add blog post for in-tree cloud providers going beta

Author: elmiko

content/en/blog/_posts/2023-12-14-disabling-in-tree-cloud-provider-goes-beta.md

@@ -0,0 +1,217 @@
+---
+layout: blog
+title: "Kubernetes 1.29: Cloud Provider Integrations Are Now Separate Components"
+date: 2023-12-14T09:30:00-08:00
+slug: cloud-provider-integration-changes
+---
+
+**Authors:** Michael McCune (Red Hat), Andrew Sy Kim (Google)
+
+For Kubernetes v1.29, you need to use additional components to integrate your
+Kubernetes cluster with a cloud infrastructure provider. By default, Kubernetes
+v1.29 disallows components configured with legacy compiled-in cloud provider
+integrations.
+
+In 2018, the [Kubernetes community agreed to form the Cloud Provider Special
+Interest Group (SIG)][oldblog], with a mission to externalize all cloud provider
+integrations and remove all the existing in-tree cloud provider integrations.
+In January 2019, the Kubernetes community approved the initial draft of
+[KEP-2395: Removing In-Tree Cloud Provider Code][kep2395]. This KEP defines a
+process by which we can remove cloud provider specific code from the core
+Kubernetes source tree. From the KEP:
+
+> Motiviation [sic] behind this effort is to allow cloud providers to develop and
+> make releases independent from the core Kubernetes release cycle. The
+> de-coupling of cloud provider code allows for separation of concern between
+> "Kubernetes core" and the cloud providers within the ecosystem. In addition,
+> this ensures all cloud providers in the ecosystem are integrating with
+> Kubernetes in a consistent and extendable way.
+
+After many years of development and collaboration across many contributors,
+the default behavior for legacy cloud provider integrations is changing.
+This means that users will need to confirm their Kubernetes configurations,
+and in some cases run external cloud controller managers. These changes are
+taking effect in Kubernetes version 1.29; read on to learn if you are affected
+and what changes you will need to make.
+
+These updated default settings affect a large proportion of Kubernetes users,
+and **will require changes** for users who were previously using the in-tree
+provider integrations. The legacy integrations offered compatibility with
+Azure, AWS, GCE, OpenStack, and vSphere; however for AWS and OpenStack the
+compiled-in integrations were removed in Kubernetes versions 1.26 and 1.27,
+respectively.
+
+## What has changed?
+
+At the most basic level, two [feature gates][fg] are changing their default
+value from false to true. Those feature gates, `DisableCloudProviders` and
+`DisableKubeletCloudCredentialProviders`, control the way that the
+[kube-apiserver][kapi], [kube-controller-manager][kcm], and [kubelet][kubelet]
+invoke the cloud provider related code that is included in those components.
+When these feature gates are true (the default), the only recognized value for
+the `--cloud-provider` command line argument is `external`.
+
+Let's see what the [official Kubernetes documentation][fg] says about these
+feature gates:
+
+> `DisableCloudProviders`: Disables any functionality in `kube-apiserver`,
+> `kube-controller-manager` and `kubelet` related to the `--cloud-provider`
+> component flag.
+
+> `DisableKubeletCloudCredentialProviders`: Disable the in-tree functionality
+> in kubelet to authenticate to a cloud provider container registry for image
+> pull credentials.
+
+The next stage beyond beta will be full removal; for that release onwards, you
+won't be able to override those feature gates back to false.
+
+## What do you need to do?
+
+If you are upgrading from Kubernetes 1.28+ and are not on Azure, GCE, or
+vSphere then there are no changes you will need to make. If
+you **are** on Azure, GCE, or vSphere, or you are upgrading from a version
+older than 1.28, then read on.
+
+Historically, Kubernetes has included code for a set of cloud providers that
+included AWS, Azure, GCE, OpenStack, and vSphere. Since the inception of
+[KEP-2395][kep2395] the community has been moving towards removal of that
+cloud provider code. The OpenStack provider code was removed in version 1.26,
+and the AWS provider code was removed in version 1.27. This means that users
+who are upgrading from one of the affected cloud providers and versions will
+need to modify their deployments.
+
+### Upgrading on Azure, GCE, or vSphere
+
+There are two options for upgrading in this configuration: migrate to external
+cloud controller managers, or continue using the in-tree provider code.
+Although migrating to external cloud controller managers is recommended,
+there are scenarios where continuing with the current behavior is desired.
+Please choose the best option for your needs.
+
+#### Migrate to external cloud controller managers
+
+Migrating to use external cloud controller managers is the recommended upgrade
+path, when possible in your situation. To do this you will need to
+enable the `--cloud-provider=external` command line flag for the
+`kube-apiserver`, `kube-controller-manager`, and `kubelet` components. In
+addition you will need to deploy a cloud controller manager for your provider.
+
+Installing and running cloud controller managers is a larger topic than this
+post can address; if you would like more information on this process please
+read the documentation for [Cloud Controller Manager Administration][ccmadmin]
+and [Migrate Replicated Control Plane To Use Cloud Controller Manager][ccmha].
+See [below](#cloud-provider-integrations) for links to specific cloud provider
+implementations.
+
+#### Continue using in-tree provider code
+
+If you wish to continue using Kubernetes with the in-tree cloud provider code,
+you will need to modify the command line parameters for `kube-apiserver`,
+`kube-controller-manager`, and `kubelet` to disable the feature gates for
+`DisableCloudProviders` and `DisableKubeletCloudCredentialProviders`. To do
+this, add the following command line flag to the arguments for the previously
+listed commands:
+
+```
+--feature-gates=DisableCloudProviders=false,DisableKubeletCloudCredentialProviders=false
+```
+
+_Please note that if you have other feature gate modifications on the command
+line, they will need to include these 2 feature gates._
+
+**Note**: These feature gates will be locked to `true` in an upcoming
+release. Setting these feature gates to `false` should be used as a last
+resort. It is highly recommended to migrate to an external cloud controller
+manager as the in-tree providers are planned for removal as early as Kubernetes
+version 1.31.
+
+### Upgrading on other providers
+
+For providers other than Azure, GCE, or vSphere, good news, the external cloud
+controller manager should already be in use. You can confirm this by inspecting
+the `--cloud-provider` flag for the kubelets in your cluster, they will have
+the value `external` if using external providers. The code for AWS and OpenStack
+providers was removed from Kubernetes before version 1.27 was released.
+Other providers beyond the AWS, Azure, GCE, OpenStack, and vSphere were never
+included in Kubernetes and as such they began their life as external cloud
+controller managers.
+
+### Upgrading from older Kubernetes versions
+
+If you are upgrading from a Kubernetes release older than 1.26, and you are on
+AWS, Azure, GCE, OpenStack, or vSphere then you will need to enable the
+`--cloud-provider=external` flag, and follow the advice for installing and
+running a cloud controller manager for your provider.
+
+Please read the documentation for
+[Cloud Controller Manager Administration][ccmadmin] and
+[Migrate Replicated Control Plane To Use Cloud Controller Manager][ccmha]. See
+below for links to specific cloud provider implementations.
+
+## Where to find a cloud controller manager?
+
+At its core, this announcement is about the cloud provider integrations that
+were previously included in Kubernetes. As these components move out of the
+core Kubernetes code and into their own repositories, it is important to note
+a few things:
+
+First, SIG Cloud Provider offers a reference framework for developers who
+wish to create cloud controller managers for any provider. See the
+[cloud-provider repository][cloud-provider] for more information about how
+these controllers work and how to get started creating your own.
+
+Second, there are many cloud controller managers available for Kubernetes.
+This post is addressing the provider integrations that have been historically
+included with Kubernetes but are now in the process of being removed. If you
+need a cloud controller manager for your provider and do not see it listed here,
+please reach out to the cloud provider you are integrating with or the
+[Kubernetes SIG Cloud Provider community][sig] for help and advice. It is
+worth noting that while most cloud controller managers are open source today,
+this may not always be the case. Users should always contact their cloud
+provider to learn if there are preferred solutions to utilize on their
+infrastructure.
+
+### Cloud provider integrations provided by the Kubernetes project {#cloud-provider-integrations}
+
+* AWS - https://github.com/kubernetes/cloud-provider-aws
+* Azure - https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/cloud-provider-azure
+* GCE - https://github.com/kubernetes/cloud-provider-gcp
+* OpenStack - https://github.com/kubernetes/cloud-provider-openstack
+* vSphere - https://github.com/kubernetes/cloud-provider-vsphere
+
+If you are looking for an automated approach to installing cloud controller
+managers in your clusters, the [kOps][kops] project provides a convenient
+solution for managing production-ready clusters.
+
+## Want to learn more?
+
+Cloud providers and cloud controller managers serve a core function in
+Kubernetes. Cloud providers are often the substrate upon which Kubernetes is
+operated, and the cloud controller managers supply the essential lifeline
+between Kubernetes clusters and their physical infrastructure.
+
+This post covers one aspect of how the Kubernetes community interacts with
+the world of cloud infrastructure providers. If you are curious about this
+topic and want to learn more, the Cloud Provider Special Interest Group (SIG)
+is the place to go. SIG Cloud Provider hosts bi-weekly meetings to discuss all
+manner of topics related to cloud providers and cloud controller managers in
+Kubernetes.
+
+### SIG Cloud Provider
+
+* Regular SIG Meeting: [Wednesdays at 9:00 PT (Pacific Time)](https://zoom.us/j/508079177?pwd=ZmEvMksxdTFTc0N1eXFLRm91QUlyUT09) (biweekly). [Convert to your timezone](http://www.thetimezoneconverter.com/?t=9:00&tz=PT%20%28Pacific%20Time%29).
+* [Kubernetes slack][kslack] channel `#sig-cloud-provider`
+* [SIG Community page][sig]
+
+[kep2395]: https://github.com/kubernetes/enhancements/tree/master/keps/sig-cloud-provider/2395-removing-in-tree-cloud-providers
+[fg]: https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/command-line-tools-reference/feature-gates/
+[kubelet]: https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/command-line-tools-reference/kubelet/
+[kcm]: https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/command-line-tools-reference/kube-controller-manager/
+[kapi]: https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/command-line-tools-reference/kube-apiserver/
+[ccmadmin]: https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/administer-cluster/running-cloud-controller/
+[ccmha]: https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/administer-cluster/controller-manager-leader-migration/
+[kslack]: https://kubernetes.slack.com
+[sig]: https://github.com/kubernetes/community/tree/master/sig-cloud-provider
+[cloud-provider]: https://github.com/kubernetes/cloud-provider
+[oldblog]: https://kubernetes.io/blog/2019/04/17/the-future-of-cloud-providers-in-kubernetes/
+[kops]: https://github.com/kubernetes/kops