Kubernetes Versions and Container Engine for Kubernetes
When you create a new Kubernetes cluster using Container Engine for Kubernetes, you specify:
- The version of Kubernetes to run on the control plane nodes in the cluster.
- The version of Kubernetes to run on the worker nodes in each node pool. Different worker nodes in the same node pool can run different versions of Kubernetes. Different node pools in a cluster can run different versions of Kubernetes.
The version of Kubernetes that you specify for the worker nodes in a node pool must be either the same Kubernetes version as that running on the control plane nodes, or an earlier Kubernetes version that is still compatible. In other words:
- The control plane nodes in a new cluster must run the same version of Kubernetes as the version running on worker nodes, or must be no more than two versions ahead.
- The worker nodes in a node pool must not run a more recent version of Kubernetes than the associated control plane nodes.
New Versions of Kubernetes
The Kubernetes project constantly releases new versions, containing new and updated features, and bug fixes.
Kubernetes version numbers have the format x.y.z where x is a major release, y is a minor release, and z is a patch release. For example, 1.26.2.
The Kubernetes project supports the most recent three minor releases of Kubernetes.
As described in the Kubernetes documentation, a certain amount of version variation is permissible between control plane nodes and worker nodes in a cluster:
- The Kubernetes version on worker nodes can lag behind the version on the control plane nodes by up to two versions, but no more. If the version on the worker nodes is more than two versions behind the version on the control plane nodes, the Kubernetes versions on the worker nodes and the control plane nodes are incompatible.
- The Kubernetes version on worker nodes must never be more recent than the version on the control plane nodes.
For the Kubernetes versions currently and previously supported by Container Engine for Kubernetes, see Supported Versions of Kubernetes.