Image Builder

Please see our Book for more in-depth documentation.

What is Image Builder?

Image Builder is a tool for building Kubernetes virtual machine images across multiple infrastructure providers. The resulting VM images are specifically intended to be used with Cluster API but should be suitable for other setups that rely on Kubeadm.

Useful links

• Quick Start for Cluster API Image Builder

Community, discussion, contribution, and support

Learn how to engage with the Kubernetes community on the community page.

You can reach the maintainers of this project at:

• Image Builder office hours: Mondays (biweekly) at 08:30 PT (Pacific Time) (biweekly). Convert to your timezone.
  • Meeting recordings.
• Slack channel
• Mailing list

Code of conduct

Participation in the Kubernetes community is governed by the Kubernetes Code of Conduct.

Goals

• To build images for Kubernetes-conformant clusters in a consistent way across infrastructures, providers, and business needs.
  • To install all software, containers, and configuration needed by downstream tools such as Cluster API providers, to enable them to pass conformance tests
  • Support end users requirements to customize images for their business needs.
• To provide assurances in the binaries and configuration in images for purposes of security auditing and operational stability.
  • Allow introspection of artifacts, software versions, and configurations in a given image.
  • Support repeatable build processes where the same inputs of requested install versions result in the same installed binaries.
• To ensure that the creation of images is performed via well defined phases. Where users could choose specific phases that they needed.

Non-Goals

• To provide upgrade or downgrade semantics.
• To provide guarantees that the software installed provides a fully functional system.
• To prescribe the hardware architecture of the build system.

Roadmap

• Centralize the various image builders into this repository
• Create a versioning policy
• Automate the building of images
• Publish images off master to facilitate E2E testing and the removal of k/k/cluster
• Create a bill of materials for each image and allow it to be used to recreate an image
• Automate the testing of images for kubernetes node conformance
• Automate the security scanning of images for CVE's
• Publish Demo / POC images to coincide with each new patch version of kubernetes to facilitate Cluster API adoption
• Automate the periodic scanning of images for new CVE's
• (Stretch Goal) Publish Production ready images with a clear support contract for handling CVE's. Due to the high-level of commitment and effort required to support production images, this will only be done once all the pre-conditions are met including:
  • Create an on-call rotation with sufficient volunteers to provide 365/24/7 coverage
  • Ensure all licensing requirements are met