Kubernetes Updates: How the Enhancement Team Shapes the Future

Did you know that Kubernetes v1.24 includes a total of 46 enhancements? In just four months, the team has integrated an impressive number of new features into the system. The Kubernetes Release Team handles the logistical tasks of such a release, from fixing test issues to publishing updated documentation. It’s a lot of work, but it is always successfully managed.

The Release Team consists of about 30 people divided into six sub-teams: Bug Triage, CI Signal, Enhancements, Release Notes, Communications, and Docs. Each of these teams manages a part of the release. In this article, we want to focus particularly on the role of the Enhancements Team and show you how you can get involved.

What is the Enhancements Team?

A very good question! First, let’s clarify how new features are managed in Kubernetes.

Every new feature requires a Kubernetes Enhancement Proposal, or KEP for short. KEPs are structured design documents used to propose and coordinate new features. The author of a KEP describes the motivation, design (and alternatives), risks, and tests. Then, community members provide feedback to form a consensus.

KEPs are submitted and updated via a Pull Request (PR) workflow in the k/enhancements repo. Features start in the Alpha phase and go through a graduation process to Beta and stable as they mature. An example of this is an exciting KEP about supported privileged containers on Windows Server. It was introduced in Kubernetes v1.22 as Alpha and reached Beta status in v1.23.

Back to the original question: The Enhancements Team coordinates the lifecycle tracking of KEPs for each release. Each KEP must meet a set of requirements to be approved for inclusion in a release. The Enhancements Team reviews each requirement and tracks the status of the KEPs.

At the start of a release, the Kubernetes Special Interest Groups (SIGs) submit their proposals to be included in a release. A typical release might initially include between 60 and 90 enhancements. During the release, many proposals drop out, either because they do not meet the KEP requirements or because the implementation in the code is not completed. About 60% to 70% of the submitted KEPs ultimately make it into the final release.

What does the Enhancements Team do?

The Enhancements Team plays a central role in two critical milestones during each release: the enhancement freeze and the code freeze.

With the support of ayedo, an experienced partner in the Kubernetes environment, developers and DevOps teams can quickly and efficiently integrate the latest features into their projects. Stay tuned to learn more about the exciting developments in Kubernetes!

Source: Kubernetes Blog