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This feature is currently a work in progress. Some functionality may be incomplete or subject to change.

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Introduction

ZEDEDA Edge Kubernetes Service provides Kubernetes cluster management for edge environments. It is built on EVE-k, the EVE-OS (Edge Virtualization Engine) variant that runs a K3S-based Kubernetes runtime on nodes. The service addresses the operational challenges of running Kubernetes outside the data center: resource-constrained hardware, intermittent or no connectivity, air-gapped deployments, and fleet management at scale (tens of thousands of clusters).

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Core Components

ZEDEDA Edge Kubernetes Service is made up of two components that work independently or together. ZEDEDA Edge Kubernetes Service provisions and manages Kubernetes clusters at the edge. It handles cluster creation, node enrollment, version upgrades, and fleet-level groupings. This is the cluster infrastructure layer. App Flows provides GitOps app orchestration. App Flows monitors Git repositories and automatically deploys Helm charts to clusters when repository content changes. It enables declarative, version-controlled application delivery without direct cluster access.

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Primary use patterns

  • GitOps-only app management: Use App Flows to deploy and update Helm charts across clusters you already operate. ZEDEDA manages the delivery pipeline; your team manages cluster infrastructure separately.
  • Full cluster and app fleet management: Use ZEDEDA Edge Kubernetes Service together with App Flows to provision clusters, enroll nodes, organize cluster groupings, and automate app delivery end to end.

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EVE-k Operational Modes

EVE-k is the EVE-OS variant introduced in EVE-OS 16.0 LTS to replace EVE-Kubevirt. Converting between EVE-kvm and EVE-k requires a fresh install. A node cannot switch between operational modes without a fresh install. EVE-k supports the following modes: EVE-k can also be used alongside third-party orchestrators such as Rancher. In that configuration, ZEDEDA manages device clustering and node lifecycle while Rancher handles app orchestration.

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Where to Find Kubernetes Features in Edge Infrastructure Services

Edge Kubernetes features appear in several locations in the Edge Infrastructure Services sidebar:
Most enterprises manage every cluster, with or without Kubernetes access, from Infrastructure > Fleet > Clusters. The separate Kubernetes item under Infrastructure > Fleet appears only while your enterprise has the Kubernetes Orchestration entitlement and no cluster has yet reported its Kubernetes mode to the console. After the first cluster does, the item is hidden and the Clusters page takes over. If you do not see Kubernetes in the sidebar, use Clusters.

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Next Steps

Create and Manage Kubernetes Clusters

Create, import, configure, and delete Kubernetes clusters at the edge.

Manage Cluster Groupings

Organize clusters into logical groupings for fleet-level management.

Manage Installed Applications

View and manage Helm chart deployments across your clusters.

Kubernetes Marketplace

Browse and import Helm charts from the Kubernetes Marketplace.

GitOps Repositories

Connect Git repositories for automated Helm chart delivery.

EVE-OS LTS Policy

EVE-OS release schedule and support lifecycle.