Skip to content
KEP Brain

KEP-5945keps/sig-node/5945-dra-optional-node-operations

DRA Optional Node Operations

implementablebetasig-nodelatest v1.38
This KEP introduces Optional Node Operations to Dynamic Resource Allocation (DRA), allowing resource drivers to declare that node preparation and/or node unpreparation is not required for their devices. Currently, the kubelet assumes it must always coordinate with a node-local DRA driver via gRPC to prepare allocated devices before container start (NodePrepa… Full summary

This KEP introduces Optional Node Operations to Dynamic Resource Allocation (DRA), allowing resource drivers to declare that node preparation and/or node unpreparation is not required for their devices. Currently, the kubelet assumes it must always coordinate with a node-local DRA driver via gRPC to prepare allocated devices before container start (NodePrepareResources), and to unprepare them during pod termination (NodeUnprepareResources). In some cases, node preparation or cleanup is a pure no-op. Requiring it forces administrators and vendors to deploy and maintain empty node-local drivers on every node, which introduces unnecessary operational complexity and risk. By introducing a SkipNodeOperations field to the ResourceSliceSpec and propagating it to the device allocation results at scheduling time, the kubelet can safely skip driver lookup and gRPC calls for devices that do not require these node-local actions.

Facts

Authors
@troychiu
PRR approvers
@johnbelamaricalpha@johnbelamaricbeta
Tracking issue
#5945(opens GitHub in a new tab) openmilestone v1.38sig/nodestage/betatracked/yeslead-opted-inwg/device-management
Milestones
alpha v1.37beta v1.38stable v1.40
Participating SIGs
none
Feature gates
DRAOptionalNodeOperations
Created / last updated
2026-05-21 / none
Loading decisions and status history

Keyboard shortcuts

Everywhere

?
Show or hide this list
/
Focus the question box on Ask, otherwise the page search
Ctrl Kor⌘ K
Focus the KEP search in the top bar
t
Switch the theme (system, light, dark)
Esc
Close a dialog, a search list or a menu

Go to a page

Press g, then the letter

g h
Home
g a
Ask
g e
Explore
g u
Audit
g m
Memory
g b
About

Ask

Enter
Send the question
Shift Enter
New line in the question
Esc
Cancel the running question

Search lists

KEP search and Explore search

↓or↑
Move through the results
HomeorEnd
First or last result (Explore)
Enter
Open the highlighted result, or KEP-n when the query is a number

KEP page

o
Open the KEP on GitHub
y
Open kep.yaml on GitHub
a
Ask about this KEP
←or→
Previous or next tab, when a tab is focused

Findings table

With a finding row focused (Tab into the table or click a row)

jork
Next or previous finding
EnterorSpace
Expand or collapse the finding
o
Open the finding's KEP page
d
Draft the fix as an issue text (nothing is posted)
]or[
Next or previous page of findings

Shortcuts pause while you type in a field. Press ? or Esc to close.