Kubernetes Core 6.4.0: Helm v4 Support & k8s_drain Improvements

Introduction

The kubernetes.core 6.4.0 collection has been released with two significant improvements: Helm v4 compatibility across all Helm modules and enhanced k8s_drain behavior with check mode support.

This update is important for teams using Ansible to manage Kubernetes clusters, especially those planning to adopt Helm v4.

See also: Ansible for Kubernetes: Automate K8s Cluster Management and Application Deployment

What's New in 6.4.0

Helm v4 Compatibility

All Helm modules now work with Helm v4, ensuring forward compatibility as the Helm ecosystem evolves:

- name: Deploy application with Helm (v4 compatible)
  hosts: localhost
  connection: local
  collections:
    - kubernetes.core
  tasks:
    - name: Add Helm repository
      kubernetes.core.helm_repository:
        name: bitnami
        repo_url: https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami
- name: Install nginx using Helm
      kubernetes.core.helm:
        name: my-nginx
        chart_ref: bitnami/nginx
        release_namespace: web
        create_namespace: true
        values:
          replicaCount: 3
          service:
            type: ClusterIP
          resources:
            limits:
              cpu: 250m
              memory: 256Mi
            requests:
              cpu: 100m
              memory: 128Mi

Improved k8s_drain with Check Mode

The k8s_drain module now handles check mode properly. When you explicitly allow evicting unmanaged pods, pods with local storage, or DaemonSet-managed pods, those cases are reported as informational output instead of warnings:

- name: Drain node for maintenance
  hosts: localhost
  connection: local
  tasks:
    - name: Cordon the node first
      kubernetes.core.k8s:
        kind: Node
        name: worker-node-01
        definition:
          spec:
            unschedulable: true
- name: Drain node with proper handling
      kubernetes.core.k8s_drain:
        name: worker-node-01
        delete_options:
          ignore_daemonsets: true
          delete_emptydir_data: true
          force: true
          grace_period: 60
        state: drain
- name: Perform maintenance tasks
      ansible.builtin.debug:
        msg: "Node drained — ready for maintenance"
- name: Uncordon after maintenance
      kubernetes.core.k8s:
        kind: Node
        name: worker-node-01
        definition:
          spec:
            unschedulable: false

Upgrading to 6.4.0

# Upgrade the collection
ansible-galaxy collection install kubernetes.core:==6.4.0 --force
# Or add to requirements.yml
cat >> requirements.yml << 'EOF'
collections:
  - name: kubernetes.core
    version: ">=6.4.0"
EOF
ansible-galaxy collection install -r requirements.yml

Automate the upgrade:

- name: Upgrade kubernetes.core collection
  hosts: localhost
  connection: local
  tasks:
    - name: Install kubernetes.core 6.4.0
      ansible.builtin.command:
        cmd: ansible-galaxy collection install kubernetes.core:==6.4.0 --force
      register: install_result
- name: Verify installation
      ansible.builtin.command:
        cmd: ansible-galaxy collection list kubernetes.core
      register: version_check
- name: Display version
      ansible.builtin.debug:
        var: version_check.stdout_lines

See also: Ansible for Kubernetes: Deploy, Manage, and Automate K8s Clusters Complete Guide

Common Kubernetes Automation Patterns

Rolling Deployment

- name: Rolling deployment with zero downtime
  hosts: localhost
  connection: local
  tasks:
    - name: Update deployment image
      kubernetes.core.k8s:
        state: present
        definition:
          apiVersion: apps/v1
          kind: Deployment
          metadata:
            name: myapp
            namespace: production
          spec:
            strategy:
              type: RollingUpdate
              rollingUpdate:
                maxSurge: 1
                maxUnavailable: 0
            template:
              spec:
                containers:
                  - name: myapp
                    image: "myapp:{{ app_version }}"
- name: Wait for rollout to complete
      kubernetes.core.k8s_info:
        kind: Deployment
        name: myapp
        namespace: production
      register: deployment
      until: >
        deployment.resources[0].status.readyReplicas | default(0)
        == deployment.resources[0].spec.replicas
      retries: 30
      delay: 10

Helm Release Management

- name: Manage multiple Helm releases
  hosts: localhost
  connection: local
  vars:
    helm_releases:
      - name: monitoring
        chart: prometheus-community/kube-prometheus-stack
        namespace: monitoring
        values:
          grafana:
            enabled: true
      - name: ingress
        chart: ingress-nginx/ingress-nginx
        namespace: ingress-nginx
        values:
          controller:
            replicaCount: 2
  tasks:
    - name: Deploy Helm releases
      kubernetes.core.helm:
        name: "{{ item.name }}"
        chart_ref: "{{ item.chart }}"
        release_namespace: "{{ item.namespace }}"
        create_namespace: true
        values: "{{ item.values }}"
      loop: "{{ helm_releases }}"

FAQ

Is kubernetes.core 6.4.0 included in Ansible 13.6.0?

Check with ansible-galaxy collection list kubernetes.core. If your version is older, upgrade manually with ansible-galaxy collection install kubernetes.core:==6.4.0 --force.

Does Helm v4 support require changes to my existing playbooks?

No. The 6.4.0 update adds forward compatibility — existing Helm v3 playbooks continue to work without modification.

What Python packages are required?

The kubernetes.core collection requires the kubernetes Python package and optionally helm CLI for Helm modules.

See also: Ansible Kubernetes (k8s) Module: Manage K8s Resources (Guide)

Conclusion

kubernetes.core 6.4.0 is a solid release that prepares your Ansible-Kubernetes automation for the Helm v4 era while improving operational safety with better drain handling. Upgrade your collection to take advantage of these improvements.

Related Articles

• Ansible for Kubernetes Management • Ansible vs Kubernetes: Comparison Guide • Ansible CI/CD Pipeline Integration