Support for the VMware vSphere Kubernetes Service (VKS) Platform – Redis Knowledge Base

Redis Software for Kubernetes (REK) adds official support for VMware vSphere Kubernetes Service (VKS) in operator 8.0.2-2 (October 2025).
In this release, VKS 1.32 is certified, x86 architecture is supported, and VMware TKG support is removed. You'll need to migrate to TKGI or VKS.

This article covers Supported Versions & Matrix, Prerequisites, Deployment, Best Practices, and Troubleshooting.
See the Redis 8.0.2-2 release notes for more information.

Supported Versions & Platform Matrix

Platform	REK Operator	Kubernetes Version	Status	Notes
VMware VKS	8.0.2-2	1.32	Supported	Official support added in 8.0.2-2
VMware TKG 2.5	8.0.2-2	1.28-1.29	Not Supported	TKG support removed; migrate to TKGI or VKS
Community Kubernetes	8.0.2-2	1.34	Supported	“Select platforms” include 1.34

References:

Prerequisites

VKS cluster running Kubernetes 1.32 (per supported distributions).
Three or more worker nodes for quorum and high availability.
Access to Docker Hub or a private registry for Redis Enterprise images.
kubectl Configured to the VKS cluster context.
Upgrade path: 8.0.2-2 supports upgrades only from 7.4.2-2 and later.
If you’re on an earlier operator, upgrade to 7.4.2-2 first.

References:

Deployment and Configuration

1. Install the Redis Operator (8.0.2-2)

kubectl create namespace <rec-namespace>
kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=<rec-namespace>
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/RedisLabs/redis-enterprise-k8s-docs/8.0.2-2/bundle.yaml

The bundle defines all CRDs, the Operator Deployment, and admission webhook resources.
See the Deployment Quick Start for more details.

2. Create a Redis Enterprise Cluster (REC)

apiVersion: app.redislabs.com/v1
kind: RedisEnterpriseCluster
metadata:
  name: my-rec
spec:
  nodes: 3

kubectl apply -f my-rec.yaml
kubectl get rec
kubectl get all

3. Create Databases (REDB)

Use the RedisEnterpriseDatabase (REDB) CRD.
In Redis 8 (8.0.2-2), bundled capabilities (Search & Query, JSON, TimeSeries, Probabilistic) are automatically enabled by database type — no moduleList needed for default deployments.

4. Enable and Verify the Admission Controller

The operator creates an admission-tls Secret and a ValidatingWebhookConfiguration for REDB validation.
Ensure both are present and healthy.

Best Practices for VKS Deployments

Cluster sizing: Minimum 3 nodes for HA and quorum.
Resource requests: Start with ≈ 2 vCPUs and 4 GiB RAM per node; adjust with load.
Persistence: Use block storage (EXT4 or XFS); avoid NFS.
Security & TLS: Manage certificates through Kubernetes Secrets and rotate as recommended.
Observability: Enable the bdb_proxy_cert_expiring_soon alert to monitor certificate lifecycle.
Platform note: TKG is not supported in 8.0.2-2; migrate to TKGI or VKS.
Architecture: x86 only for now (ARM planned for future release).

References:

Troubleshooting

Quick Fix Table

Symptom / Error	Likely Cause	Action / Resolution
Pods not ready / stuck	Resource pressure or missing Secrets	Run `kubectl describe pod`; verify PVCs and Secrets; ensure adequate CPU and memory on nodes.
TLS handshake failed	Wrong CA/leaf certificate or key mismatch	Confirm `ca.crt`, `tls.crt`, and `tls.key` in Secrets; rotate expired certs.
Admission webhook errors	Admission service not ready or missing certificate	Check `admission-tls` Secret and ValidatingWebhookConfiguration; restart operator if needed.
“Missing endpoint for admission endpoint”	Known 8.0.2-2 issue	Restart the operator pod to restore admission service.
REDB update blocked during Redis 8 upgrade	`moduleList` versions changed mid-upgrade	Keep existing module versions when upgrading `redisVersion`; Redis selects bundled versions automatically.
Internode custom cert upload fails	Feature not supported in this release	Internode traffic uses default self-signed certs; custom internode certs unsupported in 8.0.2-2.
Connection refused / timeout	Service or DNS configuration error	Validate Service type and endpoints; test connectivity with `redis-cli --tls` and CA certificate.
OOMKilled	Insufficient memory allocation	Increase memory requests and limits for REC pods; monitor metrics.
PVC stuck in Terminating	Orphaned resources remaining	Ensure all pods deleted and no Redis processes active; clear finalizers if appropriate.
Custom module not loaded	Custom modules disabled in 8.0.2-2	Use only bundled modules in this release.

Notes Specific to 8.0.2-2 for VKS Users

Custom modules are not supported in this operator release.
Internode TLS custom certificate upload is not supported; uses default self-signed certs.
Upgrades are supported only from 7.4.2-2 and later.
TKG removed; migrate to TKGI or VKS.

Reusable Command Blocks

Operator install (8.0.2-2):

kubectl create namespace <rec-namespace>
kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=<rec-namespace>
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/RedisLabs/redis-enterprise-k8s-docs/8.0.2-2/bundle.yaml

Minimal REC manifest:

apiVersion: app.redislabs.com/v1
kind: RedisEnterpriseCluster
metadata:
  name: my-rec
spec:
  nodes: 3

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