OSS + ELC EU 2026

Cluster API (CAPI) is by now a relatively mature project with many adopters using it in production already for years. Despite this, or perhaps rather thanks to it, CAPI keeps evolving, growing and adding new features. In this session, I'll present one of the most recent features: in-place updates.

In-place updates marks an important change to a fundamental assumption in CAPI. Traditionally, the Machines were considered mostly immutable. Any change required a replacement where new Machines were created and old Machines deleted. This method of operation has served CAPI well, and continues to do so, but it is not without pain points. With in-place updates, it is now finally possible to avoid replacement. This opens the door for unique use-cases and solutions, such as Talos, where each node's lifecycle can be managed through a built-in controller in the node itself.

Come learn about this new feature in CAPI, and how to make use of it!