--- title: "Release notes for Aerospike Kubernetes Operator" description: "Release notes for the Aerospike Kubernetes Operator, detailing version updates from 4.0.0 to 4.6.0." --- # Release notes for Aerospike Kubernetes Operator > For the complete documentation index see: [llms.txt](https://aerospike.com/docs/llms.txt) > > All documentation pages available in markdown. For supported Aerospike Database and Aerospike Backup Service version ranges by Aerospike Kubernetes Operator (AKO) release, see [Version compatibility](https://aerospike.com/docs/kubernetes/reference/compatibility). ## 4.6.0 Release date: October 9, 2026 ### New features - Add support for Aerospike Database 8.2.0. \[KO-581\] - Add [index checkpoints for planned pod restarts](https://aerospike.com/docs/kubernetes/manage/configure/index-checkpoint) with Aerospike Database 8.2.0 and later, enabled through the new `spec.previewFeatures` field. \[KO-585\] - Add [status conditions](https://aerospike.com/docs/kubernetes/reference/troubleshooting#cluster-status-conditions) to the `AerospikeCluster` status, and `READY` and `PAUSED` columns to `kubectl get aerospikecluster`. \[KO-515\] - Add [`enableParallelScaleDownAcrossRacks`](https://aerospike.com/docs/kubernetes/manage/configure/scaling#scale-down-across-racks-in-parallel) to quiesce the pods leaving every rack at once during a scale-down. \[KO-530\] - Add [`restartStrategy.overrideMigrateFillDelay`](https://aerospike.com/docs/kubernetes/reference/config-reference#restart-strategy) to hold back fill migrations while AKO replaces pods. \[KO-597\] - Add support for Aerospike Backup Service 3.6.2. \[KO-569\] - Add the [`certs.webhook.provider`](https://aerospike.com/docs/kubernetes/install/helm#webhook-certificates) Helm value, with `certManager`, `selfSigned`, and `external` modes for the webhook certificate. `certs.webhook.create` is deprecated. \[KO-605\] ### Improvements - Add a values schema to the AKO Helm chart. \[KO-587\] - Add validations to reject rack revision changes that would leave too few nodes running. \[KO-619\] - Validate `tls-name` and authentication settings in the XDR `dcs` configuration. \[KO-606\] - Add `ReadWriteOncePod` access mode in volume. \[KO-588\] ### Bug fixes - Fix handling of sidecar container failures during rack reconciliation, and add [`ignoreSidecarFailure`](https://aerospike.com/docs/kubernetes/reference/config-reference#spec). \[KO-539\] - Fix an AKO panic when StatefulSet creation fails early. \[KO-586\] - Fix setting `migrate-fill-delay` when the cluster has failed pods within `maxIgnorablePods`. \[KO-616\] - Fix missing read-only mount option for hostpath volume in aerospike-init container. \[KO-618\] - Fix CR phase from flickering between Error and InProgress on reconcile failures \[KO-541\] ### Internal refactoring and maintenance - Standardize logging, error, and event formatting across all controllers. \[KO-379\] - Upgrade to Go 1.26 and Kubernetes 1.36. \[KO-625\] - Update the installation steps in the AKO Helm chart READMEs. \[KO-620\] ## 4.5.0 Release date: June 30, 2026 ### New features - Add support for configuring AKO manager logging and metrics settings. \[KO-516\] - Add [`deleteLocalStorageOnPodRecovery`](https://aerospike.com/docs/kubernetes/reference/config-reference#delete-local-storage-on-pod-recovery) storage option for failed-pod recovery. \[KO-536\] ### Bug fixes - Fix local PVC handling and cluster scale-down for failed pods. \[KO-536\] - Fix authentication failures on recovered clusters due to stale ACL status. \[KO-546\] - Fix security vulnerabilities in all the AKO components. \[KO-571\] ### Internal refactoring and maintenance - Move selected webhook validations and mutations to Kubebuilder markers. \[KO-519\] ## 4.4.1 Release date: May 26, 2026 ### Bug fixes - Fix namespace-scoped privilege validation rejecting namespaces defined only at the rack level incorrectly. \[KO-526\] - Fix missing tls key-file/cert-file validation. \[KO-537\] - Fix in-memory with persistent storage namespace validation. \[KO-535\] - Fix security vulnerabilities in all AKO components. \[KO-529\] ## 4.4.0 Release date: April 22, 2026 ### New features - Add support for Aerospike Backup Service v3.5.0. \[KO-488\] - Add support for dynamic replication-factor change for AP namespaces. \[KO-485\] - Add support for Aerospike Database 8.1.2. \[KO-489\] ### Improvements - Add capability to skip global storage when the rack level storage is set. \[KO-481\] ### Bug fixes - Fix zero throughput verification after quiescing the node. \[KO-359\] - Fix rack revision input validation. \[KO-480\] - Fix panic for duplicate-named fields in list type in aerospike config. \[KO-512\] ### Internal refactoring and maintenance - Upgrade to Go 1.25. \[KO-482\] ## 4.3.0 Release date: February 18, 2026 ### New features - Add support for init-containers ordering, including aerospike-init. \[KO-468\] - Add support for overriding rack-id through pod annotation. \[KO-469\] - Add support for Aerospike Database 8.1.1. \[KO-477\] ### Improvements - Deprecate cross-namespace secret reference for TLS certs for aerospike cluster. \[KO-473\] - Add support for `ignoreNamespaces` in the eviction webhook in helm chart. \[KO-478\] ### Bug fixes - Fix security vulnerabilities in all the AKO components. \[KO-475\] ### Internal refactoring & Maintenance - Remove use of deprecated server info commands from AKO. \[KO-454\] - Update AKO base image to ubi10. \[KO-470\] - Update aerospike-kubernetes-init base image to ubi10. \[KO-471\] - Remove use of deprecated annotation from loadbalancer service. \[KO-472\] ## 4.2.0 Release date: January 12, 2026 ### New features - Add support for hostPath volume type. \[KO-382\] - Add support for vertical scaling (storage scaling) using rack revision. \[KO-448\] - Add support for removing a rack from the roster forcefully in a running cluster. \[KO-452\] - Add support for Federal Edition FIPS compliance. \[KO-453\] - Add support for grace-period for failed/pending pods. \[KO-455\] - Add support for pod eviction API webhook to safely evict pods during node maintenance. \[KO-456\] - Add support for Aerospike Backup Service v3.4.0. \[KO-460\] ### Improvements - Add capability to disable security in a running cluster. \[KO-435\] - Add wait for migration flow before deletion of pod. \[KO-444\] ### Bug fixes - Fix support for updating fields like `batch-index-threads`, `service-threads` dynamically. \[KO-445\] - Fix race condition in updating ACL status of Aerospike CR. \[KO-457\] - Skip LoadBalancer service deletion if created externally. \[KO-462\] - Fix panic in the device addition/removal flow of Aerospike namespace update. \[KO-459\] - Fix role create code error handling in `aerospikeRoleCreateUpdate.execute` where error variable was being shadowed. ### Internal refactoring & Maintenance - Remove pre-5.0 XDR related code and examples configuration. \[KO-458\] - Upgrade to Go 1.24 and Operator-sdk to 1.41.1. \[KO-461\] ## 4.1.2 Release date: December 4, 2025 ### Bug fixes - Fix security vulnerabilities in all the AKO components. \[KO-463\] ## 4.1.1 Release date: September 15, 2025 ### Bug fixes - Fix security vulnerabilities in all the AKO components. \[KO-450\] - Add missing configurations in the AerospikeCluster Helm chart. \[KO-449\] ## 4.1.0 Release date: August 18, 2025 ### New features - Add support for Aerospike Database 8.1. \[KO-440\] - Add support for Aerospike Backup Service v3.2.0. \[KO-438\] - Add support for header cleanup during volume initialization. \[KO-347\] - Add support for custom metadata in kubernetes services. \[KO-376\] - Add support for local PVC cleanup during upgrade and rolling restart. \[KO-427\] - Add support for admin port in Aerospike config. \[KO-437\] ### Improvements - Add `aerospike_ako_aerospikecluster_phase` custom metric to monitor cluster status. \[KO-441\] - Add Aerospike Kubernetes Operator View Grafana dashboard by default in the monitoring stack. \[KO-442\] ### Bug fixes - Fix dangling loadbalancer service when disabled. \[KO-413\] - Fix missing validation of init image tag during cluster create. \[KO-392\] - Fix roster set for ignored pod after recovery due to race condition. \[KO-415\] - Fix namespace and TLS config in logging. \[KO-443\] - Fix ABS controller recovery if initial deployment is failed or stuck. \[KO-426\] - Fix data-size update handling for in-memory namespaces. \[KO-424\] - Fix automatic webhook certs reload in AKO standby replica pod. \[KO-423\] ### Internal refactoring - Move webhook code to internal pkg. \[KO-378\] - Add go module versioning in AKO. \[KO-414\] ## 4.0.2 Release date: April 14, 2025 ### Bug fixes - Fix security vulnerabilities in all the AKO components. \[KO-421\] ## 4.0.1 Release date: March 13, 2025 ### Bug fixes - Fix security vulnerabilities in all the AKO components. \[KO-395\] ## 4.0.0 Release date: February 6, 2025 ### Breaking changes - Dropped support for deprecated API `aerospike.com/v1beta1` for AerospikeClusters. \[KO-372\] - Dropped support for Kubernetes 1.22 and earlier versions. \[KO-372\] - Dropped support for Aerospike Database versions older than 6.0.0. \[KO-372\] - Dropped support for AerospikeBackupService version v2.x. \[KO-357\] - Replaced `kube-rbac-proxy` functionality with controller-runtime authz/authn feature. \[KO-366\] - Dropped support for deprecated `ControllerManagerConfiguration` and moved to flag-based configuration. \[KO-366\] For more info, see [Breaking Changes](https://aerospike.com/docs/kubernetes/4.0.x/manage/upgrade/breaking-changes). ### New features - Add support for Aerospike Database 8.0. \[KO-369\] - Add support for Aerospike Backup Service v3.0.0. \[KO-357\] - Add support for HPA. \[KO-335\] ### Improvements - Add support for pod spec fields in the AerospikeBackupService. \[KO-358\] - Add support for custom labels and annotations in the AerospikeBackupService \[KO-355\] - Add support for custom ServiceAccount for AerospikeBackupService. \[KO-370\] ### Bug fixes - Unable to disable PDB when maxUnavailable is set to some value. \[KO-375\] - Fix Benchmark related aerospike configs parsing in management-lib. \[KO-364\] - Fix AKO access-address/tls-access-address IP assignment for dual-stack network Kubernetes clusters. `This fix will take effect only after restarting the Aerospike server pods` \[KO-360\]