Tags created on AKS nodes deployed using AKS engine on Azure Stack Hub

Question

Hello,

By default, when an AKS Cluster is deployed using AKS engine on Azure stack hub, all of the master and worker nodes are tagged with these names : aksengineversion, creation source, orchestrator .... as described in the image below:

I wanted to know if there's any impact on deleting them because they don't make my management job easy when I try to gather information for billing.

I searched a lot and I saw that they won't impact the functionality or operation of the AKS cluster itself.
But if there's some scripts created by users using those tags they won't work anymore. I do not have any script manually created for sure but am thinking maybe about some automatic scripts created by AKS engine and can use those tags.

My question is will I be able to remove those tags without any impact on the funtionality of the cluster?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello Mohamed Achraf Chourabi,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A and thank you for posting your questions here.

Problem

Sequel to your description and question, I understand that the current setup of your AKS clusters deployed via AKS Engine on Azure Stack Hub involves tagging each node with specific attributes, complicating management and billing processes.

Question arises:

• Will removing the tags have any adverse effects on the functionality of the AKS clusters?
• Are there any scripts or automation tools reliant on these tags that may be impacted by their removal?
• You further asked, if you could remove those tags without any impact on the functionality of the cluster?

Other Highlighting Questions:

• What are the potential impacts of removing the tags on the functionality of the AKS clusters?
• Are there any scripts or automation tools that rely on these tags, and how will they be affected by their removal?
• How can management and billing processes be simplified after removing these tags?
• Is there any alternative tagging strategy that can be employed to maintain necessary information while reducing complexity?

Scenarios

Encountering challenges when attempting to gather information for billing due to the numerous tags associated with each node. There's a desire to streamline management by removing these tags.

Solution

To effectively address the problem, scenarios on your case and questions raised by during this analysis, I break down each aspect and provide a clear explanation of how to solve them.

1. Potential Impacts of Removing Tags on AKS Clusters. Removing tags from AKS clusters typically has no direct impact on their functionality. Tags are primarily used for organizational and management purposes and do not affect the core operations of the clusters. However, it's essential to ensure that no critical scripts or automation tools rely on these tags for their functionality. Without thorough assessment, removing tags could inadvertently disrupt these processes.
2. Identifying Scripts or Automation Tools Dependent on Tags. Begin by reviewing any scripts or automation tools that interact with AKS clusters. Look for references to the specific tags (aksEngineVersion, creationSource, etc.) within the scripts. Determine how these tags are used within the scripts or tools – whether they are for monitoring, provisioning, or any other purposes.
3. Removing tags. After confirming that no critical dependencies exist, proceed with removing the tags from the AKS clusters. Utilise Azure CLI or Azure Portal to remove the tags from AKS nodes, as outlined in the next point. With the tags removed, management processes become simpler as there are fewer attributes to track and manage. Billing processes may also be simplified as unnecessary tags no longer contribute to the complexity of resource tracking.
4. Use Azure CLI or Azure Portal to remove the tags from the AKS nodes. Below are the steps using Azure CLI:

      # Log in to your Azure account
      az login
      # Set the subscription context
      az account set --subscription <subscription_id>
      # List the AKS node resource IDs
      az aks list --resource-group <resource_group_name> --query "[].agentPoolProfiles[0].vnetSubnetId"
      # Remove the tags from the AKS nodes
      az resource update --resource-id <node_resource_id> --set tags={}
      
      
      
   

Finally

By following these steps above, you can effectively address the scenarios raised by the user and provide solutions to the questions regarding potential impacts, script dependencies, management simplification, and alternative tagging strategies. Thorough assessment and careful execution are essential to ensure a smooth transition and optimal management of AKS clusters on Azure Stack Hub.

References

To read more, kindly use the additional resources at the right side of this page.

Accept Answer

I hope this is helpful! Do not hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions.

Please remember to "Accept Answer" if answer helped, so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution.

Best Regards,

Sina Salam