149 lines
7.2 KiB
Markdown
149 lines
7.2 KiB
Markdown
---
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reviewers:
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- sig-api-machinery
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- sig-architecture
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- sig-cli
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- sig-cluster-lifecycle
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- sig-node
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- sig-release
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title: Kubernetes Version and Version Skew Support Policy
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content_template: templates/concept
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weight: 70
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---
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{{% capture overview %}}
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This document describes the maximum version skew supported between various Kubernetes components.
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Specific cluster deployment tools may place additional restrictions on version skew.
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{{% /capture %}}
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{{% capture body %}}
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## Supported versions
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Kubernetes versions are expressed as **x.y.z**,
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where **x** is the major version, **y** is the minor version, and **z** is the patch version, following [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/) terminology.
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For more information, see [Kubernetes Release Versioning](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/blob/master/contributors/design-proposals/release/versioning.md#kubernetes-release-versioning).
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The Kubernetes project maintains release branches for the most recent three minor releases.
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Applicable fixes, including security fixes, may be backported to those three release branches, depending on severity and feasibility.
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Patch releases are cut from those branches at a regular cadence, or as needed.
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This decision is owned by the [patch release manager](https://github.com/kubernetes/sig-release/blob/master/release-team/role-handbooks/patch-release-manager/README.md#release-timing).
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The patch release manager is a member of the [release team for each release](https://github.com/kubernetes/sig-release/tree/master/releases/).
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Minor releases occur approximately every 3 months, so each minor release branch is maintained for approximately 9 months.
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## Supported version skew
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### kube-apiserver
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In [highly-available (HA) clusters](/docs/setup/independent/high-availability/), the newest and oldest `kube-apiserver` instances must be within one minor version.
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Example:
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* newest `kube-apiserver` is at **1.13**
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* other `kube-apiserver` instances are supported at **1.13** and **1.12**
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### kubelet
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`kubelet` must not be newer than `kube-apiserver`, and may be up to two minor versions older.
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Example:
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* `kube-apiserver` is at **1.13**
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* `kubelet` is supported at **1.13**, **1.12**, and **1.11**
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{{< note >}}
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If version skew exists between `kube-apiserver` instances in an HA cluster, this narrows the allowed `kubelet` versions.
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{{</ note >}}
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Example:
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* `kube-apiserver` instances are at **1.13** and **1.12**
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* `kubelet` is supported at **1.12**, and **1.11** (**1.13** is not supported because that would be newer than the `kube-apiserver` instance at version **1.12**)
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### kube-controller-manager, kube-scheduler, and cloud-controller-manager
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`kube-controller-manager`, `kube-scheduler`, and `cloud-controller-manager` must not be newer than the `kube-apiserver` instances they communicate with. They are expected to match the `kube-apiserver` minor version, but may be up to one minor version older (to allow live upgrades).
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Example:
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* `kube-apiserver` is at **1.13**
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* `kube-controller-manager`, `kube-scheduler`, and `cloud-controller-manager` are supported at **1.13** and **1.12**
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{{< note >}}
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If version skew exists between `kube-apiserver` instances in an HA cluster, and these components can communicate with any `kube-apiserver` instance in the cluster (for example, via a load balancer), this narrows the allowed versions of these components.
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{{< /note >}}
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Example:
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* `kube-apiserver` instances are at **1.13** and **1.12**
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* `kube-controller-manager`, `kube-scheduler`, and `cloud-controller-manager` communicate with a load balancer that can route to any `kube-apiserver` instance
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* `kube-controller-manager`, `kube-scheduler`, and `cloud-controller-manager` are supported at **1.12** (**1.13** is not supported because that would be newer than the `kube-apiserver` instance at version **1.12**)
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### kubectl
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`kubectl` is supported within one minor version (older or newer) of `kube-apiserver`.
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Example:
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* `kube-apiserver` is at **1.13**
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* `kubectl` is supported at **1.14**, **1.13**, and **1.12**
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{{< note >}}
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If version skew exists between `kube-apiserver` instances in an HA cluster, this narrows the supported `kubectl` versions.
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{{< /note >}}
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Example:
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* `kube-apiserver` instances are at **1.13** and **1.12**
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* `kubectl` is supported at **1.13** and **1.12** (other versions would be more than one minor version skewed from one of the `kube-apiserver` components)
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## Supported component upgrade order
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The supported version skew between components has implications on the order in which components must be upgraded.
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This section describes the order in which components must be upgraded to transition an existing cluster from version **1.n** to version **1.(n+1)**.
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### kube-apiserver
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Pre-requisites:
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* In a single-instance cluster, the existing `kube-apiserver` instance is **1.n**
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* In an HA cluster, all `kube-apiserver` instances are at **1.n** or **1.(n+1)** (this ensures maximum skew of 1 minor version between the oldest and newest `kube-apiserver` instance)
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* The `kube-controller-manager`, `kube-scheduler`, and `cloud-controller-manager` instances that communicate with this server are at version **1.n** (this ensures they are not newer than the existing API server version, and are within 1 minor version of the new API server version)
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* `kubelet` instances on all nodes are at version **1.n** or **1.(n-1)** (this ensures they are not newer than the existing API server version, and are within 2 minor versions of the new API server version)
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* Registered admission webhooks are able to handle the data the new `kube-apiserver` instance will send them:
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* `ValidatingWebhookConfiguration` and `MutatingWebhookConfiguration` objects are updated to include any new versions of REST resources added in **1.(n+1)**
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* The webhooks are able to handle any new versions of REST resources that will be sent to them, and any new fields added to existing versions in **1.(n+1)**
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Upgrade `kube-apiserver` to **1.(n+1)**
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{{< note >}}
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Project policies for [API deprecation](/docs/reference/using-api/deprecation-policy/) and
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[API change guidelines](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/blob/master/contributors/devel/api_changes.md)
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require `kube-apiserver` to not skip minor versions when upgrading, even in single-instance clusters.
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{{< /note >}}
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### kube-controller-manager, kube-scheduler, and cloud-controller-manager
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Pre-requisites:
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* The `kube-apiserver` instances these components communicate with are at **1.(n+1)** (in HA clusters in which these control plane components can communicate with any `kube-apiserver` instance in the cluster, all `kube-apiserver` instances must be upgraded before upgrading these components)
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Upgrade `kube-controller-manager`, `kube-scheduler`, and `cloud-controller-manager` to **1.(n+1)**
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### kubelet
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Pre-requisites:
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* The `kube-apiserver` instances the `kubelet` communicates with are at **1.(n+1)**
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Optionally upgrade `kubelet` instances to **1.(n+1)** (or they can be left at **1.n** or **1.(n-1)**)
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{{< warning >}}
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Running a cluster with `kubelet` instances that are persistently two minor versions behind `kube-apiserver` is not recommended:
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* they must be upgraded within one minor version of `kube-apiserver` before the control plane can be upgraded
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* it increases the likelihood of running `kubelet` versions older than the three maintained minor releases
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{{</ warning >}}
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