Environment: AWS EKS

Namespace: dev

Tools: Kubernetes, Helm, Prometheus, Grafana, AWS EBS CSI Driver, Gmail SMTP

Estimated duration: 2–3 hours

Difficulty: Intermediate

Learning objectives

By the end of this lab, students will be able to:

Deploy Prometheus and Grafana into Kubernetes.

Configure persistent storage for Grafana using AWS EBS.

Understand the difference between emptyDir and PersistentVolumeClaims.

Configure Gmail SMTP securely using Kubernetes Secrets.

Create Grafana email contact points and notification policies.

Create an ImagePullBackOff alert using PromQL.

Simulate a Kubernetes incident and receive an email notification.

Verify Grafana data survives a Pod restart.

Important architecture decision

Students must use their own development EKS cluster or an instructor-approved isolated lab environment.

Do not modify the existing production monitoring release.

The namespace dev isolates Kubernetes objects, but it does not provide complete security or resource isolation.…