We are excited to announce the agentic CLI for AKS, available now in public preview directly through the Azure CLI.
A huge thank you to all our private preview customers who took the time to try out our beta releases and provide feedback to our team. The agentic CLI is now available for everyone to try--continue reading to learn how you can get started.
Why we built the agentic CLI for AKS
The way we build software is changing with the democratization of coding agents. We believe the same should happen for how users manage their Kubernetes environments. With this feature, we want to simplify the management and troubleshooting of AKS clusters, while reducing the barrier to entry for startups and developers by bridging the knowledge gap.
The agentic CLI for AKS is designed to simplify this experience by bringing agentic capabilities to your cluster operations and observability, translating natural language into actionable guidance and analysis. Whether you need to right-size your infrastructure, troubleshoot complex networking issues like DNS or outbound connectivity, or ensure smooth K8s upgrades, the agentic CLI helps you make informed decisions quickly and confidently.
Our goal: streamline cluster operations and empower teams to ask questions like “Why is my pod restarting?” or “How can I optimize my cluster for cost?” and get instant, actionable answers.
The agentic CLI for AKS is built on the open-source HolmesGPT project, which has recently been accepted as a CNCF Sandbox project. With a pluggable LLM endpoint structure and open-source backing, the agentic CLI is purpose-built for customizability and data privacy.
From private to public preview: what's new?
Earlier this year, we launched the agentic CLI in private beta for a small group of AKS customers. Their feedback has shaped what's new in our public preview release, which we are excited to share with the broader AKS community. Let’s dig in:
Simplified setup: One-time initialization for LLM parameters with ‘az aks agent-init'. Configure your LLM parameters such as API key and model through a simple, guided user interface.
AKS MCP integration: Enable the agent to install and run the AKS MCP server locally (directly in your CLI client) for advanced context-aware operations. The AKS MCP server includes tools for AKS clusters and associated Azure resources.
Try it out: az aks agent “list all my unhealthy nodepools” --aks-mcp -n <cluster-name> -g <resource-group>
Deeper investigations: New "Task List" feature which helps the agent plan and execute on complex investigations. Checklist-style tracker that allows you to stay updated on the agent's progress and planned tool calls.
Provide in-line feedback: Share insights directly from the CLI about the agent's performance using /feedback. Provide a rating of the agent's analysis and optional written feedback directly to the agentic CLI team. Your feedback is highly appreciated and will help us improve the agentic CLI's capabilities.
Performance and security improvements: Minor improvements for faster load times and reduced latency, as well as hardened initialization and token handling.
Getting Started
- Install the extension
az extension add --name aks-agent
- Set up you LLM endpoint
az aks agent-init
- Start asking questions
Some recommended scenarios to try out:
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Troubleshoot cluster health: az aks agent "Give me an overview of my cluster's health"
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Right-size your cluster: az aks agent "How can I optimize my node pool for cost?"
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Try out the AKS MCP integration: az aks agent "Show me CPU and memory usage trends" --aks-mcp -n <cluster-name> -g <resource-group>
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Get upgrade guidance: az aks agent "What should I check before upgrading my AKS cluster?"
- Update the agentic CLI extension
az extension update --name aks-agent
Join the Conversation
We’d love your feedback! Use the built-in '/feedback' command or visit our GitHub repository to share ideas and issues.
Learn more: https://aka.ms/aks/agentic-cli
Share feedback: https://aka.ms/aks/agentic-cli/issues
Microsoft