Rancher Kubernetes Engine (RKE)

RKE is a CNCF-certified Kubernetes distribution that runs entirely within Docker containers. It solves the common frustration of installation complexity with Kubernetes by removing most host dependencies and presenting a stable path for deployment, upgrades, and rollbacks.

Automate Your Kubernetes Operations

With RKE, the operation of Kubernetes is easily automated and entirely independent of the operating system and platform you’re running. As long as you can run a supported version of Docker, you can deploy and run Kubernetes with RKE. It builds a cluster from a single command in just a few minutes, and its declarative configuration makes Kubernetes upgrades atomic and safe.

What Comes With RKE

CNCF Certification

RKE's CNCF certification means that every release supports the same APIs as upstream Kubernetes. This gives enterprises the confidence that their Kubernetes resources are portable between RKE and other CNCF-certified Kubernetes distributions.

Simplified installation

Installation is via a single binary and it uses a single YAML file, meaning that even non-experts can deploy Kubernetes with a single command. The command connects to remote hosts via SSH, so Rancher or any staff member with SSH access can deploy and manage RKE instances anywhere in the world.

Automated Operation

When used with Rancher, operators can perform automated installation and upgrades of RKE clusters with just a few clicks.

Vendor Independence

RKE is not locked into a specific vendor operating system, Kubernetes Management Platform or proprietary tooling.

Safe, Atomic Upgrades

Since RKE is built using containers, it doesn’t have any touch points with the underlying operating system beyond the container engine. Containers make it easy to upgrade to a new version and to roll back to the previous version if necessary.