Container Service for Kubernetes:Create and manage node pools

Before creating a node pool, see Node pools to understand node pool basics, use cases, features, and billing.

Access entry

Create, edit, delete, and view node pools on the Node Pools page.

1. Log on to the ACK console. In the left navigation pane, click Clusters.

On the Clusters page, find the cluster to manage and click its name. In the left navigation pane, choose Nodes > Node Pools.

Create a node pool

Configure node pool settings in the console including basic, network, and storage configurations. Some parameters especially network-related ones cannot be modified after creation.

1. On the Node Pools page, click Create Node Pool. In the Create Node Pool dialog, configure the parameters.

   After creation, you can modify configuration items on the Edit Node Pool page. In the table below, indicates not modifiable, indicates modifiable.

   Basic configuration

   Parameter		Description	Modifiable
   Node Pool Name		Specify a node pool name.
   Confidential Computing		Note Currently only whitelisted users can configure confidential computing. Please submit a ticket to apply for whitelist access. This parameter is required only when Container Runtime is set to containerd. Specify whether to enable Confidential Computing. Confidential computing is a cloud-native confidential computing container platform based on hardware encryption technologies for users with high security requirements. For more information, see ACK TEE-based confidential computing.
   Container Runtime		Specify the Container Runtime based on the Kubernetes version. For more information about how to select a container runtime, see Comparison among containerd, Sandboxed-Container, and Docker. containerd (recommended): supports all Kubernetes versions. Sandboxed-Container: supports Kubernetes 1.31 and earlier. Docker (deprecated): supports Kubernetes 1.22 and earlier.
   Scaling Mode		Manual and Auto scalings are supported. Computing resources are automatically adjusted as needed and policies to reduce cluster costs. Manual: ACK adjusts the number of nodes in the node pool based on the value of the Expected Nodes parameter. The number of nodes is always the same as the value of the Expected Nodes parameter. For more information, see Manually scale a node pool. Auto: When the capacity planning of the cluster cannot meet the requirements of pod scheduling, ACK automatically scales out nodes based on the configured minimum and maximum number of instances. By default, node instant scaling is enabled for clusters running Kubernetes 1.24 and later, and node autoscaling is enabled for clusters running Kubernetes versions earlier than 1.24. For more information, see Node scaling.

   Managed configuration

   ACK provides three managed configuration types that enable different levels of automated operations and maintenance (O&M) for node pools.

   • Intelligent Hosting: ACK automatically scales based on workload demands and handles OS upgrades, software updates, and security fixes.

     Available only in clusters with intelligent hosting enabled.

   • Managed Node Pool: Select required automated O&M capabilities and maintenance window.

     Expand to view related configurations

     Parameter	Description	Modifiable
     Enable Auto Scaling	This parameter is available after you select Enable for the managed node pool feature. After you select this option, ACK automatically monitors the status of nodes in the node pool. When exceptions occur on a node, ACK automatically runs auto repair tasks on the node. If you select Restart Faulty Node, ACK may perform node draining and system disk replacement on faulty nodes. For more information about the conditions that trigger auto repair and auto repair events, see Enable auto repair for nodes.	✓
     Maintenance Window	This parameter is available after you select Enable for the managed node pool feature. After you select this option, the system automatically updates the kubelet when a new version is available. For more information, see Update a node pool.	✓
     Auto Upgrade	This parameter is available after you select Enable for the managed node pool feature. You can configure ACK to automatically patch high-risk, medium-risk, and low-risk vulnerabilities. For more information, see Patch OS CVE vulnerabilities for node pools. Some patches take effect only after you restart the servers. After you enable Restart Nodes If Necessary To Patch CVE Vulnerabilities, ACK automatically restarts nodes on demand. If you do not select this option, you must manually restart nodes after the patches are applied.	✓

   • No Automation: Manual node and node pool operations without automation.

Edit node pool

After creation, some configurations can be modified through the console. Updates only apply to new nodes, not existing ones.

1. In the node pool list, click Edit in the Actions column for the target node pool.

2. Modify configuration in the edit dialog and save. Node pool Status shows Updating during changes and Active when complete.

View node pool

View node pool basic information, monitoring data, node details, and scaling activity records.

Click the node pool name to view details.

Delete node pool

1. (Optional) Click the node pool name and check Desired Node Count in the Basic Information tab.

2. In the Actions column, click the menu icon, click Delete, then confirm by clicking OK.

   Important

   Node system disks and data disks are released with nodes. Data will be permanently lost. Use PersistentVolumes (PV) for persistent storage.