Create the test utility

Understand the utility script’s purpose

In this section, you’ll create a utility script that simplifies working with your multi-architecture Kubernetes deployment. This script acts as a convenient wrapper around common kubectl and testing commands, making it easier to interact with nginx pods across different architectures.

Instead of typing long kubectl commands repeatedly, you’ll use this utility to quickly test services, monitor performance, and access pods on both Arm and Intel nodes. This approach saves time and reduces errors, especially when comparing behavior across architectures.

By the end of this section, you’ll have a ready-to-use tool that streamlines the testing and monitoring tasks you’ll perform throughout the rest of this Learning Path.

Get to know the utility script

The utility script provides three main functions to help you work with your multi-architecture nginx deployment. You can use it to test services across different architectures, monitor performance, and access pods directly.

The script provides the following key commands to interact with your nginx deployment:

• curl intel|arm|multiarch tests nginx services and show which pod served the request
• put btop installs btop monitoring tool on all pods
• login intel|arm is an interactive bash access to architecture-specific pods

These commands streamline common tasks you’ll perform when working with multi-architecture deployments. The curl command helps you verify that requests are being properly distributed across different architectures, while the login command gives you direct access to pods for debugging or configuration changes.

The script conveniently bundles test and logging commands into a single place, making it easy to test, troubleshoot, and view services.

Download the utility script

Copy and paste the following commands into a terminal to download and create the nginx_util.sh script:

    

        
        
curl -o nginx_util.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/geremyCohen/nginxOnAKS/refs/heads/main/nginx_util.sh
chmod +x nginx_util.sh

    

In the folder you ran the curl command, you should now see the nginx_util.sh script. Test it by running:

    

        
        
./nginx_util.sh

    

The script displays its usage instructions:

    

        
        Invalid first argument. Use 'curl', 'wrk', 'put', or 'login'.

        
    

You’re now ready to deploy nginx to the Intel nodes in the cluster.