Cluster lifecycle management
Cluster lifecycle management in Kosmos means centrally managing the creation, configuration, upgrade, scaling, and deletion of Kubernetes clusters — whether they run on Google Cloud, on-premises, or in other public clouds (AWS, Azure).
Kosmos offers a consistent, policy-driven, declarative approach to handle the full lifecycle of clusters across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
Lifecycle Stages
| Stage | What Kosmos Provides |
|---|---|
| Provisioning / Creation | Use Kosmos Multi-Cloud API, gcloud CLI, or Terraform to create clusters in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or on-premises |
| Configuration | Apply base configurations, RBAC, network policies, and quotas using Config Sync |
| Upgrade / Maintenance | Manage Kubernetes version upgrades with rolling updates and flexible scheduling |
| Scaling | Adjust node pool sizes, add/remove nodes, or create new node pools |
| Deletion / Decommission | Delete clusters cleanly through the API, automatically cleaning up cloud and infrastructure resources |
| Registration | Register existing clusters (including non-GKE clusters) to the Kosmos fleet for unified visibility and governance |
Why It Matters
Cluster lifecycle management in Kosmos helps teams:
- Simplify operations: One console and API for managing clusters everywhere
- Enforce consistency and security: Apply fleet-wide policies and monitor compliance
- Automate deployments: Use GitOps for configuration and upgrades
- Reduce operational risk: Avoid drift and manual errors with declarative, version-controlled setups