platform-support.md
September 2, 2026 · View on GitHub
[[TOC]]
Prerequisites
| Component | Version | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kubernetes | 1.33-1.36 | All currently supported upstream Kubernetes releases are supported |
| Helm | v3.5+ | For information and methods of Helm installation, please refer to the official Helm Website. |
DPF Component Matrix
DPF uses the following components:
| Component | Origin | Repository | Image Name | Tag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ArgoCD | Community (OSS) | quay.io/argoproj | argocd | v3.4.6 | |
| Cert Manager Controller | Community (OSS) | quay.io/jetstack | cert-manager-controller | v1.21.1 | |
| Flannel | Community (OSS) | ghcr.io/flannel-io | flannel | v0.27.2 | |
| Flannel CNI Plugin | Community (OSS) | ghcr.io/flannel-io | flannel-cni-plugin | v1.7.1-flannel1 | |
| Multus | Community (OSS) | ghcr.io/k8snetworkplumbingwg | multus-cni | v3.9.3 | |
| NVIDIA K8s IPAM | Community (OSS) | ghcr.io/mellanox | nvidia-k8s-ipam | v0.4.0 | |
| NVIDIA Maintenance Operator | Community (OSS) | ghcr.io/mellanox | maintenance-operator | v0.4.0 | |
| NVIDIA Network Operator | Community (OSS) | nvcr.io/nvidia/cloud-native | network-operator | v26.1.0 | |
| Node Feature Discovery | Community (OSS) | registry.k8s.io/nfd | node-feature-discovery | v0.19.0 | |
| SR-IOV Device Plugin | Community (OSS) | ghcr.io/k8snetworkplumbingwg | sriov-network-device-plugin | v3.11.0 | |
| Etcd | Community (OSS) | quay.io/coreos | etcd | v3.5.17 | Conditional |
| Kamaji | Community (OSS) | ghcr.io/nvidia | kamaji | v1.36.0-26.6.4 | Conditional |
| Local Path Provisioner | Community (OSS) | docker.io/rancher | local-path-provisioner | v0.0.36 | Conditional |
| Etcd Defrag | Community (OSS) | ghcr.io/ahrtr | etcd-defrag | v0.22.0 | Optional |
| External Secrets | Community (OSS) | ghcr.io/external-secrets | external-secrets | v2.8.0 | Optional |
| Grafana | Community (OSS) | docker.io/grafana | grafana | 13.1.1 | Optional |
| Kata Containers | Community (OSS) | quay.io/kata-containers | kata-deploy | 4.0.0 | Optional |
| Kube State Metrics | Community (OSS) | registry.k8s.io/kube-state-metrics | kube-state-metrics | v2.19.1 | Optional |
| Loki | Community (OSS) | docker.io/grafana | loki | 3.7.4 | Optional |
| Node Problem Detector | Community (OSS) | registry.k8s.io/node-problem-detector | node-problem-detector | v1.36.0 | Optional |
| OpenBao | Community (OSS) | quay.io/openbao | openbao | v2.6.1 | Optional |
| Open Telemetry Collector | Community (OSS) | docker.io/otel | opentelemetry-collector-contrib | 0.157.0 | Optional |
| Prometheus | Community (OSS) | quay.io/prometheus | prometheus | v3.13.2-distroless | Optional |
| Prometheus Operator | Community (OSS) | quay.io/prometheus-operator | prometheus-operator | v0.93.0 | Optional |
Conditional means the component is required for the default installation described in the user guides, but can be
replaced in custom deployments.
Tested Network Adapters
The following NVIDIA BlueField 3 DPU models are recommended for DPF:
Note
Some BlueField-3 DPU models require a PCIe ATX power cable. Install each DPU according to its adapter installation guide and connect the required power cable before starting DPF deployment. If the power cable is missing, the DPU may not boot or may not be discoverable through BMC or Redfish.
BlueField BFB Support Matrix
The following matrix shows which BFB versions are supported with each DPF release.
| BFB Version | DPF v25.10 | DPF v26.4 |
|---|---|---|
| 3.2 (LTS) | ✓ | ✓ |
| 3.4 (Apr) | - | ✓ |
Legend:
- ✓ supported: the BFB version is fully tested and supported with this DPF release. You can stay on this combination for as long as the train remains in its support window.
- ✓* rollout only: DPUs running this BFB version are allowed to operate while you move them forward, tested with the feature set of the previous DPF release. This is a transitional state, not a resting place: reprovision before the next DPF release, and expect to be asked to update first if you open a support case.
- - unsupported: this combination is not supported. Reprovisioning to a supported combination is required.
Note
Non-LTS BFB versions (3.3, 3.5) are only supported with their corresponding DPF release and are not carried forward. The latest LTS BFB version is fully supported across every DPF release of its cycle, from the October release that introduces it up to and including the following October release, so an LTS user reprovisions once a year and upgrades directly from LTS to LTS. Older LTS versions are permitted to operate but are considered unsupported. In a support case, updating to the latest supported BFB will be required before further investigation. See the DPF Compatibility Policy for the full support window.
BlueField DPU Requirements
| Component | Minimum Version | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DPU Firmware | 32.38.1002 | Required for DPU provisioning and management |
| MFT (Mellanox Firmware Tools) | 4.33.0-169 | Host-side tools required for DPU configuration and firmware management. Download from NVIDIA Network Adapter Firmware Tools |
Tested Operating Systems and Kubernetes Versions
NVIDIA DPF is validated with the oldest supported Kubernetes version. Newer Kubernetes versions in the supported range are also supported.
| Operating System | Kubernetes Version | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | 1.33 | Oldest supported Kubernetes version |
Tested Container Runtimes
NVIDIA DPF has been validated in the following scenarios:
| Operating System | Containerd | CRI-O | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | Yes | No |
Limitations
- Socket Direct environments are not supported. DPF does not currently support environments where NVIDIA Mellanox Socket Direct adapters are used. Socket Direct is a network adapter architecture that provides direct PCIe access from multiple CPU sockets to a single NIC, bypassing the inter-processor bus. DPUs in Socket Direct configurations are not tested or validated with DPF.