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OpenShift version 4.18 now available in Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud

  • 1.  OpenShift version 4.18 now available in Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud

    Posted 24 days ago
    Edited by Elvin Galarza 24 days ago

    On May 23rd, we made OpenShift version 4.18 available for your clusters that are running in Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud. This marks our 17th release of OpenShift.

    Our OpenShift service ensures a straightforward upgrade experience by using the IBM Cloud console, sparing you the need for extensive OpenShift expertise with just a few clicks! For more information and methods on upgrading your cluster, look here.

    When you deploy new clusters, the default OpenShift version remains 4.17 (soon to be 4.18); however, you have the flexibility to opt for immediate deployment of version 4.18.

    OpenShift version 4.18

    In addition to all the great OpenShift features provided in this release, Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud version 4.18 also includes numerous component updates that our community is excited about. Some of the highlights for the release include:

    • All Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud version 4.18 VPC clusters now support RHCOS worker nodes. Additionally, Red Hat CoreOS (RHCOS) is now the default operating system for Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud version 4.18 VPC clusters. RHCOS is purpose-built for the Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform (OCP), combining the stability and security of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) with a lightweight, minimal design optimized for scalability. If you are not using a RHCOS worker node, learn more about how to integrate RHCOS worker nodes in IBM Cloud.

    • Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud version 4.18 worker nodes now use the crun container runtime. Developed by Red Hat, crun, is a fast and low-memory container runtime with a smaller binary, quicker processing, and lower memory footprint. Because it is written in C, it is closer to the kernel, allowing the ability to directly interface with kernel-level features and syscalls that are fundamental to containerization - leading to more efficient and direct interactions with the operating system. You'll enjoy improved time-to-value from container startup to debugging or running commands when "execing" into running containers.

    • Intel Gaudi 3 AI accelerators are now available for ROKS version 4.18+: Unlock, innovate and deploy new AI solutions with Intel® Gaudi® 3 AI accelerators on IBM Cloud - designed to help you cost-effectively scale for enterprise AI demands with high-performance, flexibility in deployment and open development. Learn more about Intel Gaudi 3 here. To get started with Intel Gaudi 3 on Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud version 4.18 visit here.

    To see the full list of IBM and Red Hat enhancements, visit Red Hat unveils OpenShift 4.18: Enhanced security and virtualization experience and Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud version 4.18 change log for more details.

    OpenShift version support updates

    Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud now supports OpenShift version 4.18. Clusters running version 4.12 or 4.13 remain deprecated with end of support tentatively scheduled for May 31, 2025. Clusters running version 4.14 or 4.15 are now deprecated with end of support tentatively scheduled for January 8, 2026. It is important to note clusters that run a deprecated OpenShift version may not receive fixes for security vulnerabilities until they are updated to a supported version.

    As a reminder, if your cluster runs a deprecated or unsupported OpenShift version, review the potential impact of each OpenShift version update, and update today. If your cluster runs an archived OpenShift version, create a new cluster and deploy your apps to the new cluster. Here is the current support status for Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud clusters running an earlier OpenShift version:

    • Clusters running OpenShift version 4.11 remain unsupported with end of support reached on March 6, 2024. Such clusters will not receive fixes for security vulnerabilities until they are updated to a deprecated or supported version.

    • Clusters running OpenShift version 4.10 or earlier remain archived. For security reasons, IBM reserves the right to shutdown the control planes of such clusters.

    For general questions, engage our team via Slack by joining the discussion in the #general or #openshift channels on our public Slack.



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    Elvin Galarza, Technical Product Manager, IBM Cloud, IKS/ROKS
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