Update your Azure cluster parameters
This page describes how to update your GKE on Azure cluster's settings.You can use these instructions to update any updatable setting in your cluster,including the Kubernetes version. Because upgrading the version is oneof the most common cluster update operations, a separateupgrade your cluster page covers howto upgrade a cluster version.
Reasons to update a cluster
You might update a cluster for any of the following reasons:
- To update your cluster's description.
- To update your cluster's annotations.
- To update your cluster's list of administrative users.
- To update your cluster's logging configuration.
- To update your cluster's VM size.
- To update your cluster's AzureClient.
- To update your cluster's Authentication from AzureClient to workload identity federation.
You can also update other fields in your clusters not listed here.For a complete list of fields you can update, see thegcloud container azure clusters updateand theprojects.locations.azureClusters.patchdocumentation.
Prerequisites
To update any of your cluster's fields, you must have the
gkemulticloud.googleapis.com/azureClusters.updateIdentity and Access Management permission.
The update process
The process by which GKE on Azure updates a cluster differs dependingon the type of update. For some changes, GKE on Azure can update acluster without restarting or recreating any resources—for example,updating a cluster's description. GKE on Azure makes these changesimmediately.
Other changes require restarting the control plane nodes—forexample, updating the VM size or Kubernetes version.For such updates, GKE on Azure performs a "rolling update" consistingof the following steps:
- Choose one control plane instance to update. GKE on Azure updates unhealthy instances, if any, before healthy ones.
- Delete the instance. GKE on Azure recreates the instance and the instance boots with the new configuration.
- Perform health checks on the new instance.
- If the health checks succeed, select another instance and perform the same steps on it. Repeat this cycle until all instances are restarted or recreated. If the health check fails, GKE on Azure places the cluster into a
DEGRADEDstate and stops the update. For more information, see the following section.
When an update fails
After an update, GKE on Azure performs a health check on the cluster.If the health check fails, the cluster is marked asDEGRADED. You can displaythe status of your cluster with the following Google Cloud CLI command:
gcloudcontainerazureclustersdescribeCLUSTER_NAME\--location=GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATIONReplace the following:
CLUSTER_NAME: the name of your clusterGOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION: the Google Cloud region thatmanages your cluster
Update your cluster
You can use either the Google Cloud console, the Google Cloud CLI, or theGKE Multi-Cloud API to update multiple cluster fields at once.
Choose an update method
You can update most fields through either the console, thegcloud CLI, or the GKE Multi-Cloud API. Some fields can only be updatedthrough one mechanism or the other. If you want to use the console to updatea cluster, you must first choose and configure an authentication method forlogging in to the cluster. For more information, seeConnect and authenticate to your cluster.
Console
In the Google Cloud console, go to theGoogle Kubernetes Engine clustersoverview page.
Select the Google Cloud project that the cluster is in.
In the cluster list, select the name of the cluster, and then selectView details in the side panel.
On theDetails tab, selectEdit on the field that you want to change.
For example, to grant cluster administrative privileges to other usersselectEdit next toAdmin users and enter the email address of the user.
When you are finished making changes, selectDone.
gcloud
When you update a cluster using the gcloud CLI, you must alwaysinclude theCLUSTER_NAME andGOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION fields, which tellGKE on Azure what cluster to update. In the following command, onlyinclude the fields that you want to update; remove the other fields beforerunning the command.
gcloudcontainerazureclustersupdateCLUSTER_NAME\--location=GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION\--cluster-version=CLUSTER_VERSION\--admin-users=USERNAME_LIST\--client=CLIENT_NAME\--vm-size=VM_SIZEReplace the following:
CLUSTER_NAME: the name of your clusterGOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION(required): thesupported Google Cloud regionthat manages your cluster—for example,us-west1CLUSTER_VERSION: the newsupported cluster versionUSERNAME_LIST: a comma-separated list of usernames, for example, "kai@example.com,hao@example.com,kalani@example.com". These are the email addresses of the users you're granting administrative privileges on this cluster to. The names in this setting will replace any previous list of admin-users on the cluster.CLIENT_NAME: your AzureClientVM_SIZE: the new supportedVM size
To update the cluster's Authentication from AzureClient toworkload identity federation,run the following command:
gcloudcontainerazureclustersupdateCLUSTER_NAME\--location=GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION\--azure-tenant-id="${TENANT_ID}"\--azure-application-id="${APPLICATION_ID}"\--clear-clientAPI
When you update a cluster using the GKE Multi-Cloud API, you must alwaysinclude theCLUSTER_NAME andGOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION fields in the HTTP request. Thesefields tell GKE on Azure what cluster to update. You must alsoinclude the API endpoint in the request. You create a JSON file with thefields that you want to update. Only include the fields that you want toupdate in the JSON file and in theUPDATE_MASK.
The following example shows how to update your cluster through the API.For more information, including the list of fields that you can update, seetheprojects.locations.azureClusters.patchmethod documentation.
Create a JSON file named
cluster_update.jsonwith the fields thatyou want to update.- When usingworkload identity federation,the JSON file should look like this:
{ "description": "CLUSTER_DESCRIPTION", "controlPlane": { "version": "CLUSTER_VERSION", "vm_size": "VM_SIZE }, "azureServicesAuthentication": { "tenantId": "TENANT_ID", "applicationId": "APPLICATION_ID" }, "authorization": { "adminUsers": [ { "username":USERNAME1, "username":USERNAME2, "username":USERNAME3 } ] }} - When usingAzure client,the JSON file should look like this:
{ "description": "CLUSTER_DESCRIPTION", "controlPlane": { "version": "CLUSTER_VERSION", "vm_size": "VM_SIZE }, "azureClient": "CLIENT_NAME", "authorization": { "adminUsers": [ { "username":USERNAME1, "username":USERNAME2, "username":USERNAME3 } ] }}
Replace the following:
CLUSTER_VERSION: the newsupported cluster version. Note thatyou must upgrade through all minor versions when upgrading your clusterCLUSTER_DESCRIPTION: the new cluster descriptionUSERNAME1,USERNAME2,USERNAME3:the email addresses of the users you'regranting administrative privileges on this cluster to. The names inthese fields will replace any previous list of admin-users on the cluster.CLIENT_NAME: yourAzureClient nameTENANT_ID: the Azure tenant IDAPPLICATION_ID: the Azure application ID that wascreated inCreate an Azure Active Directory ApplicationVM_SIZE: the newVM size
- When usingworkload identity federation,the JSON file should look like this:
Update these settings through the GKE Multi-Cloud API with following command.
curl-d@cluster_update.json-XPATCH\ENDPOINT/projects/PROJECT_ID/locations/GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION/azureClusters/CLUSTER_NAME?update_mask=UPDATE_MASK
Replace the following:
ENDPOINT(required): Your Google Cloudservice endpointPROJECT_ID(required): Your Google Cloud projectGOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION(required): thesupported Google Cloud regionthat manages your cluster—for example,us-west1CLUSTER_NAME(required): Your cluster nameUPDATE_MASK(required): a comma-separated list of oneor more of the following flags, indicating which fields you want toupdate. In this example, specify the following.- controlPlane.version
- description
- authorization.admin_users
- control_plane.vm_size
- azure_client
- azure_services_authentication.tenant_id
- azure_services_authentication.application_id
To update the cluster's Authentication from AzureClient toworkload identity federation,addazure_client,azure_services_authentication.tenant_id andazure_services_authentication.application_id in the fieldupdate_mask.
Update Logging Config
You can update your cluster'sCloud Loggingconfiguration settings with the Google Cloud CLI.To update the logging configuration, run the followingcommand:
gcloudcontainerazureclustersupdateCLUSTER_NAME\--location=GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION\--logging=LOGGING_CONFIG\Replace the following:
CLUSTER_NAME: your cluster's nameGOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION: thesupported Google Cloud regionthat manages your cluster—for example,us-west1LOGGING_CONFIG: [SYSTEM] or [SYSTEM,WORKLOAD]
What's next
- To update volume KMS keys, seeKey rotation
- For more information on updatable fields, see the
gcloud container azure clusters updatereference documentation. - See the
projects.locations.azureClusters.patchREST API documentation.
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Last updated 2025-11-24 UTC.