> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.xloud.tech/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Cluster Templates

> Create and manage Xloud K8SaaS cluster templates — define Kubernetes version, node flavor, network driver, and container runtime for reusable cluster.

## Overview

Cluster templates are reusable blueprints that define the configuration for Kubernetes
clusters. A template captures the Kubernetes version, node image, instance flavor, network
driver, and storage backend. Once created, a template can be used to deploy multiple
clusters with consistent configurations. Your administrator can publish public templates shared
across all projects; you can also create private templates for your own use.

<Note>
  **Prerequisites**

  * An active Xloud account with project access
  * A keypair created in your project for node SSH access
  * Compute quota sufficient for cluster nodes
  * A project network with external access
</Note>

***

## Template Fields Reference

| Field                      | Required | Description                     | Recommended Value            |
| -------------------------- | -------- | ------------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| **Name**                   | Yes      | Unique template identifier      | `k8s-1.29-prod`              |
| **Container Infra Driver** | Yes      | Cluster provisioning engine     | `kubernetes`                 |
| **Image**                  | Yes      | Boot image for cluster nodes    | `fedora-coreos-39`           |
| **Keypair**                | Yes      | SSH key for node access         | Your project keypair         |
| **Flavor**                 | Yes      | Instance size for worker nodes  | `m1.large` (4 vCPU / 8 GB)   |
| **Master Flavor**          | Yes      | Instance size for master nodes  | `m1.xlarge` (8 vCPU / 16 GB) |
| **Network Driver**         | Yes      | Container network interface     | `calico` (production)        |
| **Volume Driver**          | Yes      | Persistent volume backend       | `cinder`                     |
| **External Network**       | Yes      | Floating IP source              | `public`                     |
| **DNS Nameserver**         | Yes      | Resolver for cluster nodes      | `8.8.8.8`                    |
| **Master LB Enabled**      | No       | Load balance master nodes       | `True` (HA)                  |
| **Docker Volume Size**     | No       | Container storage per node (GB) | `50`                         |
| **Floating IP Enabled**    | No       | Assign floating IPs to nodes    | `True`                       |

***

## Create a Cluster Template

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Dashboard" icon="gauge">
    <Steps titleSize="h3">
      <Step title="Navigate to Cluster Templates" icon="compass">
        Navigate to
        **Container > Cluster Templates**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Create the template" icon="plus">
        Click **Create Cluster Template** and fill in the required fields using the
        reference table above.

        <Tip>
          For production clusters, enable **Master LB** to place a load balancer in front
          of master nodes and set **Master Count** to 3 when deploying the cluster.
        </Tip>
      </Step>

      <Step title="Configure advanced options" icon="settings">
        Expand **Advanced** to set optional parameters:

        * **Insecure Registry**: Internal container registry URL (if used)
        * **Fixed Network / Subnet**: Pin cluster nodes to a specific project network
        * **Labels**: Key-value labels for platform-specific options (e.g., `auto_healing_enabled=true`)
      </Step>

      <Step title="Save the template" icon="circle-check">
        Click **Create Cluster Template**. The template appears in the list with status `ACTIVE`.

        <Check>Template created with status `ACTIVE` and visible in the template list.</Check>
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="CLI" icon="terminal">
    <Steps titleSize="h3">
      <Step title="Authenticate" icon="key">
        ```bash title="Load credentials" theme={null}
        source openrc.sh
        ```
      </Step>

      <Step title="Create the template" icon="plus">
        ```bash title="Create cluster template" theme={null}
        openstack coe cluster template create k8s-1.29-prod \
          --coe kubernetes \
          --image fedora-coreos-39 \
          --keypair my-keypair \
          --flavor m1.large \
          --master-flavor m1.xlarge \
          --network-driver calico \
          --volume-driver cinder \
          --external-network public \
          --dns-nameserver 8.8.8.8 \
          --docker-volume-size 50 \
          --master-lb-enabled \
          --labels auto_healing_enabled=true
        ```
      </Step>

      <Step title="Verify the template" icon="circle-check">
        ```bash title="List templates" theme={null}
        openstack coe cluster template list
        ```

        ```bash title="Show template details" theme={null}
        openstack coe cluster template show k8s-1.29-prod
        ```

        <Check>Template shows `coe_version` populated and no error messages.</Check>
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

## Network Driver Comparison

The network driver (CNI plugin) is configured at template creation and cannot be changed
after cluster deployment.

| Driver    | Network Policy                 | Performance              | Recommended For                              |
| --------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------- |
| `calico`  | Full NetworkPolicy enforcement | Moderate                 | Production workloads requiring pod isolation |
| `flannel` | None                           | Higher (simpler overlay) | Development and test clusters                |

<Tip>
  Use `calico` for all production templates. Flannel is appropriate only for isolated
  test environments where Kubernetes NetworkPolicy is not required.
</Tip>

***

## Manage Existing Templates

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Dashboard" icon="gauge">
    Navigate to **Container > Cluster Templates**. From this view you can:

    * Click a template name to view its full configuration
    * Click **Actions → Delete** to remove unused templates (templates in use by clusters cannot be deleted)
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="CLI" icon="terminal">
    ```bash title="List all templates" theme={null}
    openstack coe cluster template list
    ```

    ```bash title="Show a template" theme={null}
    openstack coe cluster template show <template-name>
    ```

    ```bash title="Update a template field" theme={null}
    openstack coe cluster template update <template-name> \
      replace dns_nameserver=1.1.1.1
    ```

    ```bash title="Delete a template" theme={null}
    openstack coe cluster template delete <template-name>
    ```

    <Warning>
      Templates referenced by active clusters cannot be deleted. Delete all clusters
      using the template before removing it.
    </Warning>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Deploy a Cluster" href="/services/kubernetes/user-guide/deploy-cluster" color="#197560">
    Provision a Kubernetes cluster from your template in minutes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Node Groups" href="/services/kubernetes/user-guide/node-groups" color="#197560">
    Add specialized node pools with different flavors to your cluster.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Access Cluster" href="/services/kubernetes/user-guide/access-cluster" color="#197560">
    Download kubeconfig and connect kubectl to your cluster.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Kubernetes Admin Guide" href="/services/kubernetes/admin-guide" color="#197560">
    Administrator reference for managing public templates and quotas.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>