Cluster API resources

This page outlines the Kubernetes Cluster API resources used in GKE on VMware.

Overview

GKE on VMware supports the following Cluster API resources:

  • Cluster
  • Machine
  • MachineDeployment
  • MachineSet
  • MachineClasses

GKE on VMware automatically generates these resources in your clusters during installation; generally, you don't need to interact directly with them. Additionally, GKE on VMware documentation references these resources to illustrate concepts like high-availability.

You can check which Cluster API CustomResourceDefinitions (CRDs) are available in a cluster:

kubectl get crds | grep "cluster.k8s.io"
clusters.cluster.k8s.io
machineclasses.cluster.k8s.io
machinedeployments.cluster.k8s.io
machines.cluster.k8s.io
machinesets.cluster.k8s.io

The following sections discuss the Cluster API resources currently relevant to understanding GKE on VMware.

Cluster

A Cluster resource represents an instance of Kubernetes running on a host. All GKE on VMware clusters have a Cluster resource that describes the cluster.

To see Cluster resources in a cluster, run the following command, where [KUBECONFIG] is the path to the cluster's kubeconfig file:

kubectl get clusters --kubeconfig [KUBECONFIG]

Below is an example of a Cluster resource that you might see in a GKE on VMware user cluster:

apiVersion: cluster.k8s.io/v1alpha1
kind: Cluster
metadata:
  annotations:
    addons.gke.io/loadbalancerip: ""
    bundle.gke.io/target-version:
    bundle.gke.io/version:
    onprem.gke.io/provider: vsphere
  creationTimestamp:
  finalizers:
  - cluster.cluster.k8s.io
  generation:
  name: example-user-cluster
  namespace: default
  resourceVersion: ""
  selfLink: /apis/cluster.k8s.io/v1alpha1/namespaces/default/clusters/example-user-cluster
  uid:
spec:
  clusterNetwork:
    pods:
      cidrBlocks:
      -
    serviceDomain: cluster.local
    services:
      cidrBlocks:
      -
  providerSpec:
    value:
      apiVersion: vsphereproviderconfig.k8s.io/v1alpha1
      controlPlaneReplicas:
      controlPlaneVersion:
      kind: VsphereClusterProviderConfig
      loadBalancerIP:
      loadBalancerNodePort:
      metadata:
        creationTimestamp:
      networkSpec:
        dns:
        ntp: ""
        reservedAddresses:
      oidcSpec:
      sniCert:
      vsphereDatacenter:
      vsphereDefaultDatastore:
      vsphereNetwork:
      vsphereResourcePool:
status:
  apiEndpoints:
  - host:
    port:

Machine

In GKE on VMware, a Machine resource is a declarative specification for an individual virtual machine (VM) that lives in vSphere. Each Machine resource has a corresponding Node resource that is created by GKE on VMware based on the Machine's specification. These resources reference the same physical object: a VM living in your vSphere environment.

To see Machine resources in a cluster, run the following command, where [KUBECONFIG] is the path to the cluster's kubeconfig file:

kubectl get machines --kubeconfig [KUBECONFIG]

Below is an example of a Machine resource that you might see in a GKE on VMware cluster:

apiVersion: cluster.k8s.io/v1alpha1
kind: Machine
metadata:
  annotations:
    control-plane-version: ""
    kubelet-version:
    onprem.gke.io/provider: vsphere
    vm-ip-address:
    vsphere-machine-state:
    vsphere-machine-uuid:
  creationTimestamp:
  finalizers:
  - machine.cluster.k8s.io
  generateName: example-cluster-node
  generation:
  labels:
    kubernetes.googleapis.com/cluster-name: example-cluster-node
    kubernetes.googleapis.com/cluster-namespace:
    machine-template-hash: ""
    set: node
  name: example-cluster-node
  namespace: default
  ownerReferences:
  - apiVersion: cluster.k8s.io/v1alpha1
    blockOwnerDeletion:
    controller:
    kind: MachineSet
    name: example-cluster-node
    uid:
  resourceVersion: ""
  selfLink: /apis/cluster.k8s.io/v1alpha1/namespaces/default/machines/example-cluster-node
  uid:
spec:
  metadata:
    creationTimestamp:
  providerSpec:
    value:
      apiVersion: vsphereproviderconfig.k8s.io/v1alpha1
      kind: VsphereMachineProviderConfig
      machineVariables:
        datacenter:
        datastore:
        disk_label:
        disk_size: ""
        memory: ""
        network:
        num_cpus: ""
        resource_pool:
        vm_template:
      metadata:
        creationTimestamp:
      networkSpec:
        address:
        dns:
        ntp: ""
        useIPAM:
      vsphereMachine:
  versions:
    kubelet:
status:
  lastUpdated:
  nodeRef:
    kind: Node
    name:
    uid:

MachineDeployment

A MachineDeployment manages a group of Machines: it specifies the GKE on VMware cluster in which the Machines run, declares their vSphere configuration, and rolls out changes to configurations. You can think of MachineDeployments and Machines being like Deployments and Pods.

To see MachineDeployment resources in a cluster, run the following command, where [KUBECONFIG] is the path to the cluster's kubeconfig file:

kubectl get machinedeployments --kubeconfig [KUBECONFIG]

Below is an example of a MachineDeployment resource that you might see in a GKE on VMware cluster:

apiVersion: cluster.k8s.io/v1alpha1
kind: MachineDeployment
metadata:
  annotations:
    machinedeployment.clusters.k8s.io/revision: "1"
    onprem.gke.io/provider: vsphere
  creationTimestamp:
  generation: 2
  labels:
    kubernetes.googleapis.com/cluster-name: example-cluster
    kubernetes.googleapis.com/cluster-namespace:
    set: node
  name: example-cluster
  namespace: default
  resourceVersion: ""
  selfLink: /apis/cluster.k8s.io/v1alpha1/namespaces/default/machinedeployments/example-cluster
  uid:
spec:
  minReadySeconds: 0
  progressDeadlineSeconds:
  replicas:
  revisionHistoryLimit:
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      kubernetes.googleapis.com/cluster-name: example-cluster
      kubernetes.googleapis.com/cluster-namespace: default
      set: node
  strategy:
    rollingUpdate:
      maxSurge:
      maxUnavailable:
    type: RollingUpdate
  template:
    metadata:
      annotations:
        onprem.gke.io/provider: vsphere
      creationTimestamp: null
      labels:
        kubernetes.googleapis.com/cluster-name: example-cluster
        kubernetes.googleapis.com/cluster-namespace:
        set: node
    spec:
      metadata:
        creationTimestamp:
      providerSpec:
        value:
          apiVersion: vsphereproviderconfig.k8s.io/v1alpha1
          kind: VsphereMachineProviderConfig
          machineVariables:
            datacenter:
            datastore:
            disk_label:
            disk_size: ""
            memory: ""
            network:
            num_cpus: ""
            resource_pool: example-cluster
            vm_template:
          metadata:
            creationTimestamp:
          networkSpec:
            address:
            dns:
            ntp: ""
            useIPAM:
          vsphereMachine:
      versions:
        kubelet:
status:
  availableReplicas:
  observedGeneration:
  readyReplicas:
  replicas:
  updatedReplicas: