Infrastructure Briefing — Kubernetes 1.29 "Mandala" Release
Kubernetes 1.29 arrived on December 13, 2023 with beta node log query APIs, GA KMS v2 encryption, and multi-architecture image promotion improvements for cluster operators.
Executive briefing: The Kubernetes project shipped version 1.29 ("Mandala") on . The release sharpens security and operational tooling for multi-cloud platform teams.
Key updates
- KMS v2 reaches GA. The second-generation Key Management Service API delivers envelope encryption performance improvements and rotation controls.
- Node log query beta. Cluster operators can query kubelet-managed logs via a stable API, simplifying troubleshooting.
- Multi-architecture images. Image promotion pipelines now publish arm64 artifacts faster, aiding heterogeneous node pools.
Implementation guidance
- Plan KMS v2 adoption with cloud provider plugins or HashiCorp Vault integrations to secure secrets at rest.
- Update observability tooling to leverage the node log query API for fleet-wide diagnostics.
- Validate container build workflows for multi-arch image publishing ahead of mixed architecture deployments.