--- title: "AWS EKS Fargate compatibility" description: "" url: "https://docs.itrsgroup.com/docs/geneos/7.11.0/administration/orchestrated-environments/aws-eks-fargate-compatibility/index.html" --- ## Overview Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) can run workloads on AWS Fargate, a serverless compute layer where each pod runs in an isolated micro-VM rather than on EC2 worker nodes you manage. In a Fargate-only EKS cluster there are no EC2 nodes; pods are scheduled through Fargate profiles that match namespace and label selectors. Geneos Gateway, Netprobe, and Collection Agent can be deployed to Fargate-only EKS clusters using the ITRS Helm charts. The deployment model differs from the default EC2-backed EKS setup: you must use StatefulSet mode for Netprobe and API-based Kubernetes monitoring rather than DaemonSet or host filesystem collection. **Note** This behaviour was validated using Helm chart version `7.9.0+7.9.0`. For general Helm installation steps, see [Installation using Helm](https://docs.itrsgroup.com/docs/geneos/7.11.0/administration/orchestrated-environments/installation-using-helm/index.html). For Kubernetes Collection Agent plugin configuration, see the [Kubernetes plugin documentation](https://docs.itrsgroup.com/docs/geneos/collection/kubernetes/current/user-guide/kubernetes/index.html). ## Expected behaviour on Fargate ### Gateway Gateway runs as a standard Kubernetes workload (StatefulSet). On Fargate it behaves the same as on EC2-backed clusters for connectivity, licensing, and setup management. If you enable persistent storage for Gateway setup or data (`persistence.enabled: true`), the persistent volume claim (PVC) must use an Amazon EFS-backed `StorageClass` or static persistent volume (PV). **Important** Do not use `gp2` or `gp3` EBS-backed StorageClasses as Fargate pods cannot attach EBS volumes. ### Netprobe Deploy Netprobe with `mode: StatefulSet`. One Netprobe pod collects Kubernetes metrics and events for the entire cluster through the Kubernetes API. DaemonSet mode is not supported on Fargate because Fargate does not provide customer-managed worker nodes for DaemonSet scheduling. ### Collection Agent In StatefulSet mode on Fargate, the Collection Agent: - Collects Kubernetes metrics and events via the Kubernetes API ([`KubernetesMetricsCollector` configuration](https://docs.itrsgroup.com/docs/geneos/collection/kubernetes/current/user-guide/kubernetes/index.html#configuration-reference)). - Collects container logs only when `logs.readMode` is set to `api`. Filesystem log collection (`readMode: filesystem`) is not available because Fargate blocks `hostPath` mounts and privileged containers. - Runs the `unprivileged` Collection Agent image when API log mode is used without outbound routing store persistence. - Exposes plugin receivers (OpenTelemetry, Fluentd, StatsD, Prometheus remote write, Prometheus Alertmanager) as ClusterIP Services, not host ports. ## Fargate platform restrictions The following are AWS Fargate platform limits that affect Geneos deployment. They apply to every Fargate-only EKS cluster, not just a specific cluster configuration. | Restriction | Impact on Geneos | | --- | --- | | No DaemonSets | Netprobe `mode: DaemonSet` cannot run | | No `hostPath` volumes | Filesystem log collection and `hostPath` persistence cannot run | | No privileged containers | Filesystem log mode (which requires privileged Pod Security) cannot run | | No `hostNetwork` or `hostPort` | DaemonSet-style plugin receivers bound to node ports cannot run | | No EBS volumes for pods | Default gp2/gp3 PVCs fail; use EFS for persistence | | No NUMA / CPU pinning | Leave all `numa` settings empty in Helm values | ## Persistent storage on Fargate Fargate pods support [ephemeral storage](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eks/latest/userguide/fargate-pod-configuration.html) (default 20 GiB, configurable up to 175 GiB) and EFS volumes via the EFS CSI driver. EBS volumes are not supported. Any Geneos feature that writes state to a persistent volume, including API log collection cursors, outbound routing queues, and Gateway setup persistence, requires: - The EFS CSI driver installed in the cluster - An EFS file system created in the same VPC as the cluster - An EFS-backed StorageClass or static PV referenced by `persistence.storageClassName` (or the chart default StorageClass set to EFS) **Important** Do not use `gp2` or `gp3` EBS-backed StorageClasses for Geneos PVCs on Fargate. PVCs bound to EBS will not attach to Fargate pods and the workload will fail to start. ## Netprobe Helm chart compatibility The following table summarises Netprobe Helm chart settings validated using chart version **7.9.0+7.9.0**. | Feature or setting | Compatibility | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | `mode: StatefulSet` | Supported | Recommended and required for Fargate-only clusters | | Kubernetes metrics and events | Supported | Collected via the Kubernetes API | | Prometheus receivers and scraper | Supported | Inbound receivers and outbound scrapers use Services or outbound HTTP; no host ports. StatefulSet mode only | | StatsD | Supported | StatefulSet mode via Service | | OpenTelemetry metrics and traces | Supported | StatefulSet mode via Service (port 4317) | | Fluentd receiver | Supported | StatefulSet mode via Service (port 24224) | | Non-privileged pod settings | Supported | Default unprivileged Collection Agent image with API log mode | | API log collection (`logs.readMode: api`) | Supported; requires EFS for persistent cursor | Works on Fargate with `logs.readMode: api`. Set `persistence.enabled: true` and use an EFS-backed PVC to retain log read position across pod restarts | | Log pipeline delivery | Supported; requires EFS for persistent delivery | Requires persistence for store-and-forward queues unless using in-memory mode | | Outbound routing (`routing.outbound.enabled: true`) | Requires EFS | Requires `persistence.enabled: true` with an EFS-backed PVC | | `mode: DaemonSet` | Not supported | Fargate does not schedule DaemonSets | | Filesystem log collection (`logs.readMode: filesystem`) | Not supported | Requires `hostPath` mounts and privileged containers | | `hostPath` volumes | Not supported | Not allowed on Fargate | | Privileged containers | Not supported | Blocked on Fargate | | `hostPort` / `hostNetwork` | Not supported | Not allowed on Fargate; affects DaemonSet plugin receiver mode | | NUMA pinning | Not supported | Not applicable on Fargate micro-VMs | | EBS-backed PVCs (`gp2`, `gp3`) | Not supported | Fargate pods cannot use EBS volumes |