AKS - 1

2026 (12)

November (1)

azure: [In preview] Public Preview: Distributed accelerator for cloud storage on AKS

Azure Updates

2026-11-10

Distributed accelerator for cloud storage (DACS) is now in public preview for AI workloads on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). It runs as a distributed read-through cache within the cluster and uses local NVMe disks across nodes.

October (6)

aks: Release 2026-10-25

Release notes from AKS

2026-10-27

AKS release v20261025 adds Kubernetes 1.37 GA/LTS, makes 1.36 the default for new clusters, and ships multiple component and image upgrades. It also introduces several NAP enhancements and previews, plus notable behavior changes around automatic upgrades, Istio, AKS Automatic, etcd encryption, and VMAS-to-VMS migration.

azure: [Launched] Generally Available: Managed StandardV2 NAT Gateway for AKS

Azure Updates

2026-10-08

AKS now provisions and manages a StandardV2 NAT Gateway for clusters using an AKS-managed virtual network. For new clusters in supported regions with `managedNATGateway` outbound type, StandardV2 is the default managed NAT Gateway SKU.

azure: [Launched] Generally Available: Anyscale on Azure

Azure Updates

2026-10-07

Anyscale on Azure is now generally available. It is a managed platform for running distributed Python workloads on Ray, deployed directly on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and integrated with Azure services.

azure: Retirement: Pod name dimension in AKS pod platform metrics

Azure Updates

2026-10-06

Azure Monitor is retiring the pod name dimension for certain AKS pod platform metrics starting September 30, 2027. These metrics will move to aggregate pod counters instead.

azure: [In preview] Public Preview: AKS on bare metal now on Ubuntu

Azure Updates

2026-10-06

Azure has a public preview for running AKS on bare metal using Ubuntu, aimed at on-premises Kubernetes deployments without a virtualization layer. The update highlights support for local control of hardware and software, with a focus on AI workloads.

aks: Release Notes 2026-09-25

Release notes from AKS

2026-10-01

AKS release v20260925 adds GA identity bindings, preview support for Ubuntu 26.04 and Windows Server 2022 to 2025 OS SKU migration, and includes multiple behavioral changes, bug fixes, and component updates across Kubernetes versions. It also announces upcoming VMAS cluster auto-migration to VM node pools starting 2026-09-30 and notes that Windows Server 2022 is unsupported on Kubernetes 1.37+.

September (5)

azure: [In preview] Public Preview: Ubuntu 26.04 support in AKS

Azure Updates

2026-09-30

AKS now has public preview support for Ubuntu 26.04 node pools through a new Ubuntu2604 OS SKU based on Ubuntu Minimal. The update is intended to help teams move with Ubuntu LTS releases while addressing package footprint, security, and compatibility concerns.

azure: [In preview] Public Preview: Flex Nodes for AKS

Azure Updates

2026-09-22

Flex Nodes for AKS is now in public preview. It lets application and platform teams use hybrid and edge infrastructure as connected worker nodes to an AKS control plane in Azure, while keeping a consistent Kubernetes control plane.

aks: Release 2026-09-04

Release notes from AKS

2026-09-09

AKS release v20260904 rolls out Kubernetes 1.37 preview, adds GA autoscaling for VM node pools, and includes updates across gateway, service mesh, CSI, and cloud-provider components. It also introduces several behavioral changes, bug fixes, and retirement notices for VMAS clusters and Azure Linux with OS Guard.

azure: [Launched] Generally Available: Windows Server 2025 on AKS

Azure Updates

2026-09-01

AKS now supports Windows Server 2025 in general availability, giving customers a newer Windows node option for Windows-based Kubernetes workloads on Azure. This is intended to help with modernization as older Windows Server versions near retirement.

azure: [Launched] Generally Available: Artifact Streaming on AKS

Azure Updates

2026-09-01

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) now supports Artifact streaming with Azure Container Registry (ACR) in generally available form. It is intended to reduce wait time when starting containerized workloads by allowing images to be used before they are fully pulled.