Announcing k0rdent v1.5.0 | Simplifying Global Kubernetes Operations for Platform Engineers
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We’re excited to announce k0rdent v1.5.0, bringing more control, flexibility and global scale to open source k0rdent. Bringing clarity and consistency to global operations, this release focuses on giving platform engineers more control over cluster behavior and service management.
A Quick Refresher on k0rdent
k0rdent is a Kubernetes-native, composable platform management system. k0rdent functions as a “super control plane” for platform engineers managing clusters and services across on-prem, cloud, and edge environments.
k0rdent is made up of three key components:
KCM (k0rdent Cluster Manager): Lifecycle management for Kubernetes clusters, powered by Cluster API
KSM (k0rdent State Manager): Service and application management using Helm, FluxCD, and Sveltos
KOF (k0rdent Observability & FinOps): Centralized monitoring, logging, and cost visibility
Documentation: QuickStart Guide
Source Code: GitHub
Updates to KCM
Full Regions Support
KCM now delivers complete, region-aware functionality across the cluster lifecycle. From validating templates and distributing configurations to collecting telemetry and managing backup/restoration, KCM now fully supports region-aware operations.
In v1.5.0, management backups now explicitly include region-scoped configuration, allowing regions and their associated clusters to be restored as part of a management-plane recovery. During restore, KCM introduces a “region-pause” mechanism that temporarily halts reconciliation while regional infrastructure stabilizes. Regions can also register existing regional clusters — including those already hosting ClusterDeployments — bringing them under management without redeploying.
Users can expect consistent cluster behavior worldwide, unified cluster visibility across regions, and better disaster-recovery options.
Cluster API v1.11.x Upgrade
KCM has been upgraded to Cluster API v1.11.x, adopting the latest upstream features and improvements. This upgrade enhances stability, lifecycle management performance, and compatibility with infrastructure providers. Users can enjoy faster operations and smoother cluster management.
Complete Changelog
Check out all the changes to KCM: https://github.com/k0rdent/kcm/compare/v1.4.0-release...v1.5.0-release
Updates to KSM
Pausing and Resuming Service Reconciliation
KSM now lets users pause and resume service reconciliation. This means that you can temporarily stop KSM from enforcing changes while you perform maintenance, debug, or test new configurations. This reconciliation pause will make rollouts and recovery easier.
This capability leverages the underlying Sveltos controller, which KSM uses under the hood. k0rdent 1.5.0 now passes a pause annotation via Sveltos' namespace-scoped ServiceSet object, to pause reconciliation of services running in that namespace.
Dependencies Between MultiClusterServices
KSM is also adding support for dependencies between MultiClusterServices. When one service depends on another, KSM will only move forward with reconciliation when all dependencies are ready.
In v1.5.0, dependency handling is now evaluated per target cluster, with k0rdent automatically resolving service priority and status conflicts. This cluster-by-cluster evaluation eliminates false negatives and reduces alert noise while dependent services are still initializing. This will lead to more reliable multi-cluster deployment, and cut down on false red flags so that users can focus on actual unexpected issues.
Updates to KOF
Migration from kof-istio to k0rdent-istio
In this release, the Istio integration has been moved from the kof repository into the k0rdent repository. This is a housekeeping change that streamlines maintenance and aligns organization. It also simplifies version alignment across components, paving the way for unified upgrades and consistent dependency management. This means smoother Istio-related upgrades and easier debugging moving forward.
Complete Changelog
Check out all the changes to KOF: https://github.com/k0rdent/kof/compare/v1.4.0...v1.5.0
Learn More
Join the k0rdent Community
Platform engineers today face increasing demands—but they don’t have to tackle them alone. k0rdent is 100% open-source and community-driven, offering the flexibility, tools, and ecosystem needed to manage distributed infrastructure efficiently.
Built by an international team of passionate developers, k0rdent thrives on collaboration. We welcome contributions and ideas to expand and improve the project.
Get Involved:
⭐️Drop a star to support the k0rdent project
✅ Explore the k0rdent Community repo on GitHub
✅ Join the #k0rdent channel on CNCF Community Slack(Sign up for CNCF Slack, then join #k0rdent)
✅ Sign up via our Community Invitation Form to attend Team k0rdent’s regular Office Hours
Getting Started
You can try out k0rdent v1.5.0 today by following the QuickStart guide and deployment instructions. For feedback, questions, or support, please reach out via email, Slack, or GitHub Issues. We look forward to hearing about your experience.
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