CamundaClusterPreset¶

CamundaClusterPreset is a cluster-scoped baseline configuration that CamundaCluster resources inherit. You create it, or another tool creates it for you.

A preset lets a platform team define a standard cluster shape once: sizing, topology, environment variables, authentication defaults, and backup policy. Each CamundaCluster names it through presetRef and merges its own spec over spec.cluster. Typical presets are named for their size, for example small, medium, and large. The versions and the pinned images live in a CamundaRelease, so a version roll never edits a preset.

The operator creates nothing from a preset, and a preset reports no status. A cluster that fits no preset leaves presetRef unset and configures everything inline. The presets guide shows how presets, releases, and clusters split the configuration of a fleet.

The smallest preset sets a broker baseline:

apiVersion: core.camunda.io/v1
kind: CamundaClusterPreset
metadata:
  name: small
spec:
  cluster:
    zeebe:
      replicas: 1
      partitions: 1
      replicationFactor: 1
      storageSize: "10Gi"

graph LR
    CC[CamundaCluster] -.->|presetRef| CCP[CamundaClusterPreset]
    CC -.->|releaseRef| CR[CamundaRelease]
    CC -.->|platformConfigRef| PFC[CamundaPlatformConfig]

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Merge rules¶

The cluster starts from spec.cluster of the preset. The CamundaRelease of releaseRef merges over it, and the cluster spec merges over both. Each field merges as the table says. The instance-bound fields always come from the cluster.

Field	Merge behavior
per-component `mode`, `replicas`, `zeebe.partitions`, `zeebe.replicationFactor`, `zeebe.storageClassName`, `zeebe.storageSize`, `zeebe.persistentVolumeClaimRetentionPolicy`, `indexReplicas`, `connectors.enabled`	The cluster value replaces the preset value. An unset cluster field inherits the preset value.
`resources`	Merged per request and limit entry. A cluster entry replaces the matching preset entry. Unset entries inherit.
`extraEnv`	Merged by variable name. Preset entries come first, then release entries, then cluster entries. A later layer replaces an entry with the same name. See Environment and JVM for the order inside a cluster.
`extraEnvFrom`	Concatenated: preset entries first, then release entries, then cluster entries.
`podLabels`, `podAnnotations`	Merged by key. The cluster wins on a conflict.
`connectors.serviceAccount`	`create` replaces the preset value when the cluster sets it. `annotations` merge by key, and the cluster wins on a conflict. `name` is instance-bound.
`scheduling` (top-level, per component, and `backup.dump.scheduling`)	Never merged. A block set on the cluster replaces the preset block at that level entirely.
`auth.clientId`, `auth.audience`, `auth.clientSecretRef`	A cluster that sets `clientId` replaces the whole client. Its audience and its secret come from the cluster only, and the audience defaults to its client id. A cluster without `clientId` keeps the client id of the preset. Its `audience` and `clientSecretRef` each replace the preset value. When the preset sets `clientId` and neither layer sets `audience`, the audience is that client id.
`auth.admin`	Never merged. A block set on the cluster replaces the whole preset block, so one manifest names every administrator.
`auth.basic`	Never merged. A block set on the cluster replaces the whole preset block. A `passwordRotation` on the preset rotates the admin password of every cluster that inherits it, and each cluster reports its own `status.adminPassword.rotation`.
`backup.primaryStorage`	Merged per field. A cluster can change the schedule and keep the retention of the preset. `continuous` is a pointer, so a cluster can set it to `false` while the preset sets it to `true`.
`backup.dump`	Follows the component rules above. `scratchVolume` replaces as a whole block. `postgresImage` and `activeDeadlineSeconds` are replaced when the cluster sets them.
`platformConfigRef`, `presetRef`, `releaseRef`, `externalUrl`, `serviceAccount` (the top-level block), `connectors.serviceAccount.name`, `storageRef`, `backupStorageRef`, `documentStorageRef`, `monitoring`, `suspend`, `pause`	Instance-bound. They always come from the cluster and are rejected in a preset.
`version`, `connectors.version`	Not part of a preset. They belong to a CamundaRelease or to the cluster, and a preset that sets one is rejected.

Each cluster reads the Secret of auth.clientSecretRef in its own namespace. Every namespace with a cluster that inherits the client needs that Secret.

Changes¶

When you edit a preset, every cluster that references it takes the new baseline and rolls its pods. A change under auth.basic is the exception: it rolls no pods. A passwordRotation there rotates the admin password of each cluster, see Authentication.

A preset can lower zeebe.storageSize. A cluster that already applied a larger size keeps its volumes and records the Warning event StorageShrinkIgnored. A larger size grows the volumes of every cluster in place, if the storage class allows volume expansion. See Operations: Grow storage.

A change of zeebe.storageClassName reaches only the clusters that do not have a broker StatefulSet yet. A cluster that inherits the class and has a broker StatefulSet, also a suspended one, keeps its class and records the Warning event StorageClassChangeIgnored. Volumes that whenDeleted: Retain kept from a deleted cluster of the same name keep their class.

Deletion¶

A preset owns nothing, so a delete removes nothing else. A cluster that still names the deleted preset reports Ready: False with reason InvalidReference. Its workloads keep running on the configuration that the operator applied last.

Status¶

A preset reports no status. Problems appear on the referencing CamundaCluster:

Type	Reason	Meaning	What to do
`Ready`	`InvalidReference`	The cluster names a preset that does not exist.	Create the preset, or correct `presetRef`.
`Ready`	`InvalidReference`	The merged spec breaks a rule. The message starts with `invalid effective spec:` and names the field.	Correct the field on the preset or on the cluster.

Fields¶

The API reference lists every field of CamundaClusterPreset, with its type, whether it is required, its default, and its validation.

Validation rules¶

spec.cluster is required.
The instance-bound fields are rejected in spec.cluster: platformConfigRef, presetRef, releaseRef, externalUrl, serviceAccount, connectors.serviceAccount.name, storageRef, backupStorageRef, documentStorageRef, monitoring, suspend, and pause. An explicit zero value, for example suspend: false or an empty presetRef, counts as unset.
version and connectors.version are rejected in spec.cluster. They belong to a CamundaRelease or to the cluster.
The fields of spec.cluster obey the same schema rules as on a CamundaCluster. whenDeleted is Delete or Retain, and the backup durations are ISO 8601 days and time. auth.clientId requires auth.clientSecretRef.
The transition rules of a CamundaCluster do not bind a preset: a preset can lower zeebe.storageSize. A referencing cluster keeps its applied volumes.
The API server checks a preset alone. The referencing cluster checks the merged spec, see Validation rules.

A production-shaped example¶

apiVersion: core.camunda.io/v1
kind: CamundaClusterPreset
metadata:
  name: medium
spec:
  cluster:
    podLabels:
      company.com/team: "automation-ops"
    podAnnotations:
      company.com/cluster-preset: "medium"
    zeebe:
      replicas: 3
      partitions: 3
      replicationFactor: 3
      resources:
        requests: { cpu: "1", memory: "2Gi" }
        limits: { cpu: "2", memory: "4Gi" }
      storageClassName: "ssd"
      storageSize: "32Gi"
      extraEnv:
        - name: JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS
          value: "-XX:+ExitOnOutOfMemoryError -Xmx1g"
    gateway:
      mode: Standalone
      replicas: 2
      resources:
        requests: { cpu: "500m", memory: "1Gi" }
    connectors:
      enabled: true
      replicas: 1
      resources:
        requests: { cpu: "250m", memory: "512Mi" }

CamundaCluster: references this resource through presetRef and merges its own spec over the baseline.
CamundaRelease: the versions and the pinned images that run on this shape. It merges between the preset and the cluster.
CamundaPlatformConfig: the auth baseline of a preset sits between the defaults of the platform config and the auth block of a cluster.
Getting started: a preset is optional in the first setup.
Presets guide: how presets and releases split the configuration of a fleet.
Operations guide: how to resize a fleet of clusters through a preset.