What types of node groups exist in EKS? What is the difference between EC2 and Fargate?

In Amazon EKS, there are two main types of node groups:

1. EC2 Node Groups — these are groups of virtual machines (EC2 instances) that you manage yourself. You choose the instance types, configure scaling, updates, and settings.

2. Fargate Node Groups — this is a serverless option where AWS manages the infrastructure for you. You simply specify which pods should run on Fargate, and AWS automatically allocates resources.

Difference between EC2 and Fargate:

• Management: EC2 requires managing instances, updates, and scaling; Fargate is a fully managed service.
• Flexibility: EC2 gives full control over configuration and instance selection; Fargate is limited in settings but easier to use.
• Cost: EC2 can be more economical under constant load; Fargate is suitable for variable or unpredictable loads, billed based on usage.
• Scaling: In EC2, you set up Auto Scaling groups; in Fargate, scaling happens automatically.