LKE (Linode Kubernetes Engine) releases Kubernetes versions on a slightly modified schedule from upstream releases. This page outlines our Kubernetes versioning and life cycle policies on LKE so that you effectively plan, deploy, and maintain your applications on our platform.

Kubernetes versioning

Kubernetes releases new software versions and patches on a regular cadence. These updates are integrated into LKE after they are released on upstream Kubernetes, which ensures they are properly vetted. Kubernetes uses a semantic versioning system that includes three parts: x.y.z, where x is the major version, y is the minor version, and z is the patch version.

• Patch versions (ex: 1.31.1 to 1.31.2): Patches are generally critical bug fixes, which include fixing security vulnerabilities. LKE clusters are automatically upgraded to the latest available patch versions for the cluster's minor version of Kubernetes (once they are released on LKE).
• Minor versions (ex: 1.30 to 1.31): Minor versions include new features and may make breaking changes or introduce incompatibilities. Customers are highly encouraged to manually upgrade their clusters, though an upgrade will be scheduled automatically once a cluster's existing minor version is deprecated.

Release notes for LKE are added when a new Kubernetes version is released and when we upgrade clusters with a patch version.

Version life cycle stages and cadence

These stages describe the Kubernetes version life cycle on Akamai’s LKE platform. To learn about upstream Kubernetes releases and support life cycles, see Kubernetes Release History.

New versions of Kubernetes are released on LKE typically within 4-8 weeks of the Kubernetes upstream release and remain on our platform until shortly before the upstream release reaches EOL.

Full Support

The Full Support stage begins when the Kubernetes version is released on LKE and ends soon after regular security maintenance releases are stopped for the upstream Kubernetes version. This typically lasts 9 months (36 weeks). During this period, patch versions are quickly released on LKE following the upstream releases.

Deprecated

Once regular security releases are stopped on the upstream Kubernetes version, the version enters the Deprecated stage. When a version is deprecated, it is removed from the Cloud Manager and Linode API and is no longer available for new LKE cluster deployments. This stage lasts 12 weeks. If you are using a Kubernetes version that’s marked as deprecated, you will be notified. We highly recommend customers upgrade their Kubernetes version at this time – before it reaches EOL.

End of Life (EOL)

A Kubernetes version marked EOL is removed from our platform. As we strive to maintain a safe and compliant managed Kubernetes service, any clusters still remaining an EOL’d Kubernetes version are automatically upgraded to the next minor Kubernetes version. This only upgrades the control plane components of an LKE cluster and not any existing worker nodes. If your cluster is using an EOL will be notified of this action at least 48 hours in advance.

Version upgrades

If a more recent minor Kubernetes version is available, an LKE cluster can be upgraded at any point to the next consecutive version. We recommend upgrading a cluster while your current version is still in the Full Support stage. This ensures your cluster is always up-to-date and prevents you from remaining on a version that’s deprecated and no longer patched. After manually upgrading your cluster, you’ll need to recycle your worker nodes for them to be upgraded to the newer version.

If you do not manually upgrade your cluster, it is automatically upgraded (forced upgraded) when its Kubernetes version reaches EOL. This process upgrades the control plane Kubernetes version and recycles the worker nodes so that they are also upgraded to the new version. If you wish to avoid this, please manually upgrade your cluster in advance, which will not automatically recycle worker nodes.

To learn more about upgrading your clusters, see the Upgrade a cluster to a newer Kubernetes version guide for complete details and instructions.

Current LKE Kubernetes release schedule

The table below lists the life cycle milestone dates of each Kubernetes version on LKE. This includes the release date (when the Full Support stage begins), the deprecation date (when the version is no longer available for new deployments, and the EOL date (when clusters are force-upgraded to the next Kubernetes version). These are approximate dates and may change as old versions are removed, new versions are added, and existing version milestone dates are modified.