The operator requires Kubernetes 1.33 or newer. The rows below describe the current validation baseline, not a blanket guarantee for every cloud, distribution, or topology.
Kubernetes versions
| Version | Validation | Support posture |
|---|---|---|
| 1.35.x | Pull request, nightly, release, Helm, and upgrade coverage | Primary validated line |
| 1.34.x | Nightly and release-gate lifecycle coverage | Validated compatibility line |
| 1.33.x | Not validated for the current release line | May work; validate in staging before adoption |
| OpenShift | Manifest, Helm, admission, and focused platform coverage | Validate on the target cluster |
OpenBao versions
| Version | Validation | Production note |
|---|---|---|
| 2.6.1 | Primary CI, nightly, release, and rolling-upgrade coverage | Primary validated target for 0.5.x |
| Other 2.6.x | Best-effort support on the latest stable line; not release-gated by 0.5.0 | Validate the exact patch in staging |
| 2.5.x | Config compatibility and rolling-upgrade source coverage | Validate the transition in staging |
| 2.4.x | Config compatibility | Upgrade before a new production rollout |
| 2.3.x | Not validated | Out of support scope |
Production upgrade rule
Validate the exact Kubernetes distribution, OpenBao version, unseal mechanism, storage, networking, and upgrade strategy in staging before changing production—even when both versions appear in the validated matrix.