> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.simplismart.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create AWS EKS Cluster on AWS Console

> Step-by-step guide to create an AWS EKS cluster and configure node groups on the AWS platform

## Overview

This guide walks you through the process of creating an AWS EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service) cluster and setting up node groups. Follow these steps if you need to create a new cluster before importing it into the Simplismart platform.

## Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure:

* You have access to the AWS Management Console and EKS service

## Create an AWS EKS Cluster

Go to **Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service** > **Clusters** > **Create cluster**

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to AWS EKS Console">
    Go to **AWS Management Console** → **EKS**.

    Click **Add Cluster** → **Create Cluster**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Basic Cluster Settings">
    * Enter a **Cluster Name** (e.g., `test-cluster`)
    * Choose **Kubernetes version** (e.g., `1.33`)
    * Select an existing **IAM Role** or create a new one with EKS permissions
    * Click **Next**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Networking (VPC & Subnets)">
    * Choose an existing VPC or create a new one
    * Select public and private subnets across different Availability Zones
    * Ensure proper routing and internet access for nodes
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Logging (Optional)">
    Enable control plane logging for audit and debugging.

    Click **Next**, review, and click **Create**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  ⏳ Cluster creation typically takes 15–20 minutes.
</Warning>

For more details, check out the AWS documentation: [AWS EKS Cluster Creation Guide](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eks/latest/userguide/create-cluster.html)

***

## Create Node Groups

Once your cluster is active, you'll need to create node groups to run your workloads.

### Create a Standard Node Group

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add a Node Group">
    Once the cluster is active:

    * In the EKS cluster view, go to **Compute** → **Add Node Group**
    * Enter a **Node Group Name** (e.g., `worker-nodes`)
    * Select an **IAM Role** for nodes
    * Choose an **Instance Type** (e.g., `t3.large` or minimum `m6a.xlarge`) and **Node Count**
    * Label nodes with:

    ```bash theme={null}
    simplismart.ai/node-group-name: worker-nodes
    ```

    * Click **Create**

    <Info>
      For Simplismart platform integration, minimum machine size is `m6a.xlarge` for auxiliary node groups where cluster tools will be installed.
    </Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add GPU Node Group (Optional)">
    Create a new node group with GPU-enabled instances (e.g., `g5.xlarge`) following the same steps above, but:

    * Select a GPU-enabled instance type
    * Ensure NVIDIA GPU drivers are installed via DaemonSet after creation
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Next Steps

After creating your cluster and node groups:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Import Cluster" icon="upload" href="/model-suite/clusters/import-cluster/import-aws-cluster">
    Import your newly created AWS EKS cluster into the Simplismart platform
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configure Secrets" icon="key" href="/model-suite/integrations/secrets">
    Set up Kubernetes credentials to authenticate with your cluster
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues during cluster creation, please refer to:

* [AWS EKS Troubleshooting Guide](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eks/latest/userguide/troubleshooting.html)
* Contact Simplismart support at [support@simplismart.ai](mailto:support@simplismart.ai)