AWS Controllers for Kubernetes (ACK): Is It Worth It?
Source: YouTube · DevOps & AI Toolkit · published May 5, 2025 · 30:08
The video examines AWS Controllers for Kubernetes (ACK), which the presenter finds conceptually promising but deeply flawed in execution 0:05-0:16.
Key Takeaways:
• ACK allows managing AWS resources through Kubernetes but has extremely low service coverage (~10%) 7:00-7:16
• Critical issues include inconsistent resource statuses, missing events, and an unreasonable default drift detection interval of 10 hours 12:01-12:31
• ACK lacks built-in credential management, requiring workarounds with "field export" resources to create secrets 22:19-22:40
• The presenter suggests using higher-level abstractions like Crossplane instead of directly managing ACK resources 25:28-25:36
Despite its flaws, the presenter still believes Kubernetes is the superior control plane for managing resources across different providers 28:34-28:40.
Sources:
- 0:05-0:16 Introduction to Kubernetes as an extensible API for ACK
- 7:00-7:16 ACK's low coverage of AWS services
- 12:01-12:31 Issues with ACK's resource status handling
- 22:19-22:40 Lack of built-in credential management
- 25:28-25:36 Suggestion to use Crossplane as an alternative
- 28:34-28:40 Conclusion about Kubernetes as a superior control plane
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First 800 characters of the transcript
[Music] It is not a secret that I believe in Kubernetes and that I think that it is much more than a thingy where we run containers. It is an extensible API with controllers that can manage any type of resources. It is a control plane for everything. That's why a while ago I was very excited when AWS controllers for Kubernetes, better known as ACK project was born. It allows us to extend Kubernetes with custom resource definitions and controllers that allow us to manage AWS resources through Kubernetes. It's awesome. Now, to be honest, I never like the idea of having tools provided by cloud or hyperscaler vendors to manage their resources. I never liked AWS cloud formation or Azure bicep for a very very simple reason. Those are limited to the hyperscaler that released them and we are almos…