Curated documentation updates, feature announcements, community blogs, release highlights, and more.
Welcome to the July 2026 edition of the AKS Newsletter.
This month brings 5 features reaching General Availability and 5 new Preview announcements. Here are some of the highlights:
Let's dive in.
Generally Available: Encryption in Transit for Azure Files NFS Shares in Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): AKS now supports Encryption in Transit for Azure Files NFS v4.1 volumes via the Azure File CSI driver. This enhancement is crucial for securing data as it moves between nodes and storage, addressing compliance and security concerns.
Generally Available: Application Routing with Gateway API: The Gateway API for application routing is now generally available, offering a modernized approach to managing ingress routing. This update is significant for teams looking to integrate Kubernetes-native ingress solutions while maintaining compatibility with existing deployments.
Artifact Streaming – now generally available: Artifact Streaming is now generally available, providing a more efficient method for handling large container images and artifacts. This feature is essential for optimizing CI/CD pipelines and reducing deployment times in AKS environments.
Secure TLS bootstrapping – now generally available: Secure TLS bootstrapping is now enabled by default in westcentralus and eastasia, enhancing the security posture of AKS clusters. This feature simplifies the process of establishing secure communication channels between nodes, critical for maintaining cluster integrity.
Secure Boot – now generally available: Secure Boot is now supported for AKS clusters using GPUs with Azure Linux OS, providing an additional layer of security by ensuring that only trusted software is executed. This is particularly important for workloads that require high levels of security assurance.
Node Disruption Policy (preview): This feature introduces policies to manage and minimize disruptions in AKS clusters, providing engineers with more control over node availability and maintenance events. It's crucial for maintaining high availability in production environments.
NAT Gateway V2 (preview): Now available in public preview, this update allows the use of outboundType: managedNATGateway with natGatewayProfile.sku: standardV2, offering enhanced scalability and performance for outbound traffic management in AKS clusters.
Automatic zone placement (preview): This feature automates the distribution of AKS resources across availability zones, simplifying deployment and enhancing resilience. It's a significant step forward for engineers looking to optimize resource distribution without manual intervention.
Prepared Image Specification (preview): This preview feature allows engineers to define and use pre-configured images for AKS nodes, streamlining the deployment process and ensuring consistency across environments. It's particularly beneficial for teams aiming to reduce setup time and configuration errors.
Full caching mode for Ephemeral OS disks (preview): This feature enables full caching for ephemeral OS disks, improving I/O performance and reducing latency for workloads. It's a valuable enhancement for engineers seeking to optimize the performance of their AKS clusters.
Windows best practices: This documentation was refreshed with updated guidelines for optimizing Windows workloads on AKS. It emphasizes security, performance, and compatibility, providing essential insights for engineers managing Windows containers.
the preview property enableCustomCATrust will retire: The enableCustomCATrust preview feature is scheduled for retirement, impacting configurations relying on custom certificate authorities. Engineers need to transition to supported methods to maintain secure communication channels.
Windows Annual Channel retirement: The retirement of the Windows Annual Channel in AKS necessitates a shift to the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) for continued support and updates. This change is crucial for maintaining compliance and receiving security patches.
Flatcar preview retirement: The Flatcar Container Linux preview is being retired, requiring users to migrate to alternative supported Linux distributions. This transition is important for ensuring ongoing support and compatibility with AKS features.
AKS node image upgrade documentation: Updated to cover the latest procedures and best practices for upgrading AKS node images. This is vital for platform engineers to ensure their clusters are running the most secure and efficient versions available.
inspektor-gadget: Add PR feedback: This update incorporates feedback from recent pull requests to enhance the Inspektor Gadget documentation. It is crucial for engineers utilizing GPU profiling in AKS to ensure they are leveraging the latest insights and improvements.
Upgrade the Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Cluster Control Plane: The guidance for upgrading the AKS control plane has been refreshed, ensuring platform engineers have the latest instructions for accessing new Kubernetes features and security updates, which are vital for maintaining cluster integrity and performance.
Deployment and Cluster Reliability Best Practices for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): Updated to correct cluster autoscaler heading links, this documentation is essential for engineers seeking to implement best practices in deployment and reliability, particularly in AKS Automatic and Standard cluster modes.
Use the Cluster Autoscaler in Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): The cluster autoscaler guidance has been refreshed to provide clearer instructions on automatic scaling, which is critical for optimizing resource utilization and meeting dynamic application demands.
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Core Concepts: This update repairs links in the AKS storage section, ensuring engineers have seamless access to foundational knowledge necessary for effective AKS management.
Concepts - Storage in Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): Refreshed with updated guidance on storage, this documentation is vital for engineers managing volumes, persistent volumes, and storage classes, ensuring robust and scalable storage solutions in AKS.
Upgrade Options and Recommendations for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Clusters: The removal of kube-no-trouble from the validation tools list sharpens the focus on recommended upgrade paths, aiding engineers in selecting the most effective strategies for maintaining cluster health.
Set up identity bindings on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) (preview): Corrects an environment variable name for Key Vault secrets, ensuring accurate configuration of identity bindings, which is essential for secure identity management across multiple AKS clusters.
Troubleshoot the Inspektor Gadget extension on AKS (preview): Clarifies resolution steps for DaemonSet scheduling issues, providing engineers with precise troubleshooting methods to maintain the operational health of the Inspektor Gadget extension.
Configure AKSNodeClass Resources for Node Auto-Provisioning (NAP) in Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): Revised to update host-based encryption references, this documentation is crucial for engineers configuring node auto-provisioning, ensuring security and efficiency in resource allocation.
Create and Manage Persistent Volumes with Azure Files in Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): Updated to reflect the current status of Azure Files features, this guide is essential for engineers seeking to implement scalable and reliable storage solutions using the CSI driver in AKS.
Create a Private Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Cluster: Enhanced with API server endpoint information, this documentation is vital for engineers looking to establish private AKS clusters with improved security and network control.
Stop and start an Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) cluster: The documentation has been updated to provide current instructions on stopping and starting AKS clusters, a critical operation for cost management and maintenance scheduling.
Concepts - CNI Networking in Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): Updated with new network configuration requirements, this guide is essential for engineers selecting the appropriate networking model for their AKS clusters, impacting scalability and performance.
Deploy an AI model on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) with the AI toolchain operator add-on: Documents limitations of AKS stop/start with KAITO Workspaces, providing critical insights for engineers deploying AI models, ensuring seamless integration and operation.
Customize the Node Configuration for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Node Pools: Fixes the custom node config preview feature flag, ensuring engineers can accurately customize node configurations to optimize performance and resource allocation.
Supported Kubernetes Versions in Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): Updated the ms.date field, ensuring the documentation reflects the latest Kubernetes version support policies, crucial for lifecycle management and compliance.
Enable Premium SSD v2 support on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): Clarifies performance updates for Premium SSD v2, providing engineers with essential information to leverage enhanced disk performance for demanding workloads in AKS.
Stream Model Weights to NVIDIA GPU (vLLM) from Azure Blob Storage using the RunAI Model Streamer: Serving large language models on AKS often incurs a cold-start tax due to the time taken to load model weights. This blog post demonstrates how to mitigate this delay by streaming weights directly from Azure Blob Storage into GPU memory using the RunAI Model Streamer, providing a comprehensive setup guide for AKS.
Introducing Kubernetes-Native Policy Validation with CEL and VAP in Azure Policy: This post introduces Kubernetes-native policy validation using Common Expression Language (CEL) and Validated Admission Policies (VAP) within Azure Policy. Engineers can now define and enforce policies directly on AKS clusters, enhancing governance and compliance through native tooling.
How Microsoft 365 built a platform engineering layer on AKS to ship faster at global scale: Discover how Microsoft 365 leveraged AKS to construct a robust platform engineering layer, enabling rapid deployment and scalability across global operations. This case study highlights the architectural decisions and engineering practices that facilitated streamlined development and deployment processes.
Secure Native Access to Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Private Clusters with Azure Bastion: Explore how Azure Bastion can be used to secure access to AKS private clusters, eliminating the need for public IPs while maintaining secure and seamless connectivity. This approach enhances security posture by providing a managed jumpbox service for accessing private resources.
Lock Down AKS End to End with Application Gateway for Containers and Managed Cilium L7: This entry discusses the integration of Application Gateway for Containers with Managed Cilium L7 to provide comprehensive security and traffic management for AKS environments. Engineers can benefit from enhanced security controls and observability, ensuring robust protection for containerized applications.
Modern Ingress for AKS: Introducing Application Gateway for Containers (AGC): The introduction of Application Gateway for Containers (AGC) offers a modern ingress solution for AKS, providing advanced routing, SSL termination, and security features. This development is crucial for teams seeking to optimize their ingress architecture with scalable and secure solutions.
Introducing kars - an Agent Reference Stack for Kubernetes: Discover kars, a Kubernetes-native runtime that consolidates various agentic AI components into a cohesive, deployable stack for AKS. This innovation simplifies the deployment and management of AI workloads, offering a unified policy framework to streamline operations across Kubernetes environments.
enableCustomCATrust will retire on September 14, 2026. This change requires immediate attention to update clusters and node pools, removing the property to prevent scaling and certificate update failures.Next-Gen Kubernetes Networking with Jack Ma: AKS Me Anything: Azure Kubernetes Service: Discover next-gen Kubernetes application networking with Azure Kubernetes Application Network (AKS AppNet) and how it simplifies application connectivity, traffic management, and service-to-service communication for Kubernetes workloads. Built...
AKS Application Network : Azure Kubernetes Service: Azure Kubernetes Application Networking (AppNet) provides a fully managed, ambient-based service network for AKS, enabling secure, policy-driven service-to-service communication without sidecars.
AKS Community Call - US & Europe (June 2026) - Azure Kubernetes Service: Welcome to the AKS Community Calls! These sessions foster direct interaction between our product teams and the AKS community.
Assess your .NET and Java Webapps for modernization to App Service or AKS with Azure Migrate: Assess your . NET and Java Webapps for modernization to App Service or AKS with Azure Migrate.
July 2026 showed continued investment across key areas of the AKS platform:
These updates reflect the platform's ongoing focus on production readiness, operational simplicity, and support for modern cloud-native workloads.
Stay tuned for next month's edition, and feel free to share feedback or suggestions for future coverage.