One of the most common errors encountered by AWS users when working with Amazon EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service) is the message “is not authorized to perform: eks:describecluster.” This error can be quite frustrating, especially for those who are new to the platform or are troubleshooting issues with their Kubernetes clusters. In this article, we will delve into the causes of this error and provide practical solutions to help you resolve it.
Amazon EKS is a managed service that makes it easy to run Kubernetes on AWS. It allows users to deploy and manage containerized applications at scale, with the convenience of AWS infrastructure. However, to perform certain actions, such as describing a cluster, you need the appropriate permissions.
What does “is not authorized to perform: eks:describecluster” mean?
The error message “is not authorized to perform: eks:describecluster” indicates that the user or role attempting to perform the action does not have the necessary permissions to describe the cluster. This can happen for several reasons, such as incorrect IAM (Identity and Access Management) policies, insufficient permissions, or misconfigured roles.
Causes of the “is not authorized to perform: eks:describecluster” error
1. Incorrect IAM Policies: One of the most common causes of this error is that the IAM policies attached to the user or role do not grant the necessary permissions. To resolve this, ensure that the IAM policy includes the following statement:
“`
{
“Effect”: “Allow”,
“Action”: “eks:describecluster”,
“Resource”: “”
}
“`
2. Insufficient Permissions: Even if the IAM policy includes the correct permissions, the user or role may not have the necessary permissions to perform the action. In this case, you need to check the trust relationship of the role and ensure that it allows the principal (user or service account) to assume the role.
3. Misconfigured Roles: If you are using roles, ensure that they are correctly configured and that the trust relationship allows the principal to assume the role. Additionally, verify that the role has the necessary permissions to perform the desired action.
How to resolve the “is not authorized to perform: eks:describecluster” error
1. Check IAM Policies: Verify that the IAM policies attached to the user or role include the necessary permissions. If not, update the policy and attach it to the user or role.
2. Review Trust Relationships: If you are using roles, ensure that the trust relationship allows the principal to assume the role. You can review the trust relationship by navigating to the IAM console and selecting the role.
3. Test Permissions: After making changes to IAM policies or roles, test the permissions by attempting to perform the action again. If the error persists, double-check your configuration and review the AWS documentation for further guidance.
By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the “is not authorized to perform: eks:describecluster” error and successfully describe your EKS cluster. Remember that proper IAM configuration is crucial for a smooth and secure experience with Amazon EKS.
