Mirantis Kubernetes Engine (MKE) 4.1.3 Released
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Envoy Gateway replaces Ingress NGINX, marking a major shift to Gateway API–native traffic management. Enhanced disaster recovery flexibility and full SELinux support strengthen resilience and enterprise-grade security.
We are pleased to announce general availability of Mirantis Kubernetes Engine (MKE) 4.1.3.
MKE 4 has focused on rebuilding our flagship Kubernetes distribution on the modern, performant foundation of k0s. With version 4.1.3, we are taking a significant step forward in operational maturity, security hardening, and alignment with the future of cloud-native networking.
This release is not just a collection of bug fixes; it introduces architectural changes designed to prepare your infrastructure for the next generation of applications.
Here is a look at the headline features in MKE 4.1.3.
A New Era for Networking: Hello Envoy Gateway, Goodbye NGINX
The most significant change in MKE 4.1.3 is a strategic shift in how north-south traffic is managed. We are retiring Ingress NGINX and adopting Envoy Gateway as the standard entry point for Kubernetes clusters.
Why the change? While NGINX has served the community well, the Kubernetes ecosystem is moving toward the Gateway API standard for its expressiveness and role-oriented design. Envoy Gateway provides a modern, API-native, and highly scalable approach to traffic management that better suits complex microservices architectures. This shift ensures MKE users are equipped with a future-ready networking stack.
Further improving network performance, MKE 4.1.3 now includes NodeLocal DNS support. By running a DNS caching agent on cluster nodes, DNS lookup latency is reduced and overall cluster reliability is improved.
Enterprise-Grade Security and Compliance
Security remains paramount for enterprise customers. MKE 4.1.3 introduces several features aimed at hardening clusters and simplifying compliance.
Full SELinux Support - Added full support for SELinux on both worker and controller nodes, providing stronger process isolation and helping meet stringent security requirements in regulated industries.
Custom TLS for API Servers - Granular control over cluster security with the ability to configure custom TLS certificates for the Kubernetes API server. MKE also synchronizes these certificates for child clusters.
CIS Benchmark Publishing - Ability to publish Center for Internet Security (CIS) Benchmark results directly, providing immediate visibility into cluster security posture.
Continued RBAC Improvements - Refinements to Role-Based Access Control across both the API and a newly designed Cluster Access UI, making permission management more secure and consistent.
Boosting Operational Resilience
Running Kubernetes at scale requires robust tooling for maintenance and disaster recovery (DR). MKE 4.1.3 addresses real-world operational challenges.
Flexible Disaster Recovery - Restoration is no longer limited to recreating the exact original environment. Clusters can now be restored onto different infrastructure or node configurations than the original backup. This flexibility is critical during outage scenarios where identical hardware may not be available.
Automated etcd Maintenance - Introduction of an automated cron job for etcd maintenance, handling tasks such as defragmentation and cleanup to ensure long-term database performance and stability without manual intervention.
Phased mkectl apply Execution - The mkectl apply command now runs in distinct phases, providing greater predictability during deployments and upgrades and making it easier to identify where an operation may be stalling.
Component Updates and Notes
Under the hood, MKE continues to stay current with the ecosystem. This release includes:
k0s - Updated to v1.32.11+k0s.0
k0rdent enterprise - Updated to 1.2.3
Grafana Removal - Grafana has been removed as a built-in component to streamline the core distribution.
Upgrade Today
MKE 4.1.3 represents a significant step forward in modernizing enterprise Kubernetes infrastructure. With the shift to Envoy Gateway and strengthened security hardening, it provides a robust foundation for mission-critical workloads.
For more details on these features and the full list of fixes, please review the official release notes.
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