Policy-Driven Kubernetes: Kyverno and k0rdent – A Powerful Partnership

21 March 2025

Policy-Driven Kubernetes: Kyverno and k0rdent – A Powerful Partnership

The world of Kubernetes is expanding, and with it, the complexities of managing distributed clusters across diverse infrastructures. To address these challenges, Mirantis has launched k0rdent, an open-source Distributed Container Management Environment (DCME). And to bolster its capabilities, we’re thrilled to announce a significant integration: Nirmata’s Kyverno, the leading policy engine for Kubernetes, is now seamlessly integrated with k0rdent.

Why k0rdent?

k0rdent is designed to simplify multi-cluster Kubernetes management. It acts as a single control point, enabling you to manage cloud-native applications across any infrastructure, whether it’s on-premises, in the cloud, or at the edge. This powerful tool empowers platform engineers to create customized Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs), automate operations, enforce centralized policies, and leverage production-ready templates.

The Need for Robust Policy Management

As Kubernetes environments grow, ensuring security, compliance, and operational best practices becomes paramount. That’s where Kyverno comes in. Kyverno is a policy engine that allows you to manage Kubernetes policies as code. It enables you to define and enforce custom policies for security, compliance, and operational excellence.

Kyverno and k0rdent: A Perfect Match

The integration of Kyverno with k0rdent brings a new level of governance to distributed Kubernetes environments. Here’s what this powerful combination offers:

  • Unified Policy Enforcement: Apply consistent policies across all Kubernetes clusters managed by k0rdent, regardless of the underlying infrastructure.
  • Enhanced Security and Compliance: Define and enforce policies to ensure resource configurations and workload deployments adhere to security and compliance requirements.
  • Automated Governance: Utilize Kyverno’s policy-as-code approach to automate policy enforcement, reducing manual intervention and minimizing errors.
  • Real-time Validation and Mutation: Prevent misconfigurations and ensure best practices are followed with Kyverno’s ability to validate and mutate resources in real-time.
  • Simplified Multi-Cluster Governance: Centrally manage and enforce policies across your entire Kubernetes fleet, simplifying operations and reducing complexity.

Benefits for Users

This integration empowers users to:

  • Accelerate Innovation: Focus on application development and deployment, knowing that their Kubernetes infrastructure is secure and compliant.
  • Simplify Multi-Cluster Operations: Manage diverse Kubernetes environments from a single control plane.
  • Strengthen Security Posture: Implement granular policies to protect against security threats and ensure compliance.
  • Improve Operational Efficiency: Automate policy enforcement, streamline operations, and reduce manual effort.

Quotes from the Partnership

“Integrating Kyverno with k0rdent empowers users with robust, policy-driven governance across their distributed Kubernetes environments,” said Jim Bugwadia, CEO of Nirmata and Kyverno maintainer. “By providing a centralized policy engine that works seamlessly with k0rdent’s multi-cluster management, we enable enterprises to maintain compliance and security while accelerating their cloud-native initiatives.”

Getting Started

We encourage you to explore the power of k0rdent and Kyverno. Visit the k0rdent website at https://k0rdent.io and the Kyverno website at https://kyverno.io to learn more. To learn more about Nirmata visit https://nirmata.com and Mirantis visit https://mirantis.com

This integration marks a significant step forward in simplifying and securing Kubernetes management. We’re excited to see how this partnership empowers users to build and manage their cloud-native environments more effectively.

Do you have any questions or comments? You can contact us here. Would you like a complimentary assessment of your production Kyverno environment? We can be of assistance with that too – please see this page and form.

Optimizing Your Kubernetes Environment with Policy as Code: A Recap of the CNCF Live Session
Effortless Policy Enforcement on GKE Autopilot: A Kyverno and Nirmata Control Hub Guide

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