RKE End of Life - what, when, why?

This document (000021513) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

Environment

RKE 1.6.0

Situation

What is changing?

As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure our technology solutions remain at the forefront of industry standards, we need to inform our customers about an important update regarding the Rancher Kubernetes Engine (RKE).

RKE was first released on 25th January 2018. Now, 6 Years and 625 releases later, we’re beginning the last chapter in the journey of RKE, and for many users a new chapter using RKE2 and K3S.

RKE has been a trusted solution, but the evolving landscape of container orchestration requires enhanced security, scalability and simplicity

With the release of Rancher Kubernetes Engine (RKE) 1.6.0, we are informing customers that RKE will be maintained for two more versions after 1.6.0, targeting the release window of July 2025. Therefore, please note that RKE will reach End of life 31st, July 2025 meaning RKE customers must re-platform to RKE2 or K3S.

Resolution

Transition to RKE2 or K3S

RKE uses Docker, which is no longer maintained as a container runtime by Kubernetes. This is critical as Docker’s removal from the Kubernetes project (as of release 1.24) necessitates a shift. RKE2 adopts containerd, providing a more secure and efficient environment. This change not only enhances the stability of container workloads but also aligns with the latest industry standards for container management. RKE2 and K3S offer a more secure, efficient, and future-proof environment for your Kubernetes needs.

RKE2 benefits over RKE

Modern Architecture: RKE uses Docker, which is no longer maintained as a container runtime. RKE2 adopts containers, providing a more secure and efficient environment.
Enhanced Security: RKE2 is designed with security at its core, offering defaults and configurations that help clusters pass CIS Kubernetes Benchmarks with minimal intervention.
Compliance: RKE2 supports FIPS 140-2 compliance and minimizes CVEs through comprehensive scanning with Trivy during the build process.
Future-Proof: Combining the strengths of RKE and K3S, RKE2 provides a robust and scalable platform that meets modern requirements.

Additional Information

Replatforming and support

SUSE understand that transitioning to a new platform can be challenging. The replatforming overview will provide enough guidance in many cases, but for any questions or assistance, please contact us at: replatform@suse.com or speak directly to your SUSE Account Team (AE, PE, CSM, etc.)
In addition, SUSE has both Consulting and Training services that are available to provide more detailed, personalized assistance. The replatforming overview guide contains a detailed overview for successful replacement of RKE with K3s or RKE2.

RKE2 Replatforming FAQ

Can I do an in-place upgrade?

No, an in-place upgrade was deemed problematic due to the nature of the architectural differences, as well as going against the cloud-native ethos of “treating your clusters as cattle rather than pets”.

What does replatforming mean?
Replatforming means that you create a new RKE2 cluster, and migrate the workloads from your existing RKE cluster to the new one.

Where do I find the documentation?
We have published the following official guide here. It is also part of the following article: RKE to RKE2 replatforming - instructions and FAQs

Is there tooling that will help me?
Currently, a tool called cattle-drive has been developed to help migrate Rancher-required objects from one downstream cluster to another.

What services SUSE can offer in regards to the replatforming?
SUSE Professional Services are ready to offer customers practical help with their re-platforming exercise, including the types of Consulting engagements listed below. Replatforming provides a great opportunity to revisit previous design and configuration decisions and improve on aspects such as platform security, scalability and automation.

Replatform Planning Service (including Discovery, Requirements Analysis & recommendations for implementation approach)
Design or Design & Build Services for the target RKE2 environment
Automation Consulting Service
Rancher Prime Readiness Services:
- Architectural Review Service
- Platform Readiness Assessment Service
- Security Assessment Service

Please contact your local Services Engagement Manager (SEM) for more information.

Additionally, SUSE provides a range of Training Services for customers who wish to obtain or update their in-house skills in the relevant technology areas, including deployment and administration of Kubernetes and/or Rancher Manager Server. Please refer to https://www.suse.com/training/ or ask your local SEM for more information.

When can I call support? How will support help me?
Support can be called upon to assist in understanding and troubleshooting the official replatforming documentation that our product team has provided, as well as pointing customers towards cattle-drive or any other tools that are built to assist our customers in the event they are doing the replatforming on their own.
Support can not directly assist customers in their replatforming process, this work should be carefully and clearly worked out with our Services team on a customer by customer basis.

Disclaimer

This Support Knowledgebase provides a valuable tool for SUSE customers and parties interested in our products and solutions to acquire information, ideas and learn from one another. Materials are provided for informational, personal or non-commercial use within your organization and are presented "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.