• Seamless Cluster Upgrades: Ensures clusters always run on the latest stable versions with security patches, customizable via maintenance windows.

Note: At this stage, AKS Automatic only supports Azure Linux-based nodes — Windows nodes aren’t available yet.

2. Built-in Security by Default

Security comes pre-integrated, following Microsoft’s best practices:

• Azure RBAC: Fine-grained access control through Azure roles.

• Microsoft Entra Workload ID: Secure app-to-service authentication without secrets or keys.

• Deployment Safeguards: Enforced through Azure Policy to maintain Kubernetes compliance standards.

• Image Cleaner: Automatically removes vulnerable, unused container images.

3. Fully Managed Networking

Networking complexity is often a sticking point in Kubernetes. AKS Automatic eliminates that headache by delivering a ready-to-go, optimized setup:

• Azure CNI Overlay with Cilium: High-performance, secure pod-to-pod networking.

• Managed Nginx Ingress: Integrated with Azure DNS for automatic domain setup and Azure Key Vault for SSL/TLS certificate handling.

• Managed NAT Gateway: Reliable, scalable outbound internet connectivity.

Getting Started: Deploying Your First AKS Automatic Cluster

Step 1: Set Up the Azure CLI

Install the preview extension and enable required feature flags:

az extension add --name aks-preview az extension update --name aks-preview az feature register --namespace "Microsoft.ContainerService" --name "AKS-Automatic" az feature register --namespace "Microsoft.ContainerService" --name "NodeAutoProvisioningPreview" az provider register --namespace Microsoft.ContainerService

Step 2: Create the Cluster in the Azure Portal

1. Go to Kubernetes Services → Create.

2. Under “Cluster preset configuration,” choose Automatic.

3. Fill in the basics (resource group, name, region).

4. (Optional) Configure monitoring with Azure Monitor, Prometheus, and Grafana.

5. Click Review + Create.

Step 3: Connect and Validate

Retrieve cluster credentials:

az aks get-credentials --resource-group <ResourceGroup> --name <ClusterName>

kubectl get nodes kubectl get pods -n kube-system

Create a namespace:

kubectl create namespace demo-app

kubectl apply -f your-app.yaml -n demo-app

kubectl get ingress -n demo-app

Final Thoughts

AKS Automatic is a major leap forward in simplifying Kubernetes operations. By automating infrastructure, scaling, upgrades, and security, it frees teams from routine maintenance and lets them focus on creating business value. Even though it’s still in preview, the feature already shows tremendous promise for anyone using Azure Kubernetes Service.