What’s New in the Redpanda Operator

This topic includes new content and significant changes in the Redpanda Operator. For a complete list of all updates, see the Redpanda Operator changelog.

See also:

Redpanda Operator v25.1.1-beta1

Changelog.

See also: Try the 25.1 Beta of the Redpanda Operator

Redpanda Console v3

This beta version deploys Redpanda Console v3, which includes unified authentication and authorization between the Console and Redpanda, including user impersonation. For more information, see Authentication.

This version does not support Redpanda Console v2.

Flux removed

This release completely removes Flux and its CRDs. The Redpanda Operator now manages all resources. The chartRef.useFlux configuration is still available for backwards compatibility but MUST be set to false.

Schema validation

The Redpanda custom resource definition (CRD) now includes stricter schema validation to ensure configurations conform to expected standards. With this new schema validation enabled, you must ensure your Redpanda CRD configurations include valid fields.

For example, given the values:

statefulset:
  replicas: "Not a number"
  liables:
    there-is: a-typo-in-this-field

In previous versions, you’d get an error about statefulset.replicas needing to be a number but no error about liables being an invalid field. In v25.1.x, you’ll get an error about statefulset.replicas needing to be a number and an error that liables isn’t an allowed field.

Removed fields

Deprecated fields have been removed from the CRD. Before upgrading, review your configurations and replace the removed fields with their replacements. For the list of removed fields, see the changelog.

Updated versioning scheme

An updated versioning scheme now better supports and tracks compatible Redpanda versions, ensuring smoother upgrades and improved compatibility management.

See also: Kubernetes Compatibility.

Connectors subchart removed

The connectors subchart has been removed from the Helm chart because it is not officially supported.

For a supported and scalable Kafka Connect alternative, consider using Redpanda Connect. For more information, see Get Started.

Redpanda Operator v2.4.x

Changelog.

Flux disabled by default

In version v2.3.x the chartRef.useFlux configuration was in beta and set to true by default. Starting from version v2.4.1, the chartRef.useFlux:false configuration is both GA and the default.

Breaking change: If you depend on Flux, explicitly set chartRef.useFlux: true in your configuration.

Example:

spec:
  chartRef:
    useFlux: true

If you upgrade to v2.4.x from an older version in which Flux was explicitly enabled, Flux remains in use. If Flux was explicitly disabled, it remains disabled after an upgrade unless you explicitly enable it.

Smarter Kubernetes rolling restarts and upgrades

This release improves how brokers are marked healthy, reducing unnecessary stalls during upgrades, especially under load.

Ability to change StatefulSet replicas without restarting brokers

Starting in v2.4.1, the Redpanda Operator allows you to increase or decrease the number of replicas in a StatefulSet without restarting existing brokers. This ability is useful for scaling your cluster up or down without downtime.

Unified versioning for the Redpanda Operator Helm chart

Starting with Redpanda Operator v2.4.1, the Helm chart versioning has been streamlined so that the chart version is always identical to the Redpanda Operator’s version. The version field now matches the appVersion field.

This unified versioning approach simplifies the upgrade process, ensuring that you always deploy the chart corresponding to your desired version of the Redpanda Operator.

Redpanda Operator v2.3.x

Changelog.

Declarative schema management

The Redpanda Operator now supports declarative schema management using the Schema custom resource, starting in version v2.3.0. This feature allows you to:

  • Define, create, and manage Avro, Protobuf, and JSON schemas declaratively.

  • Enforce schema compatibility and evolution policies directly in Kubernetes.

  • Automate schema lifecycle management alongside Redpanda deployments.

To learn more, see the Schema custom resource documentation.

Use Redpanda Operator without Flux

The Redpanda Operator now supports the chartRef.useFlux flag, giving you control over resource management, starting in version v2.3.0.

  • chartRef.useFlux: false: Directly manages resources within the Redpanda Operator, bypassing Flux.

  • chartRef.useFlux: true: Delegates Redpanda resource management to Flux controllers through HelmRelease resources.

This flag is in beta and set to true by default. If you want to use the Redpanda Operator without Flux, set chartRef.useFlux: false in your configuration.

Redpanda Operator v2.2.x

Declarative user and ACL management

The Redpanda Operator now supports declarative management of users and access control lists (ACLs) using the new User custom resource, starting in version v2.2.2. This feature allows you to:

  • Create and manage Redpanda users and their authentication settings.

  • Define and manage ACLs to control access to Redpanda resources.

  • Automatically reconcile changes to users and ACLs using the Redpanda Operator.

To learn more, see the User custom resource documentation.