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RKE End of Life - what, when, why?

Article Number: 000021513

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RKE uses Docker, which is no longer maintained as a container runtime by Kubernetes.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  • Modern Architecture: RKE uses Docker, which is no longer maintained as a container runtime.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.