OpenShift

On stretched Kubernetes clusters

 November 2, 2026

During conversations at work, and outside it, Kubernetes high availability comes up. And every time that happens, the idea of stretched clusters comes up. The idea is appealing, since stretching clusters across multiple data centers ensures that even if one is lost, Kubernetes keeps running and takes the necessary actions to restore services in the surviving sites. On the surface, it seems like the Holy Grail of HA, since it is simple and highly effective. In practice, this is often not the best setup.

Why do Kubernetes Control Planes have an odd number of members?

 June 29, 2023

The single most frequent question I get asked about Kubernetes is regarding the number of Control Plane nodes. Sometimes it is out of curiosity for the “unusual number”; other times, it is plainly confrontational since the person would prefer a different number, which usually is 2.

The first thing to understand is that there are a couple of reasons to choose a certain number of Kubernetes Control Plane nodes over another, and those are: