What’s New in the Redpanda Operator

This topic includes new content and significant changes in the Redpanda Operator. For a complete list of all updates, see the Redpanda Operator changelog.

See also:

Redpanda Operator v25.1.x (GA)

Changelog

Redpanda Console v3

Redpanda Console v3 is not yet available when deploying with the Redpanda Operator, due to pending CRD updates. The Redpanda Operator continues to deploy Redpanda Console v2. View the Redpanda Console v2 documentation.

To try Redpanda Console v3 in Kubernetes, you can deploy Redpanda using the Redpanda Helm chart instead of the Redpanda Operator. Redpanda Console v3 introduces support for unified authentication and authorization with Redpanda, including user impersonation.

Flux removed

This release removes Flux and its CRDs. The Redpanda Operator now manages all resources. The chartRef.useFlux configuration is still available for backwards compatibility but must be set to false.

Schema validation

The Redpanda custom resource definition (CRD) now includes stricter schema validation to ensure configurations conform to expected standards. With this new schema validation enabled, you must ensure your Redpanda CRD configurations include valid fields.

For example, given the values:

statefulset:
  replicas: "Not a number"
  pandas:
    there-is: a-typo-in-this-field

In previous versions, you’d get an error about statefulset.replicas needing to be a number but no error about pandas being an invalid field. In v25.1.x, you’ll get an error about statefulset.replicas needing to be a number and an error that pandas isn’t an allowed field.

Removed fields

Deprecated fields have been removed from the CRD. Before upgrading, review your configurations and replace the removed fields with their replacements. For the list of removed fields, see the changelog.

Updated versioning scheme

An updated versioning scheme now better supports and tracks compatible Redpanda versions, ensuring smoother upgrades and improved compatibility management.

See also: Kubernetes Compatibility.

Unified Helm installation of Redpanda Operator and CRDs

Starting in Redpanda Operator v25.1.1, you can install both the Redpanda Operator and its required custom resource definitions (CRDs) using a single Helm command:

helm repo add redpanda https://charts.redpanda.com
helm repo update
helm upgrade --install redpanda-controller redpanda/operator \
  --namespace <namespace> \
  --create-namespace \
  --version v25.1.2 \
  --set crds.enabled=true

Kafka Connect integration removed from Helm chart

Starting with version 25.1.x of the Redpanda Helm chart, Kafka Connect is no longer bundled as a subchart.

If you require Kafka Connect, you must install the connectors Helm chart separately after deploying Redpanda.

For instructions, see Deploy Kafka Connect in Kubernetes.

To check if you’re currently using Redpanda’s managed Kafka Connect, run:

kubectl get pod -l app.kubernetes.io/name=connectors --namespace <namespace>
For stream processing on Kubernetes, consider using Redpanda Connect. It offers a simplified, scalable alternative to Kafka Connect for building data pipelines with a supported Kubernetes integration.

Reference Kubernetes Secrets and ConfigMaps for Redpanda cluster configuration

You can now set any Redpanda cluster configuration property using the new extraClusterConfiguration field. This allows you to reference values from Kubernetes Secrets or ConfigMaps. For example, use this field to inject sensitive credentials or reuse shared configurations across features like Tiered Storage, Iceberg, and disaster recovery.

This enhancement improves:

  • Security: Avoid hardcoding secrets in Helm values or manifests.

  • Reusability: Centralize common values used by multiple features.

  • Maintainability: Better integrate with GitOps workflows and Kubernetes-native resource management.

See Set Redpanda cluster properties from Kubernetes Secrets or ConfigMaps.

Redpanda Operator v2.4.x

Changelog.

Flux disabled by default

In version v2.3.x the chartRef.useFlux configuration was in beta and set to true by default. Starting from version v2.4.1, the chartRef.useFlux:false configuration is both GA and the default.

Breaking change: If you depend on Flux, explicitly set chartRef.useFlux: true in your configuration.

Example:

spec:
  chartRef:
    useFlux: true

If you upgrade to v2.4.x from an older version in which Flux was explicitly enabled, Flux remains in use. If Flux was explicitly disabled, it remains disabled after an upgrade unless you explicitly enable it.

Smarter Kubernetes rolling restarts and upgrades

This release improves how brokers are marked healthy, reducing unnecessary stalls during upgrades, especially under load.

Ability to change StatefulSet replicas without restarting brokers

Starting in v2.4.1, the Redpanda Operator allows you to increase or decrease the number of replicas in a StatefulSet without restarting existing brokers. This ability is useful for scaling your cluster up or down without downtime.

Unified versioning for the Redpanda Operator Helm chart

Starting with Redpanda Operator v2.4.1, the Helm chart versioning has been streamlined so that the chart version is always identical to the Redpanda Operator’s version. The version field now matches the appVersion field.

This unified versioning approach simplifies the upgrade process, ensuring that you always deploy the chart corresponding to your desired version of the Redpanda Operator.

Redpanda Operator v2.3.x

Changelog.

Declarative schema management

The Redpanda Operator now supports declarative schema management using the Schema custom resource, starting in version v2.3.0. This feature allows you to:

  • Define, create, and manage Avro, Protobuf, and JSON schemas declaratively.

  • Enforce schema compatibility and evolution policies directly in Kubernetes.

  • Automate schema lifecycle management alongside Redpanda deployments.

To learn more, see the Schema custom resource documentation.

Use Redpanda Operator without Flux

The Redpanda Operator now supports the chartRef.useFlux flag, giving you control over resource management, starting in version v2.3.0.

  • chartRef.useFlux: false: Directly manages resources within the Redpanda Operator, bypassing Flux.

  • chartRef.useFlux: true: Delegates Redpanda resource management to Flux controllers through HelmRelease resources.

This flag is in beta and set to true by default. If you want to use the Redpanda Operator without Flux, set chartRef.useFlux: false in your configuration.

Redpanda Operator v2.2.x

Declarative user and ACL management

The Redpanda Operator now supports declarative management of users and access control lists (ACLs) using the new User custom resource, starting in version v2.2.2. This feature allows you to:

  • Create and manage Redpanda users and their authentication settings.

  • Define and manage ACLs to control access to Redpanda resources.

  • Automatically reconcile changes to users and ACLs using the Redpanda Operator.

To learn more, see the User custom resource documentation.