Azure DevOps: How To Create Service Principal For ACR And AKS 

There is a growing demand for automation as businesses adopt DevOps practices and adopt an agile software development methodology. Cloud resources like the Azure Container Registry (ACR) and the Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) can be created and managed automatically. It is necessary to connect these resources securely to Azure DevOps to automate and streamline deployments. This post will discuss using Azure DevOps to automate service principal primary connections to ACR and AKS, allowing for more streamlined and secure application deployments.

Azure DevOps and Service Principal

Applications can gain authorized and restricted access to Azure resources via service principals. These provide authentication and permission for Azure resources like the Azure Container Registry (ACR) and the Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), making them crucial for automating Azure DevOps deployment workflows.

Businesses can restrict access to resources and make them available only to the apps and users that need them using service concepts. Connecting the DevOps service to the Azure resource is the job of service principals in Azure DevOps. Through this link, the service can interact with and control the help in question, such as when a container image is uploaded to ACR or when an AKS cluster is scaled.

Each service principle has its unique client ID and client secret that can be used for authentication and authorization when accessing Azure resources. These credentials allow access to the linked resources and must be maintained and stored securely.

Each resource that has to be accessed by Azure DevOps should have a service principal created for it, with the appropriate rights and access levels set up. This way, businesses can restrict DevOps service access to only the necessary resources.

Steps For Creating ACR and AKS Service Principal

Secure automation of DevOps processes requires creating service principals for Azure Container Registry (ACR) and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). Instructions for setting up service principals in the Azure portal for ACR and AKS are as follows:

Creating an ACR Service Principal

• The first step in setting up a service principal is to locate the ACR instance in the Azure portal. One can use the Azure portal’s search bar and your subscription’s list of available resources to find your ACR instance.
• Choose “Access keys” from the list of options on the left. The ACR instance’s “Access keys” section stores the service principal and other credentials required to access the registry.
• Choose “Create service principal” under “Service principals.” When you click this, the “Create a service principal” window will open. 
• The privileges a service principal has within an ACR instance are set by the roles granted to that principal. Enter the service principal’s name and the role assignment corresponding to the access you wish to contribute in the “Create a service principal” dialogue box. A descriptive title that clarifies the service principal’s function is required. Choose from predefined roles like “Contributor” or “Reader,” or make your own and provide rights as needed.
• Select “Create” to start making the service principal. Simply clicking “Create” will trigger Azure’s creation of the service principal and generate a client ID and client secret.
• It is necessary to link the ACR instance with Azure DevOps, so after the service principal is built, be sure to make a note of the “Application ID” and “Client Secret” data. The “Application ID” refers to the service principal’s client ID, whereas the “Client Secret” is the authentication key. When setting up the Azure DevOps service connection, you must duplicate and save these values in a safe place for subsequent usage.

Creating an AKS Service Principal

• The first step in setting up a service principal is to locate the AKS cluster in the Azure portal. You can access your AKS cluster by either searching for it in the portal’s top-right search box or selecting it from your subscription’s list of available resources.
• Choose “Service principals” from the list on the left. You may find a list of all the service principals granted access to your AKS cluster under the “Service principals” tab.
• One can make a new service principal by clicking the “Create” button. When you click this, the “Create a service principal” window will open.
• Enter the service principal’s name and the role assignment corresponding to the access you wish to grant in the “Create a service principal” dialogue box. A descriptive title that clarifies the service principal’s function is required. A service principal’s privileges within an AKS cluster are set by the roles assigned to that principal. Choose from predefined roles like “Contributor” or “Reader,” or make your own and provide rights as needed.
• Select “Create” to start making the service principal. Simply clicking “Create” will trigger Azure’s creation of the service principal and generate a client ID and client secret.
• Once we have formed it, one should copy the “Application ID” and “Client Secret” variables from the service principal; these will be used to link the AKS cluster to Azure DevOps. The “Application ID” refers to the service principal’s client ID, whereas the “Client Secret” is the authentication key. When setting up the Azure DevOps service connection, you must duplicate and save these values in a safe place for subsequent usage.

Conclusion

If you use Azure DevOps to automate service primary connections for ACR and AKS, you’ll be able to secure access to Azure resources and reduce deployment time. Connect your applications and services to Azure DevOps using service connections after first defining service principals for ACR and AKS to grant them the necessary rights and access levels. Without manually managing credentials or permissions, you can deploy pictures to ACR and applications to AKS straight from Azure DevOps. To keep your data and infrastructure safe, you should use security and access management best practices when establishing service principals and connections.

If you need assistance with automating service principal connections for ACR and AKS from Azure DevOps, Triotech Systems can help. Our team of experienced Azure DevOps consultants can work with you to understand your requirements and design a solution that meets your specific needs.