Add and remove cluster nodes

The mkectl node add and mkectl node remove commands change node membership on a running MKE 4 cluster without performing a full cluster reconciliation. Each command runs a targeted sequence of steps, bootstrap or cordon/drain/reset, and updates only the hosts named in the operation in the MkeConfig object that is stored in the cluster.

Both commands operate on either worker nodes or control plane (manager) nodes, which you select with the --scope flag.

Warning

Do not use the mkectl apply command to add or remove nodes on a running cluster. Use the mkectl node add and mkectl node remove commands instead.

The mkectl apply command does not add or remove nodes, with one exception: Windows worker nodes. The mkectl node commands do not support Windows worker nodes, so you add them with mkectl apply. In addition, mkectl apply fails if the control plane hosts in spec.hosts do not match the control plane nodes of the cluster.

The same rule applies when you rejoin nodes after a restore. Rejoin control plane nodes and Linux worker nodes with mkectl node add, and rejoin Windows worker nodes with mkectl apply.

For detailed procedures on how to add and remove cluster nodes, as well as other pertinent node management information, refer to Configuration | Scale nodes.