Merge pull request #1524 from rancher/v2.9.3

Merge v2.9.3 release branch into main

.github/dependabot.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+version: 2
+
+updates:
+  - package-ecosystem: gitsubmodule
+    schedule:
+        interval: "daily"
+    directory: /
+    

.github/pull_request_template.md

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Fixes #[issue_number]
 
 - Verify if changes pertain to other versions of Rancher. If they do, finalize the edits on one version of the page, then apply the edits to the other versions.
 
-- If the pull request is dependent on an upcoming release, make sure to target the release branch instead of `main`.
+- If the pull request is dependent on an upcoming release, remember to add a "MERGE ON RELEASE" label and set the proper milestone.
 
 ## Description
 
@@ -24,4 +24,4 @@ Fixes #[issue_number]
 
 <!--
 Any additional notes a reviewer should know before we review.
--->
+-->

.github/workflows/deploy.yml

@@ -4,16 +4,18 @@ on:
   push:
     branches:
       - main
+    paths-ignore:
+      - '**/README.md'
 
 jobs:
-  deploy:
-    name: Deploy to GitHub Pages
+  build:
+    name: Build Docusaurus
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
-      - uses: actions/setup-node@v3
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
           node-version: 18
           cache: yarn
@@ -25,18 +27,25 @@ jobs:
           NODE_OPTIONS: "--max_old_space_size=7168"
         run: yarn build --no-minify
 
-      # Popular action to deploy to GitHub Pages:
-      # Docs: https://github.com/peaceiris/actions-gh-pages#%EF%B8%8F-docusaurus
-      - name: Deploy to GitHub Pages
-        uses: peaceiris/actions-gh-pages@v3
+      - name: Upload Build Artifact
+        uses: actions/upload-pages-artifact@v3
         with:
-          github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-          # Build output to publish to the `gh-pages` branch:
-          publish_dir: ./build
-          # The following lines assign commit authorship to the official
-          # GH-Actions bot for deploys to `gh-pages` branch:
-          # https://github.com/actions/checkout/issues/13#issuecomment-724415212
-          # The GH actions bot is used by default if you didn't specify the two fields.
-          # You can swap them out with your own user credentials.
-          user_name: github-actions[bot]
-          user_email: 41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com
+          path: build
+
+  deploy:
+    name: Deploy to GitHub Pages
+    needs: build
+
+    permissions:
+      pages: write
+      id-token: write
+    
+    environment:
+      name: github-pages
+      url: ${{ steps.deployment.outputs.page_url }}
+
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Deploy to GitHub Pages
+        id: deployment
+        uses: actions/deploy-pages@v4

.github/workflows/test-deploy.yml

@@ -2,16 +2,18 @@ name: Test deployment
 
 on:
   pull_request:
-    branches:
-      - main
+    paths-ignore:
+      - '**/README.md'
 
 jobs:
   test-deploy:
     name: Test deployment
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
-      - uses: actions/setup-node@v3
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
           node-version: 18
           cache: yarn

.gitmodules

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[submodule ".github/styles/suse-vale-styleguide"]
+	path = .github/styles/suse-vale-styleguide
+	url = https://github.com/openSUSE/suse-vale-styleguide

.vale.ini

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+StylesPath = .github/styles/suse-vale-styleguide
+
+[formtats]
+mdx = md
+
+[*.md]
+BasedOnStyles = common

README.md

@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ To get started, [fork](https://github.com/rancher/rancher-docs/fork) and clone t
 
 Our repository doesn't allow you to make changes directly to the `main` branch. Create a working branch and make pull requests from your fork to [rancher/rancher-docs](https://github.com/rancher/rancher-docs).
 
-For most updates, you'll need to edit a file in the `/docs` directory, which represents the ["Latest"](https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/) version of our published documentation. The "Latest" version is a mirror of the most recently released version of Rancher. As of December 2023, the most recently released version of Rancher is 2.8.
+For most updates, you'll need to edit a file in the `/docs` directory, which represents the ["Latest"](https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/) version of our published documentation. The "Latest" version is a mirror of the most recently released version of Rancher. As of August 2024, the most recently released version of Rancher is 2.9.
 
-Whenever an update is made to `/docs`, you should apply the same change to the corresponding file in `/versioned_docs/version-2.8`. If a change only affects older versions, you don't need to mirror it to the `/docs` directory.
+Whenever an update is made to `/docs`, you should apply the same change to the corresponding file in `/versioned_docs/version-2.9`. If a change only affects older versions, you don't need to mirror it to the `/docs` directory.
 
 If a file is moved or renamed, you'll also need to edit the `sidebars.js` files for each affected version, as well as the list of redirects in `docusaurus.config.js`. See [Moving or Renaming Docs](./moving-or-renaming-docs.md).
 
@@ -27,7 +27,17 @@ The file paths in the repo correspond to the URLs for pages on the docs website.
 
 ### Style & Formatting
 
-The docs are written in [Markdown](https://www.markdownguide.org/getting-started/). We refer to the Microsoft [style guide](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/style-guide/welcome/) and use standard American English. Many pages are also available in Simplified Chinese.
+The docs are written in [Markdown](https://www.markdownguide.org/getting-started/). We use standard American English and many pages are also available in Simplified Chinese.
+
+Moving forward, we are referring to the SUSE [style guide](https://documentation.suse.com/style/current/pdf/style-guide_en.pdf). The **Style check / runner / vale (pull_request)** check used [Vale](https://vale.sh/) to make style and grammar suggestions for new or updated documentation based on the SUSE style guide. To review these suggestions when working on a PR:
+
+1. Select the details of the **Style check / runner / vale (pull_request)** check.
+1. In the logs, go to **Run errata-ai/vale-action@v2.1.0** and select **Running vale with reviewdog 🐶 ...** to view the suggestions.
+1. New or updated files are checked against the SUSE style guide. Suggestions have the following format: '{"message": "[suse-vale-styleguide.Rule] Rule description", "location": {"path": "file-path", "range": {"start": {"line": , "column": }}}, "severity": " "}'
+
+    For example: '{"message": "[suse-vale-styleguide.Usage] Use 'certain' instead of 'some'", "location": {"path": "docs/contribute-to-rancher.md", "range": {"start": {"line": 3, "column": 132}}}, "severity": "WARNING"}'
+
+1. Incorporate the suggestions when possible and appropriate.
 
 Every docs page contain metadata in the first few lines:
 

dev-resources/algolia-search/config.json

@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@
     "lvl2": "article h2",
     "lvl3": "article h3",
     "lvl4": "article h4",
-    "lvl5": "article h5"
+    "lvl5": "article h5",
+    "lvl6": "article h6"
   },
   "custom_settings": {
     "attributesForFaceting": [

docs/api/api-reference.mdx

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ---
 title: API Reference
+hide_table_of_contents: true
 ---
 
 <head>

docs/api/api-tokens.md

@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 ---
-title: API Tokens
+title: Using API Tokens
 ---
 
 <head>
-  <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/reference-guides/about-the-api/api-tokens"/>
+  <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/api/api-tokens"/>
 </head>
 
+Rancher v2.8.0 introduced the [Rancher Kubernetes API](./api-reference.mdx) which can be used to manage Rancher resources through `kubectl`. This page covers information on API tokens used with the [Rancher CLI](../reference-guides/cli-with-rancher/cli-with-rancher.md), [kubeconfig files](../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/manage-clusters/access-clusters/authorized-cluster-endpoint.md#about-the-kubeconfig-file), Terraform and the [v3 API browser](./v3-rancher-api-guide.md#enable-view-in-api).
+
 By default, some cluster-level API tokens are generated with infinite time-to-live (`ttl=0`). In other words, API tokens with `ttl=0` never expire unless you invalidate them. Tokens are not invalidated by changing a password.
 
 You can deactivate API tokens by deleting them or by deactivating the user account.
@@ -43,13 +45,11 @@ This setting is used by all kubeconfig tokens except those created by the CLI to
 
 ## Disable Tokens in Generated Kubeconfigs
 
-Set the `kubeconfig-generate-token` setting to `false`. This setting instructs Rancher to no longer automatically generate a token when a user clicks on download a kubeconfig file. When this setting is deactivated, a generated kubeconfig references the [Rancher CLI](../cli-with-rancher/kubectl-utility.md#authentication-with-kubectl-and-kubeconfig-tokens-with-ttl) to retrieve a short-lived token for the cluster. When this kubeconfig is used in a client, such as `kubectl`, the Rancher CLI needs to be installed to complete the log in request.
+Set the `kubeconfig-generate-token` setting to `false`. This setting instructs Rancher to no longer automatically generate a token when a user clicks on download a kubeconfig file. When this setting is deactivated, a generated kubeconfig references the [Rancher CLI](../reference-guides/cli-with-rancher/kubectl-utility.md#authentication-with-kubectl-and-kubeconfig-tokens-with-ttl) to retrieve a short-lived token for the cluster. When this kubeconfig is used in a client, such as `kubectl`, the Rancher CLI needs to be installed to complete the log in request.
 
 ## Token Hashing
 
-Users can enable token hashing, where tokens undergo a one-way hash using the SHA256 algorithm. This is a non-reversible process: once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled. It is advisable to take backups prior to enabling and/or evaluating in a test environment first.
-
-To enable token hashing, refer to [this section](../../how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/enable-experimental-features/enable-experimental-features.md).
+You can [enable token hashing](../how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/enable-experimental-features/enable-experimental-features.md), where tokens undergo a one-way hash using the SHA256 algorithm. This is a non-reversible process: once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled. You should first evaluate this setting in a test environment, and/or take backups before enabling.
 
 This feature affects all tokens which include, but are not limited to, the following:
 
@@ -82,4 +82,4 @@ Maximum Time to Live (TTL) in minutes allowed for auth tokens. If a user attempt
 
 ### kubeconfig-generate-token
 
-When true, kubeconfigs requested through the UI contain a valid token. When false, kubeconfigs contain a command that uses the Rancher CLI to prompt the user to log in. [The CLI then retrieves and caches a token for the user](../cli-with-rancher/kubectl-utility.md#authentication-with-kubectl-and-kubeconfig-tokens-with-ttl).
+When true, kubeconfigs requested through the UI contain a valid token. When false, kubeconfigs contain a command that uses the Rancher CLI to prompt the user to log in. [The CLI then retrieves and caches a token for the user](../reference-guides/cli-with-rancher/kubectl-utility.md#authentication-with-kubectl-and-kubeconfig-tokens-with-ttl).

docs/api/quickstart.md

@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 ---
-title: API Quick Start Guide
+title: RK-API Quick Start Guide
 ---
 
 <head>
   <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/api/quickstart"/>
 </head>
 
-You can access Rancher's resources through the Kubernetes API. This guide will help you get started on using this API as a Rancher user.
+You can access Rancher's resources through the Kubernetes API. This guide helps you get started on using this API as a Rancher user.
 
 1. In the upper left corner, click **☰ > Global Settings**.
 2. Find and copy the address in the `server-url` field.
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ To ensure that your tools can recognize Rancher's CA certificates, most setups r
   If your Rancher instance is proxied by another service, you must extract the certificate that the service is using, and add it to the kubeconfig file, as demonstrated in step 5.
   :::
 
-4. The following commands will convert `rancher.crt` to base64 output, trim all new-lines, and update the cluster in the kubeconfig with the certificate, then finishing by removing the `rancher.crt` file:
+4. The following commands convert `rancher.crt` to base64 output, trim all new-lines, and update the cluster in the kubeconfig with the certificate, then finish by removing the `rancher.crt` file:
 
   ```bash
   export KUBECONFIG=$PATH_TO_RANCHER_KUBECONFIG

docs/api/v3-rancher-api-guide.md

@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+---
+title: Previous v3 Rancher API Guide
+---
+
+<head>
+  <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/api/v3-rancher-api-guide"/>
+</head>
+
+Rancher v2.8.0 introduced the Rancher Kubernetes API (RK-API). The previous v3 Rancher API is still available. This page describes the v3 API. For more information on RK-API, see the [RK-API quickstart](./quickstart.md) and [reference guide](./api-reference.mdx).
+
+## How to Use the API
+
+The previous v3 API has its own user interface accessible from a [web browser](#enable-view-in-api). This is an easy way to see resources, perform actions, and see the equivalent `curl` or HTTP request & response. To access it:
+
+<Tabs>
+<TabItem value="Rancher v2.6.4+">
+
+1. Click your user avatar in the upper right corner.
+1. Click **Account & API Keys**.
+1. Under the **API Keys** section, find the **API Endpoint** field and click the link. The link looks something like `https://<RANCHER_FQDN>/v3`, where `<RANCHER_FQDN>` is the fully qualified domain name of your Rancher deployment.
+
+</TabItem>
+<TabItem value="Rancher before v2.6.4">
+
+Go to the URL endpoint at `https://<RANCHER_FQDN>/v3`, where `<RANCHER_FQDN>` is the fully qualified domain name of your Rancher deployment.
+
+</TabItem>
+</Tabs>
+
+## Authentication
+
+API requests must include authentication information. Authentication is done with HTTP basic authentication using [API keys](../reference-guides/user-settings/api-keys.md). API keys can create new clusters and have access to multiple clusters via `/v3/clusters/`. [Cluster and project roles](../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/cluster-and-project-roles.md) apply to these keys and restrict what clusters and projects the account can see and what actions they can take.
+
+By default, certain cluster-level API tokens are generated with infinite time-to-live (`ttl=0`). In other words, API tokens with `ttl=0` never expire unless you invalidate them. For details on how to invalidate them, refer to the [API tokens page](api-tokens.md).
+
+## Making Requests
+
+The API is generally RESTful but has several features to make the definition of everything discoverable by a client so that generic clients can be written instead of having to write specific code for every type of resource. For detailed info about the generic API spec, [see further documentation](https://github.com/rancher/api-spec/blob/master/specification.md).
+
+- Every type has a Schema which describes:
+  - The URL to get to the collection of this type of resource.
+  - Every field the resource can have, along with their type, basic validation rules, whether they are required or optional, etc.
+  - Every action that is possible on this type of resource, with their inputs and outputs (also as schemas).
+  - Every field that allows filtering.
+  - What HTTP verb methods are available for the collection itself, or for individual resources in the collection.
+
+The design allows you to load just the list of schemas and access everything about the API. The UI for the API contains no code specific to Rancher itself. The URL to get Schemas is sent in every HTTP response as a `X-Api-Schemas` header. From there you can follow the `collection` link on each schema to know where to list resources, and follow other `links` inside of the returned resources to get any other information.
+
+In practice, you may just want to construct URL strings. We highly suggest limiting this to the top-level to list a collection (`/v3/<type>`) or get a specific resource (`/v3/<type>/<id>`). Anything deeper than that is subject to change in future releases.
+
+Resources have relationships between each other called links. Each resource includes a map of `links` with the name of the link and the URL where you can retrieve that information. Again, you should `GET` the resource and then follow the URL in the `links` map, not construct these strings yourself.
+
+Most resources have actions, which do something or change the state of the resource. To use them, send a HTTP `POST` to the URL in the `actions` map of the action you want. Certain actions require input or produce output. See the individual documentation for each type or the schemas for specific information.
+
+To edit a resource, send a HTTP `PUT` to the `links.update` link on the resource with the fields that you want to change. If the link is missing then you don't have permission to update the resource. Unknown fields and ones that are not editable are ignored.
+
+To delete a resource, send a HTTP `DELETE` to the `links.remove` link on the resource. If the link is missing then you don't have permission to update the resource.
+
+To create a new resource, HTTP `POST` to the collection URL in the schema (which is `/v3/<type>`).
+
+## Filtering
+
+Most collections can be filtered on the server-side by common fields using HTTP query parameters. The `filters` map shows you what fields can be filtered on and what the filtered values were for the request you made. The API UI has controls to setup filtering and show you the appropriate request. For simple "equals" matches it's just `field=value`. Modifiers can be added to the field name, for example, `field_gt=42` for "field is greater than 42." See the [API spec](https://github.com/rancher/api-spec/blob/master/specification.md#filtering) for full details.
+
+## Sorting
+
+Most collections can be sorted on the server-side by common fields using HTTP query parameters. The `sortLinks` map shows you what sorts are available, along with the URL to get the collection sorted by that. It also includes info about what the current response was sorted by, if specified.
+
+## Pagination
+
+API responses are paginated with a limit of 100 resources per page by default. This can be changed with the `limit` query parameter, up to a maximum of 1000, for example, `/v3/pods?limit=1000`. The `pagination` map in collection responses tells you whether or not you have the full result set and has a link to the next page if you do not.
+
+## Capturing v3 API Calls
+
+You can use browser developer tools to capture how the v3 API is called. For example, you could follow these steps to use the Chrome developer tools to get the API call for provisioning an RKE cluster:
+
+1. In the Rancher UI, go to **Cluster Management** and click **Create.**
+1. Click one of the cluster types. This example uses Digital Ocean.
+1. Fill out the form with a cluster name and node template, but don't click **Create**.
+1. You need to open the developer tools before the cluster creation to see the API call being recorded. To open the tools, right-click the Rancher UI and click **Inspect.**
+1. In the developer tools, click the **Network** tab.
+1. On the **Network** tab, make sure **Fetch/XHR** is selected.
+1. In the Rancher UI, click **Create**. In the developer tools, you should see a new network request with the name `cluster?_replace=true`.
+1. Right-click `cluster?_replace=true` and click **Copy > Copy as cURL.**
+1. Paste the result into any text editor. You can see the POST request, including the URL it was sent to, all headers, and the full body of the request. This command can be used to create a cluster from the command line. Note: the request should be stored in a safe place because it contains credentials.
+
+### Enable View in API
+
+You can also view captured v3 API calls for your respective clusters and resources. This feature is not enabled by default. To enable it:
+
+1. Click your **User Tile** in the top right corner of the UI and select **Preferences** from the drop-down menu.
+2. Under the **Advanced Features** section, click **Enable "View in API"**
+
+Once checked, the **View in API** link is displayed under the **⋮** sub-menu on resource pages in the UI.

docs/cluster-provisioning/rke-clusters/options/options.md

@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
----
-title: RKE Cluster Configuration
----
-
-<head>
-  <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/reference-guides/cluster-configuration/rancher-server-configuration/rke1-cluster-configuration"/>
-</head>
-
-This page has moved [here.](../../../reference-guides/cluster-configuration/rancher-server-configuration/rke1-cluster-configuration.md)

docs/faq/container-network-interface-providers.md

@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ Kubernetes workers should open TCP port `6783` (control port), UDP port `6783` a
 
 For more information, see the following pages:
 
-- [Weave Net Official Site](https://www.weave.works/)
+- [Weave Net Official Site](https://github.com/weaveworks/weave/blob/master/site/overview.md)
 
 ### RKE2 Kubernetes clusters
 

docs/faq/deprecated-features.md

@@ -3,28 +3,24 @@ title: Deprecated Features in Rancher
 ---
 
 <head>
-  <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/faq/deprecated-features-in-v2.5"/>
+  <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/faq/deprecated-features"/>
 </head>
 
-### What is Rancher's Deprecation policy?
+## What is Rancher's deprecation policy?
 
 We have published our official deprecation policy in the support [terms of service](https://rancher.com/support-maintenance-terms).
 
-### Where can I find out which features have been deprecated in Rancher?
+## Where can I find out which features have been deprecated in Rancher?
 
 Rancher will publish deprecated features as part of the [release notes](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/releases) for Rancher found on GitHub. Please consult the following patch releases for deprecated features:
 
 | Patch Version |  Release Date |
 |---------------|---------------|
-| [2.6.0](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/releases/tag/v2.6.0) |  Aug 31, 2021  |
-| [2.6.1](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/releases/tag/v2.6.1) |  Oct 11, 2021  |
-| [2.6.2](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/releases/tag/v2.6.2) |  Oct 19, 2021  |
-| [2.6.3](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/releases/tag/v2.6.3) |  Dec 21, 2021  |
-| [2.6.4](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/releases/tag/v2.6.4) |  Mar 31, 2022  |
-| [2.6.5](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/releases/tag/v2.6.5) |  May 12, 2022  |
-| [2.6.6](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/releases/tag/v2.6.6) |  Jun 30, 2022  |
+| [2.9.3](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/releases/tag/v2.9.3) | Oct 24, 2024 |
+| [2.9.2](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/releases/tag/v2.9.2) | Sep 19, 2024 |
+| [2.9.1](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/releases/tag/v2.9.1) | Aug 26, 2024 |
+| [2.9.0](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/releases/tag/v2.9.0) | Jul 31, 2024 |
 
-
-### What can I expect when a feature is marked for deprecation?
+## What can I expect when a feature is marked for deprecation?
 
 In the release where functionality is marked as "Deprecated", it will still be available and supported allowing upgrades to follow the usual procedure. Once upgraded, users/admins should start planning to move away from the deprecated functionality before upgrading to the release it marked as removed. The recommendation for new deployments is to not use the deprecated feature.

docs/faq/dockershim.md

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-title: Dockershim
+title: Dockershim FAQ
 ---
 
 <head>
@@ -18,19 +18,19 @@ enable_cri_dockerd: true
 
 For users looking to use another container runtime, Rancher has the edge-focused K3s and datacenter-focused RKE2 Kubernetes distributions that use containerd as the default runtime. Imported RKE2 and K3s Kubernetes clusters can then be upgraded and managed through Rancher even after the removal of in-tree Dockershim in Kubernetes 1.24.
 
-### FAQ
+## FAQ
 
 <br/>
 
-Q. Do I have to upgrade Rancher to get Rancher’s support of the upstream Dockershim?
+Q: Do I have to upgrade Rancher to get Rancher’s support of the upstream Dockershim?
 
 The upstream support of Dockershim begins for RKE in Kubernetes 1.21. You will need to be on Rancher 2.6 or above to have support for RKE with Kubernetes 1.21. See our [support matrix](https://rancher.com/support-maintenance-terms/all-supported-versions/rancher-v2.6.0/) for details.
 
 <br/>
 
-Q. I am currently on RKE with Kubernetes 1.20. Do I need to upgrade to RKE with Kubernetes 1.21 sooner to avoid being out of support for Dockershim?
+Q: I am currently on RKE with Kubernetes 1.20. Do I need to upgrade to RKE with Kubernetes 1.21 sooner to avoid being out of support for Dockershim?
 
-A. The version of Dockershim in RKE with Kubernetes 1.20 will continue to work and is not scheduled for removal upstream until Kubernetes 1.24. It will only emit a warning of its future deprecation, which Rancher has mitigated in RKE with Kubernetes 1.21. You can plan your upgrade to Kubernetes 1.21 as you would normally, but should consider enabling the external Dockershim by Kubernetes 1.22. The external Dockershim will need to be enabled before upgrading to Kubernetes 1.24, at which point the existing implementation will be removed.
+A: The version of Dockershim in RKE with Kubernetes 1.20 will continue to work and is not scheduled for removal upstream until Kubernetes 1.24. It will only emit a warning of its future deprecation, which Rancher has mitigated in RKE with Kubernetes 1.21. You can plan your upgrade to Kubernetes 1.21 as you would normally, but should consider enabling the external Dockershim by Kubernetes 1.22. The external Dockershim will need to be enabled before upgrading to Kubernetes 1.24, at which point the existing implementation will be removed.
 
 For more information on the deprecation and its timeline, see the [Kubernetes Dockershim Deprecation FAQ](https://kubernetes.io/blog/2020/12/02/dockershim-faq/#when-will-dockershim-be-removed).
 

docs/faq/general-faq.md

@@ -10,10 +10,6 @@ This FAQ is a work in progress designed to answer the questions most frequently
 
 See the [Technical FAQ](technical-items.md) for frequently asked technical questions.
 
-## Does Rancher v2.x support Docker Swarm and Mesos as environment types?
-
-Swarm and Mesos are no longer selectable options when you create a new environment in Rancher v2.x. However, both Swarm and Mesos will continue to be available as Catalog applications you can deploy. It was a tough decision to make but, in the end, it came down to adoption. For example, out of more than 15,000 clusters, only about 200 were running Swarm.
-
 ## Is it possible to manage Azure Kubernetes Services with Rancher v2.x?
 
 Yes. See our [Cluster Administration](../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/manage-clusters/manage-clusters.md) guide for what Rancher features are available on AKS, as well as our [documentation on AKS](../getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/install-upgrade-on-a-kubernetes-cluster/rancher-on-aks.md).

docs/faq/install-and-configure-kubectl.md

@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@ title: Installing and Configuring kubectl
 
 `kubectl` is a CLI utility for running commands against Kubernetes clusters. It's required for many maintenance and administrative tasks in Rancher 2.x.
 
-### Installation
+## Installation
 
 See [kubectl Installation](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/tools/install-kubectl/) for installation on your operating system.
 
-### Configuration
+## Configuration
 
 When you create a Kubernetes cluster with RKE, RKE creates a `kube_config_cluster.yml` in the local directory that contains credentials to connect to your new cluster with tools like `kubectl` or `helm`.
 

docs/faq/rancher-is-no-longer-needed.md

@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@ title: Rancher is No Longer Needed
 This page is intended to answer questions about what happens if you don't want Rancher anymore, if you don't want a cluster to be managed by Rancher anymore, or if the Rancher server is deleted.
 
 
-### If the Rancher server is deleted, what happens to the workloads in my downstream clusters?
+## If the Rancher server is deleted, what happens to the workloads in my downstream clusters?
 
 If Rancher is ever deleted or unrecoverable, all workloads in the downstream Kubernetes clusters managed by Rancher will continue to function as normal.
 
-### If the Rancher server is deleted, how do I access my downstream clusters?
+## If the Rancher server is deleted, how do I access my downstream clusters?
 
 The capability to access a downstream cluster without Rancher depends on the type of cluster and the way that the cluster was created. To summarize:
 
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ The capability to access a downstream cluster without Rancher depends on the typ
 - **Hosted Kubernetes clusters:** If you created the cluster in a cloud-hosted Kubernetes provider such as EKS, GKE, or AKS, you can continue to manage the cluster using your provider's cloud credentials.
 - **RKE clusters:** To access an [RKE cluster,](../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/launch-kubernetes-with-rancher/launch-kubernetes-with-rancher.md) the cluster must have the [authorized cluster endpoint](../reference-guides/rancher-manager-architecture/communicating-with-downstream-user-clusters.md#4-authorized-cluster-endpoint) enabled, and you must have already downloaded the cluster's kubeconfig file from the Rancher UI. (The authorized cluster endpoint is enabled by default for RKE clusters.) With this endpoint, you can access your cluster with kubectl directly instead of communicating through the Rancher server's [authentication proxy.](../reference-guides/rancher-manager-architecture/communicating-with-downstream-user-clusters.md#1-the-authentication-proxy) For instructions on how to configure kubectl to use the authorized cluster endpoint, refer to the section about directly accessing clusters with [kubectl and the kubeconfig file.](../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/manage-clusters/access-clusters/use-kubectl-and-kubeconfig.md#authenticating-directly-with-a-downstream-cluster) These clusters will use a snapshot of the authentication as it was configured when Rancher was removed.
 
-### What if I don't want Rancher anymore?
+## What if I don't want Rancher anymore?
 
 :::note
 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ If you installed Rancher with Docker, you can uninstall Rancher by removing the
 
 Imported clusters will not be affected by Rancher being removed. For other types of clusters, refer to the section on [accessing downstream clusters when Rancher is removed.](#if-the-rancher-server-is-deleted-how-do-i-access-my-downstream-clusters)
 
-### What if I don't want my registered cluster managed by Rancher?
+## What if I don't want my registered cluster managed by Rancher?
 
 If a registered cluster is deleted from the Rancher UI, the cluster is detached from Rancher, leaving it intact and accessible by the same methods that were used to access it before it was registered in Rancher.
 
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ To detach the cluster,
 
 **Result:** The registered cluster is detached from Rancher and functions normally outside of Rancher.
 
-### What if I don't want my RKE cluster or hosted Kubernetes cluster managed by Rancher?
+## What if I don't want my RKE cluster or hosted Kubernetes cluster managed by Rancher?
 
 At this time, there is no functionality to detach these clusters from Rancher. In this context, "detach" is defined as the ability to remove Rancher components from the cluster and manage access to the cluster independently of Rancher.
 

docs/faq/security.md

@@ -1,18 +1,21 @@
 ---
-title: Security
-
+title: Security FAQ
 ---
 
 <head>
   <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/faq/security"/>
 </head>
 
-**Is there a Hardening Guide?**
+## Is there a Hardening Guide?
 
-The Hardening Guide is now located in the main [Security](../reference-guides/rancher-security/rancher-security.md) section.
+The Hardening Guide is located in the main [Security](../reference-guides/rancher-security/rancher-security.md) section.
 
-<br/>
-
-**What are the results of Rancher's Kubernetes cluster when it is CIS benchmarked?**
+## Have hardened Rancher Kubernetes clusters been evaluated by the CIS Kubernetes Benchmark? Where can I find the results?
 
 We have run the CIS Kubernetes benchmark against a hardened Rancher Kubernetes cluster.  The results of that assessment can be found in the main [Security](../reference-guides/rancher-security/rancher-security.md) section.
+
+## How does Rancher verify communication with downstream clusters, and what are some associated security concerns?
+
+Communication between the Rancher server and downstream clusters is performed through agents. Rancher uses either a registered certificate authority (CA) bundle or the local trust store to verify communication between Rancher agents and the Rancher server. Using a CA bundle for verification is more strict, as only the certificates based on that bundle are trusted. If TLS verification for a explicit CA bundle fails, Rancher may fall back to using the local trust store for verifying future communication. Any CA within the local trust store can then be used to generate a valid certificate.
+
+As described in [Rancher Security Update CVE-2024-22030](https://www.suse.com/c/rancher-security-update/), under a narrow set of circumstances, malicious actors can take over Rancher nodes by exploiting the behavior of Rancher CAs. For the attack to succeed, the malicious actor must generate a valid certificate from either a valid CA in the targeted Rancher server, or from a valid registered CA. The attacker also needs to either hijack or spoof the Rancher server-url as a preliminary step. Rancher is currently evaluating Rancher CA behavior to mitigate against this and any similar avenues of attack. 

docs/faq/technical-items.md

@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 ---
-title: Technical
+title: Technical FAQ
 ---
 
 <head>
   <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/faq/technical-items"/>
 </head>
 
-### How can I reset the administrator password?
+## How can I reset the administrator password?
+
+Docker install:
 
-Docker Install:
 ```
 $ docker exec -ti <container_id> reset-password
 New password for default administrator (user-xxxxx):
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ New password for default administrator (user-xxxxx):
 ```
 
 Kubernetes install (Helm):
+
 ```
 $ KUBECONFIG=./kube_config_cluster.yml
 $ kubectl --kubeconfig $KUBECONFIG -n cattle-system exec $(kubectl --kubeconfig $KUBECONFIG -n cattle-system get pods -l app=rancher --no-headers | head -1 | awk '{ print $1 }') -c rancher -- reset-password
@@ -23,10 +25,10 @@ New password for default administrator (user-xxxxx):
 <new_password>
 ```
 
+## I deleted/deactivated the last admin, how can I fix it?
 
+Docker install:
 
-### I deleted/deactivated the last admin, how can I fix it?
-Docker Install:
 ```
 $ docker exec -ti <container_id> ensure-default-admin
 New default administrator (user-xxxxx)
@@ -35,38 +37,40 @@ New password for default administrator (user-xxxxx):
 ```
 
 Kubernetes install (Helm):
+
 ```
 $ KUBECONFIG=./kube_config_cluster.yml
 $ kubectl --kubeconfig $KUBECONFIG -n cattle-system exec $(kubectl --kubeconfig $KUBECONFIG -n cattle-system get pods -l app=rancher | grep '1/1' | head -1 | awk '{ print $1 }') -- ensure-default-admin
 New password for default administrator (user-xxxxx):
 <new_password>
 ```
-### How can I enable debug logging?
+
+## How can I enable debug logging?
 
 See [Troubleshooting: Logging](../troubleshooting/other-troubleshooting-tips/logging.md)
 
-### My ClusterIP does not respond to ping
+## My ClusterIP does not respond to ping
 
 ClusterIP is a virtual IP, which will not respond to ping. Best way to test if the ClusterIP is configured correctly, is by using `curl` to access the IP and port to see if it responds.
 
-### Where can I manage Node Templates?
+## Where can I manage Node Templates?
 
 Node Templates can be accessed by opening your account menu (top right) and selecting `Node Templates`.
 
-### Why is my Layer-4 Load Balancer in `Pending` state?
+## Why is my Layer-4 Load Balancer in `Pending` state?
 
 The Layer-4 Load Balancer is created as `type: LoadBalancer`. In Kubernetes, this needs a cloud provider or controller that can satisfy these requests, otherwise these will be in `Pending` state forever. More information can be found on [Cloud Providers](../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/kubernetes-clusters-in-rancher-setup/set-up-cloud-providers/set-up-cloud-providers.md) or [Create External Load Balancer](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/access-application-cluster/create-external-load-balancer/)
 
-### Where is the state of Rancher stored?
+## Where is the state of Rancher stored?
 
 - Docker Install: in the embedded etcd of the `rancher/rancher` container, located at `/var/lib/rancher`.
 - Kubernetes install: in the etcd of the RKE cluster created to run Rancher.
 
-### How are the supported Docker versions determined?
+## How are the supported Docker versions determined?
 
 We follow the validated Docker versions for upstream Kubernetes releases. The validated versions can be found under [External Dependencies](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/blob/master/CHANGELOG/CHANGELOG-1.10.md#external-dependencies) in the Kubernetes release CHANGELOG.md.
 
-### How can I access nodes created by Rancher?
+## How can I access nodes created by Rancher?
 
 SSH keys to access the nodes created by Rancher can be downloaded via the **Nodes** view. Choose the node which you want to access and click on the vertical ⋮ button at the end of the row, and choose **Download Keys** as shown in the picture below.
 
@@ -78,14 +82,14 @@ Unzip the downloaded zip file, and use the file `id_rsa` to connect to you host.
 $ ssh -i id_rsa user@ip_of_node
 ```
 
-### How can I automate task X in Rancher?
+## How can I automate task X in Rancher?
 
 The UI consists of static files, and works based on responses of the API. That means every action/task that you can execute in the UI, can be automated via the API. There are 2 ways to do this:
 
 * Visit `https://your_rancher_ip/v3` and browse the API options.
 * Capture the API calls when using the UI (Most commonly used for this is [Chrome Developer Tools](https://developers.google.com/web/tools/chrome-devtools/#network) but you can use anything you like)
 
-### The IP address of a node changed, how can I recover?
+## The IP address of a node changed, how can I recover?
 
 A node is required to have a static IP configured (or a reserved IP via DHCP). If the IP of a node has changed, you will have to remove it from the cluster and readd it. After it is removed, Rancher will update the cluster to the correct state. If the cluster is no longer in `Provisioning` state, the node is removed from the cluster.
 
@@ -93,11 +97,11 @@ When the IP address of the node changed, Rancher lost connection to the node, so
 
 When the node is removed from the cluster, and the node is cleaned, you can readd the node to the cluster.
 
-### How can I add more arguments/binds/environment variables to Kubernetes components in a Rancher Launched Kubernetes cluster?
+## How can I add more arguments/binds/environment variables to Kubernetes components in a Rancher Launched Kubernetes cluster?
 
 You can add more arguments/binds/environment variables via the [Config File](../reference-guides/cluster-configuration/rancher-server-configuration/rke1-cluster-configuration.md#rke-cluster-config-file-reference) option in Cluster Options. For more information, see the [Extra Args, Extra Binds, and Extra Environment Variables](https://rancher.com/docs/rke/latest/en/config-options/services/services-extras/) in the RKE documentation or browse the [Example Cluster.ymls](https://rancher.com/docs/rke/latest/en/example-yamls/).
 
-### How do I check if my certificate chain is valid?
+## How do I check if my certificate chain is valid?
 
 Use the `openssl verify` command to validate your certificate chain:
 
@@ -138,7 +142,7 @@ subject= /C=GB/ST=England/O=Alice Ltd/CN=rancher.yourdomain.com
 issuer= /C=GB/ST=England/O=Alice Ltd/CN=Alice Intermediate CA
 ```
 
-### How do I check `Common Name` and `Subject Alternative Names` in my server certificate?
+## How do I check `Common Name` and `Subject Alternative Names` in my server certificate?
 
 Although technically an entry in `Subject Alternative Names` is required, having the hostname in both `Common Name` and as entry in `Subject Alternative Names` gives you maximum compatibility with older browser/applications.
 
@@ -156,7 +160,7 @@ openssl x509 -noout -in cert.pem -text | grep DNS
                 DNS:rancher.my.org
 ```
 
-### Why does it take 5+ minutes for a pod to be rescheduled when a node has failed?
+## Why does it take 5+ minutes for a pod to be rescheduled when a node has failed?
 
 This is due to a combination of the following default Kubernetes settings:
 
@@ -175,6 +179,6 @@ In Kubernetes v1.13, the `TaintBasedEvictions` feature is enabled by default. Se
   * `default-not-ready-toleration-seconds`: Indicates the tolerationSeconds of the toleration for notReady:NoExecute that is added by default to every pod that does not already have such a toleration.
   * `default-unreachable-toleration-seconds`: Indicates the tolerationSeconds of the toleration for unreachable:NoExecute that is added by default to every pod that does not already have such a toleration.
 
-### Can I use keyboard shortcuts in the UI?
+## Can I use keyboard shortcuts in the UI?
 
 Yes, most parts of the UI can be reached using keyboard shortcuts. For an overview of the available shortcuts, press `?` anywhere in the UI.

docs/faq/telemetry.md

@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
 ---
-title: Telemetry
+title: Telemetry FAQ
 ---
 
 <head>
   <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/faq/telemetry"/>
 </head>
 
-### What is Telemetry?
+## What is Telemetry?
 
 Telemetry collects aggregate information about the size of Rancher installations, versions of components used, and which features are used.  This information is used by Rancher Labs to help make the product better and is not shared with third-parties.
 
-### What information is collected?
+## What information is collected?
 
 No specific identifying information like usernames, passwords, or the names or addresses of user resources will ever be collected.
 
@@ -24,12 +24,12 @@ The primary things collected include:
   - The image name & version of Rancher that is running.
   - A unique randomly-generated identifier for this installation.
 
-### Can I see the information that is being sent?
+## Can I see the information that is being sent?
 
 If Telemetry is enabled, you can go to `https://<your rancher server>/v1-telemetry` in your installation to see the current data.
 
 If Telemetry is not enabled, the process that collects the data is not running, so there is nothing being collected to look at.
 
-### How do I turn it on or off?
+## How do I turn it on or off?
 
 After initial setup, an administrator can go to the `Settings` page in the `Global` section of the UI and click Edit to change the `telemetry-opt` setting to either `in` or `out`.

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/install-upgrade-on-a-kubernetes-cluster/air-gapped-upgrades.md

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ These instructions assume you have already followed the instructions for a Kuber
 
 :::
 
-### Rancher Helm Upgrade Options
+## Rancher Helm Upgrade Options
 
 To upgrade with Helm, apply the same options that you used when installing Rancher. Refer to the reference table below to replace each placeholder. Rancher needs to be configured to use the private registry in order to provision any Rancher launched Kubernetes clusters or Rancher tools.
 

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/install-upgrade-on-a-kubernetes-cluster/install-upgrade-on-a-kubernetes-cluster.md

@@ -107,15 +107,15 @@ The Rancher management server is designed to be secure by default and requires S
 
 :::note
 
-If you want terminate SSL/TLS externally, see [TLS termination on an External Load Balancer](../installation-references/helm-chart-options.md#external-tls-termination).
+If you want to externally terminate SSL/TLS, see [TLS termination on an External Load Balancer](../installation-references/helm-chart-options.md#external-tls-termination). As outlined on that page, this option does have additional requirements for TLS verification.
 
 :::
 
 There are three recommended options for the source of the certificate used for TLS termination at the Rancher server:
 
-- **Rancher-generated TLS certificate:** In this case, you will need to install `cert-manager` into the cluster. Rancher utilizes `cert-manager` to issue and maintain its certificates. Rancher will generate a CA certificate of its own, and sign a cert using that CA. `cert-manager` is then responsible for managing that certificate.
-- **Let's Encrypt:** The Let's Encrypt option also uses `cert-manager`. However, in this case, cert-manager is combined with a special Issuer for Let's Encrypt that performs all actions (including request and validation) necessary for getting a Let's Encrypt issued cert. This configuration uses HTTP validation (`HTTP-01`), so the load balancer must have a public DNS record and be accessible from the internet.
-- **Bring your own certificate:** This option allows you to bring your own public- or private-CA signed certificate. Rancher will use that certificate to secure websocket and HTTPS traffic. In this case, you must upload this certificate (and associated key) as PEM-encoded files with the name `tls.crt` and `tls.key`. If you are using a private CA, you must also upload that certificate. This is due to the fact that this private CA may not be trusted by your nodes. Rancher will take that CA certificate, and generate a checksum from it, which the various Rancher components will use to validate their connection to Rancher.
+- **Rancher-generated TLS certificate:** In this case, you will need to install `cert-manager` into the cluster. Rancher utilizes `cert-manager` to issue and maintain its certificates. Rancher will generate a CA certificate of its own, and sign a cert using that CA. `cert-manager` is then responsible for managing that certificate. No extra action is needed when `agent-tls-mode` is set to strict. More information can be found on this setting in [Agent TLS Enforcement](../installation-references/tls-settings.md#agent-tls-enforcement).
+- **Let's Encrypt:** The Let's Encrypt option also uses `cert-manager`. However, in this case, cert-manager is combined with a special Issuer for Let's Encrypt that performs all actions (including request and validation) necessary for getting a Let's Encrypt issued cert. This configuration uses HTTP validation (`HTTP-01`), so the load balancer must have a public DNS record and be accessible from the internet. When setting `agent-tls-mode` to `strict`, you must also specify `--privateCA=true` and upload the Let's Encrypt CA as described in [Adding TLS Secrets](../resources/add-tls-secrets.md). More information can be found on this setting in [Agent TLS Enforcement](../installation-references/tls-settings.md#agent-tls-enforcement).
+- **Bring your own certificate:** This option allows you to bring your own public- or private-CA signed certificate. Rancher will use that certificate to secure websocket and HTTPS traffic. In this case, you must upload this certificate (and associated key) as PEM-encoded files with the name `tls.crt` and `tls.key`. If you are using a private CA, you must also upload that certificate. This is due to the fact that this private CA may not be trusted by your nodes. Rancher will take that CA certificate, and generate a checksum from it, which the various Rancher components will use to validate their connection to Rancher. If `agent-tls-mode` is set to `strict`, the CA must be uploaded, so that downstream clusters can successfully connect. More information can be found on this setting in [Agent TLS Enforcement](../installation-references/tls-settings.md#agent-tls-enforcement).
 
 
 | Configuration                  | Helm Chart Option           | Requires cert-manager                 |
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ To see options on how to customize the cert-manager install (including for cases
 :::
 
 ```
-# If you have installed the CRDs manually instead of with the `--set installCRDs=true` option added to your Helm install command, you should upgrade your CRD resources before upgrading the Helm chart:
+# If you have installed the CRDs manually, instead of setting `installCRDs` or `crds.enabled` to `true` in your Helm install command, you should upgrade your CRD resources before upgrading the Helm chart:
 kubectl apply -f https://github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/releases/download/<VERSION>/cert-manager.crds.yaml
 
 # Add the Jetstack Helm repository
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ helm repo update
 helm install cert-manager jetstack/cert-manager \
   --namespace cert-manager \
   --create-namespace \
-  --set installCRDs=true
+  --set crds.enabled=true
 ```
 
 Once you’ve installed cert-manager, you can verify it is deployed correctly by checking the cert-manager namespace for running pods:
@@ -242,6 +242,12 @@ In the following command,
 - Set `letsEncrypt.ingress.class` to whatever your ingress controller is, e.g., `traefik`, `nginx`, `haproxy`, etc.
 - For Kubernetes v1.25 or later, set `global.cattle.psp.enabled` to `false` when using Rancher v2.7.2-v2.7.4. This is not necessary for Rancher v2.7.5 and above, but you can still manually set the option if you choose.
 
+:::warning
+
+When `agent-tls-mode` is set to `strict` (the default value for new installs of Rancher starting from v2.9.0), you must supply the `privateCA=true` chart value (e.x. through `--set privateCA=true`) and upload the Let's Encrypt Certificate Authority as outlined in [Adding TLS Secrets](../resources/add-tls-secrets.md). Information on identifying the Let's Encrypt Root CA can be found in the Let's Encrypt [docs](https://letsencrypt.org/certificates/). If you don't upload the CA, then Rancher may fail to connect to new or existing downstream clusters.
+
+:::
+
 ```
 helm install rancher rancher-<CHART_REPO>/rancher \
   --namespace cattle-system \

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/install-upgrade-on-a-kubernetes-cluster/rollbacks.md

@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ See the [rancher/rancher-cleanup repo](https://github.com/rancher/rancher-cleanu
 ### Step 2: Restore the Backup and Bring Up Rancher
 
 At this point, there should be no Rancher-related resources on the upstream cluster. Therefore, the next step will be the same as if you were migrating Rancher to a new cluster that contains no Rancher resources.
-/home/btat/rancher-docs/docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/backup-restore-and-disaster-recovery/migrate-rancher-to-new-cluster.md
+
 Follow these [instructions](../../../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/backup-restore-and-disaster-recovery/migrate-rancher-to-new-cluster.md) to install the Rancher-Backup Helm chart and restore Rancher to its previous state.
 Please keep in mind that:
 1. Step 3 can be skipped, because the Cert-Manager app should still exist on the upstream (local) cluster if it was installed before.

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/install-upgrade-on-a-kubernetes-cluster/troubleshooting.md

@@ -190,3 +190,19 @@ If you want to use encrypted private keys, you should use `ssh-agent` to load yo
 ### Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///var/run/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?
 
 The node is not reachable on the configured `address` and `port`.
+
+### Agent reports TLS errors 
+
+When using Rancher, you may encounter error messages from the `fleet-agent`, `system-agent`, or `cluster-agent`, such as the message below:
+```
+tls: failed to verify certificate: x509: failed to load system roots and no roots provided; readdirent /dev/null: not a directory
+```
+
+This occurs when Rancher was configured with `agent-tls-mode` set to `strict`, but couldn't find cacerts in the `cacert` setting. To resolve the issue, set the `agent-tls-mode` to `system-store`, or upload the CA for Rancher as described in [Adding TLS Secrets](../resources/add-tls-secrets.md).
+
+### New Cluster Deployment is stuck in "Waiting for Agent to check in"
+
+When Rancher has `agent-tls-mode` set to `strict`, new clusters may fail to provision and report a generic "Waiting for Agent to check in" error message. The root cause of this is similar to the above case of TLS errors - Rancher's agent can't determine which CA Rancher is using (or can't verify that Rancher's cert is actually signed by the specified certificate authority).  
+
+To resolve the issue, set the `agent-tls-mode` to `system-store` or upload the CA for Rancher as described in [Adding TLS Secrets](../resources/add-tls-secrets.md).
+

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/install-upgrade-on-a-kubernetes-cluster/upgrades.md

@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ For [air-gapped installs only,](../other-installation-methods/air-gapped-helm-cl
 
 Follow the steps to upgrade Rancher server:
 
-
 ### 1. Back up Your Kubernetes Cluster that is Running Rancher Server
 
 Use the [backup application](../../../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/backup-restore-and-disaster-recovery/back-up-rancher.md) to back up Rancher.
@@ -119,7 +118,6 @@ If you are installing Rancher in an air-gapped environment, skip the rest of thi
 
 :::
 
-
 Get the values, which were passed with `--set`, from the current Rancher Helm chart that is installed.
 
 ```

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/installation-references/feature-flags.md

@@ -19,25 +19,31 @@ Some feature flags require a restart of the Rancher container. Features that req
 The following is a list of feature flags available in Rancher. If you've upgraded from a previous Rancher version, you may see additional flags in the Rancher UI, such as `proxy` or `dashboard` (both [discontinued](/versioned_docs/version-2.5/reference-guides/installation-references/feature-flags.md)):
 
 - `continuous-delivery`: Allows Fleet GitOps to be disabled separately from Fleet. See [Continuous Delivery.](../../../how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/enable-experimental-features/continuous-delivery.md) for more information.
-- `fleet`: The Rancher provisioning framework in v2.6 and later requires Fleet. The flag will be automatically enabled when you upgrade, even if you disabled this flag in an earlier version of Rancher. See [Fleet - GitOps at Scale](../../../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/deploy-apps-across-clusters/fleet.md) for more information.
+- `fleet`: The Rancher provisioning framework in v2.6 and later requires Fleet. The flag will be automatically enabled when you upgrade, even if you disabled this flag in an earlier version of Rancher. See [Continuous Delivery with Fleet](../../../integrations-in-rancher/fleet/fleet.md) for more information.
 - `harvester`: Manages access to the Virtualization Management page, where users can navigate directly to Harvester clusters and access the Harvester UI. See [Harvester Integration Overview](../../../integrations-in-rancher/harvester/overview.md) for more information.
 - `istio-virtual-service-ui`: Enables a [visual interface](../../../how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/enable-experimental-features/istio-traffic-management-features.md) to create, read, update, and delete Istio virtual services and destination rules, which are Istio traffic management features.
 - `legacy`: Enables a set of features from 2.5.x and earlier, that are slowly being phased out in favor of newer implementations. These are a mix of deprecated features as well as features that will eventually be available to newer versions. This flag is disabled by default on new Rancher installations. If you're upgrading from a previous version of Rancher, this flag is enabled.
 - `multi-cluster-management`: Allows multi-cluster provisioning and management of Kubernetes clusters. This flag can only be set at install time. It can't be enabled or disabled later.
 - `rke1-custom-node-cleanup`: Enables cleanup of deleted RKE1 custom nodes. We recommend that you keep this flag enabled, to prevent removed nodes from attempting to rejoin the cluster.
 - `rke2`: Enables provisioning RKE2 clusters. This flag is enabled by default.
-- `token-hashing`: Enables token hashing. Once enabled, existing tokens will be hashed and all new tokens will be hashed automatically with the SHA256 algorithm. Once a token is hashed it can't be undone. This flag can't be disabled after its enabled. See [API Tokens](../../../reference-guides/about-the-api/api-tokens.md#token-hashing) for more information.
+- `token-hashing`: Enables token hashing. Once enabled, existing tokens will be hashed and all new tokens will be hashed automatically with the SHA256 algorithm. Once a token is hashed it can't be undone. This flag can't be disabled after its enabled. See [API Tokens](../../../api/api-tokens.md#token-hashing) for more information.
+- `uiextension`: Enables UI extensions. This flag is enabled by default. Enabling or disabling the flag forces the Rancher pod to restart. The first time this flag is set to `true`, it creates a CRD and enables the controllers and endpoints necessary for the feature to work. If set to `false`, it disables the previously mentioned controllers and endpoints. Setting `uiextension` to `false` has no effect on the CRD -- it does not create a CRD if it does not yet exist, nor does it delete the CRD if it already exists. 
 - `unsupported-storage-drivers`: Enables types for storage providers and provisioners that aren't enabled by default. See [Allow Unsupported Storage Drivers](../../../how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/enable-experimental-features/unsupported-storage-drivers.md) for more information.
+- `ui-sql-cache`: Enables a SQLite-based cache for UI tables. See [UI Server-Side Pagination](../../../how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/enable-experimental-features/ui-server-side-pagination.md) for more information.
+
 
 The following table shows the availability and default values for some feature flags in Rancher. Features marked "GA" are generally available:
 
-| Feature Flag Name             | Default Value | Status       | Available As Of |
-| ----------------------------- | ------------- | ------------ | --------------- |
-| `continuous-delivery` | `true` | GA | v2.6.0 |
-| `fleet`  | `true` | Can no longer be disabled | v2.6.0 |
-| `fleet`  | `true` | GA | v2.5.0 |
-| `harvester` | `true` | Experimental | v2.6.1 |
-| `legacy` | `false` for new installs, `true` for upgrades | GA | v2.6.0 |
-| `rke1-custom-node-cleanup`| `true` | GA | v2.6.0 |
-| `rke2` | `true` | Experimental | v2.6.0 |
-| `token-hashing` | `false` for new installs, `true` for upgrades | GA | v2.6.0 |
+| Feature Flag Name             | Default Value | Status       | Available As Of | Additional Information |
+| ----------------------------- | ------------- | ------------ | --------------- | ---------------------- |
+| `continuous-delivery` | `true` | GA | v2.6.0 | |
+| `external-rules` | v2.7.14: `false`, v2.8.5: `true` | Removed | v2.7.14, v2.8.5 | This flag affected [external `RoleTemplate` behavior](../../../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/cluster-and-project-roles.md#external-roletemplate-behavior). It is removed in Rancher v2.9.0 and later as the behavior is enabled by default. |
+| `fleet`  | `true` | Can no longer be disabled | v2.6.0 | |
+| `fleet`  | `true` | GA | v2.5.0 | |
+| `harvester` | `true` | Experimental | v2.6.1 | |
+| `legacy` | `false` for new installs, `true` for upgrades | GA | v2.6.0 | |
+| `rke1-custom-node-cleanup`| `true` | GA | v2.6.0 | |
+| `rke2` | `true` | Experimental | v2.6.0 | |
+| `token-hashing` | `false` for new installs, `true` for upgrades | GA | v2.6.0 | |
+| `uiextension` | `true` | GA | v2.9.0 |
+| `ui-sql-cache` | `false` | Highly experimental | v2.9.0 |

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/installation-references/helm-chart-options.md

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ For information on enabling experimental features, refer to [this page.](../../.
 
 | Option                    | Default Value | Description                                                                        |
 | ------------------------- | ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
-| `bootstrapPassword`       | " "           | `string` - Set the [bootstrap password](#bootstrap-password) for the first admin user. After logging in, the admin will need to reset their password. A randomly generated bootstrap password is used if this value is not set.
+| `bootstrapPassword`       | " "           | `string` - Set the [bootstrap password](#bootstrap-password) for the first admin user. After logging in, the admin should reset their password. A randomly generated bootstrap password is used if this value is not set.
 | `hostname`                | " "           | `string` - the Fully Qualified Domain Name for your Rancher Server                 |
 | `ingress.tls.source`      | "rancher"     | `string` - Where to get the cert for the ingress. - "rancher, letsEncrypt, secret" |
 | `letsEncrypt.email`       | " "           | `string` - Your email address                                                      |
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ For information on enabling experimental features, refer to [this page.](../../.
 | ------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
 | `additionalTrustedCAs`         | false                                                 | `bool` - See [Additional Trusted CAs](#additional-trusted-cas)                                                                                    |
 | `addLocal`                     | "true"                                                | `string` - Have Rancher detect and import the "local" (upstream) Rancher server cluster.  _Note: This option is no longer available in v2.5.0. Consider using the `restrictedAdmin` option to prevent users from modifying the local cluster._              |
+| `agentTLSMode`                 | ""                                                    | `string` - either `system-store` or `strict`. See [Agent TLS Enforcement](./tls-settings.md#agent-tls-enforcement) |
 | `antiAffinity`                 | "preferred"                                           | `string` - AntiAffinity rule for Rancher pods - "preferred, required"                                                                             |
 | `auditLog.destination`         | "sidecar"                                             | `string` - Stream to sidecar container console or hostPath volume - "sidecar, hostPath"                                                           |
 | `auditLog.hostPath`            | "/var/log/rancher/audit"                              | `string` - log file destination on host (only applies when `auditLog.destination` is set to `hostPath`)                                           |
@@ -67,19 +68,9 @@ For information on enabling experimental features, refer to [this page.](../../.
 
 ### Bootstrap Password
 
-When Rancher starts for the first time, a password is randomly generated for the first admin user. When the admin first logs in to Rancher, the UI shows commands that can be used to retrieve the bootstrap password. The admin needs to run those commands and log in with the bootstrap password. Then Rancher gives the admin an opportunity to reset the password.
+You can [set a specific bootstrap password](../resources/bootstrap-password.md) during Rancher installation. If you don't set a specific bootstrap password, Rancher randomly generates a password for the first admin account.
 
-If you want to use a specific bootstrap password instead of a randomly generated one, provide the password.
-
-```plain
---set bootstrapPassword="rancher"
-```
-
-The password, whether provided or generated, will be stored in a Kubernetes secret. After Rancher is installed, the UI will show instructions for how to retrieve the password using kubectl:
-
-```
-kubectl get secret --namespace cattle-system bootstrap-secret -o go-template='{{ .data.bootstrapPassword|base64decode}}{{ "\n" }}'
-```
+When you log in for the first time, use the bootstrap password you set to log in. If you did not set a bootstrap password, the Rancher UI shows commands that can be used to [retrieve the bootstrap password](../resources/bootstrap-password.md#retrieving-the-bootstrap-password). Run those commands and log in to the account. After you log in for the first time, you are asked to reset the admin password.
 
 ### API Audit Log
 
@@ -163,7 +154,7 @@ Rancher supports CIDR notation ranges in this list.
 
 When not including sensitive data, the `proxy` or `extraEnv` chart options can be used. When using `extraEnv` the `noProxy` Helm option is ignored. Therefore, the `NO_PROXY` environment variable must also be set with `extraEnv`.
 
-The following is an example of setting proxy using the `extraEnv` chart option:
+The following is an example of setting proxy using the `proxy` chart option:
 
 ```plain
 --set proxy="http://<proxy_url:proxy_port>/"
@@ -216,7 +207,7 @@ You may terminate the SSL/TLS on a L7 load balancer external to the Rancher clus
 
 :::note
 
-If you are using a Private CA signed certificate, add `--set privateCA=true` and see [Adding TLS Secrets - Using a Private CA Signed Certificate](../../../getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/resources/add-tls-secrets.md) to add the CA cert for Rancher.
+If you are using a Private CA signed certificate (or if `agent-tls-mode` is set to `strict`), add `--set privateCA=true` and see [Adding TLS Secrets - Using a Private CA Signed Certificate](../../../getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/resources/add-tls-secrets.md) to add the CA cert for Rancher. 
 
 :::
 

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/installation-references/tls-settings.md

@@ -23,3 +23,82 @@ The default TLS configuration only accepts TLS 1.2 and secure TLS cipher suites.
 |-----|-----|-----|-----|
 | `CATTLE_TLS_MIN_VERSION` | Minimum TLS version | `1.2` | `1.0`, `1.1`, `1.2`, `1.3` |
 | `CATTLE_TLS_CIPHERS` | Allowed TLS cipher suites | `TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256`,<br/>`TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_GCM_SHA384`,<br/>`TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_CHACHA20_POLY1305`,<br/>`TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256`,<br/>`TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_GCM_SHA384`,<br/>`TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_CHACHA20_POLY1305` | See [Golang tls constants](https://golang.org/pkg/crypto/tls/#pkg-constants) |
+
+## Agent TLS Enforcement
+
+The `agent-tls-mode` setting controls how Rancher's agents (`cluster-agent`, `fleet-agent`, and `system-agent`) validate Rancher's certificate.
+
+When the value is set to `strict`, Rancher's agents only trust certificates generated by the Certificate Authority contained in the `cacerts` setting. 
+When the value is set to `system-store`, Rancher's agents trust any certificate generated by a public Certificate Authority contained in the operating system's trust store including those signed by authorities such as Let's Encrypt. This can be a security risk, since any certificate generated by these external authorities, which are outside the user's control, are considered valid in this state.
+
+While the `strict` option enables a higher level of security, it requires Rancher to have access to the CA which generated the certificate visible to the agents. In the case of certain certificate configurations (notably, external certificates), this is not automatic, and extra configuration is needed. See the [installation guide](../install-upgrade-on-a-kubernetes-cluster/install-upgrade-on-a-kubernetes-cluster.md#3-choose-your-ssl-configuration) for more information on which scenarios require extra configuration.
+
+In Rancher v2.9.0 and later, this setting defaults to `strict` on new installs. For users installing or upgrading from a prior Rancher version, it is set to `system-store`.
+
+### Preparing for the Setting Change
+
+Each cluster contains a condition in the status field called `AgentTlsStrictCheck`. If `AgentTlsStrictCheck` is set to `"True"`, this indicates that the agents for the cluster are ready to operate in `strict` mode. You can manually inspect each cluster to see if they are ready using the Rancher UI or a kubectl command such as the following:
+
+```bash
+## the below command skips ouputs $CLUSTER_NAME,$STATUS for all non-local clusters
+kubectl get cluster.management.cattle.io -o jsonpath='{range .items[?(@.metadata.name!="local")]}{.metadata.name},{.status.conditions[?(@.type=="AgentTlsStrictCheck")].status}{"\n"}{end}'
+```
+
+### Changing the Setting
+
+You can change the setting using the Rancher UI or the `agentTLSMode` [helm chart option](./helm-chart-options.md).
+
+:::note
+
+If you specify the value through the Helm chart, you may only modify the value with Helm.
+
+:::
+
+:::warning
+
+Depending on your cert setup, additional action may be required, such as uploading the Certificate Authority which signed your certs. Review the [installation guide](../install-upgrade-on-a-kubernetes-cluster/install-upgrade-on-a-kubernetes-cluster.md#3-choose-your-ssl-configuration) before changing the setting to see if any additional requirements apply to your setup.
+
+:::
+
+To change the setting's value through the UI, navigate to the **Global Settings** page, and find the `agent-tls-mode` setting near the bottom of the page. When you change the setting through the UI, Rancher first checks that all downstream clusters have the condition `AgentTlsStrictCheck` set to `"True"` before allowing the request. This prevents outages from a certificate mismatch.
+
+
+#### Overriding the Setting Validation Checks
+
+In some cases, you may want to override the check ensuring all agents can accept the new TLS configuration:
+
+:::warning
+
+Rancher checks the status of all downstream clusters to prevent outages. Overriding this check is not recommended, and should be done with great caution.
+
+:::
+
+1. As an admin, generate a kubeconfig for the local cluster. In the below examples, this was saved to the `local_kubeconfig.yaml` file.
+2. Retrieve the current setting and save it to `setting.yaml`:
+```bash
+kubectl get setting agent-tls-mode -o yaml --kubeconfig=local_kubeconfig.yaml > setting.yaml
+```
+3. Update the `setting.yaml` file, replacing `value` with `strict`. Adding the `cattle.io/force: "true"` annotation overrides the cluster condition check, and should only be done with great care:
+
+:::warning
+
+Including the `cattle.io/force` annotation with any value (including, for example `"false"`) overrides the cluster condition check.
+
+:::
+
+```yaml
+apiVersion: management.cattle.io/v3
+customized: false
+default: strict
+kind: Setting
+metadata:
+  name: agent-tls-mode
+  annotations:
+    cattle.io/force: "true"
+source: ""
+value: strict
+```
+4. Apply the new version of the setting:
+```bash
+kubectl apply -f setting.yaml --kubeconfig=local_kubeconfig.yaml
+```

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/installation-requirements/dockershim.md

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Starting with version 1.24, the above defaults to true.
 
 For users looking to use another container runtime, Rancher has the edge-focused K3s and datacenter-focused RKE2 Kubernetes distributions that use containerd as the default runtime. Imported RKE2 and K3s Kubernetes clusters can then be upgraded and managed through Rancher going forward.
 
-### FAQ
+## FAQ
 
 <br/>
 
@@ -46,6 +46,6 @@ A: You can use a runtime like containerd with Kubernetes that does not require D
 
 Q: If I am already using RKE1 and want to switch to RKE2, what are my migration options?
 
-A: Today, you can stand up a new cluster and migrate workloads to a new RKE2 cluster that uses containerd. Rancher is exploring the possibility of an in-place upgrade path.
+A: Today, you can stand up a new cluster and migrate workloads to a new RKE2 cluster that uses containerd. For details, see the [RKE to RKE2 Replatforming Guide](https://links.imagerelay.com/cdn/3404/ql/5606a3da2365422ab2250d348aa07112/rke_to_rke2_replatforming_guide.pdf).
 
 <br/>

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/installation-requirements/installation-requirements.md

@@ -216,6 +216,14 @@ Each node used should have a static IP configured, regardless of whether you are
 
 To operate properly, Rancher requires a number of ports to be open on Rancher nodes and on downstream Kubernetes cluster nodes. [Port Requirements](port-requirements.md) lists all the necessary ports for Rancher and Downstream Clusters for the different cluster types.
 
+### Load Balancer Requirements
+
+If you use a load balancer, it should be be HTTP/2 compatible. 
+
+To receive help from SUSE Support, Rancher Prime customers who use load balancers (or any other middleboxes such as firewalls), must use one that is HTTP/2 compatible.
+
+When HTTP/2 is not available, Rancher falls back to HTTP/1.1. However, since HTTP/2 offers improved web application performance, using HTTP/1.1 can create performance issues. 
+
 ## Dockershim Support
 
 For more information on Dockershim support, refer to [this page](dockershim.md).

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/other-installation-methods/air-gapped-helm-cli-install/docker-install-commands.md

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ For security purposes, SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is required when using Rancher
 
 Choose from the following options:
 
-### Option A: Default Self-Signed Certificate
+## Option A: Default Self-Signed Certificate
 
 <details id="option-a">
   <summary>Click to expand</summary>
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ docker run -d --restart=unless-stopped \
 
 </details>
 
-### Option B: Bring Your Own Certificate: Self-Signed
+## Option B: Bring Your Own Certificate: Self-Signed
 
 <details id="option-b">
   <summary>Click to expand</summary>
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ docker run -d --restart=unless-stopped \
 
 </details>
 
-### Option C: Bring Your Own Certificate: Signed by Recognized CA
+## Option C: Bring Your Own Certificate: Signed by Recognized CA
 
 <details id="option-c">
   <summary>Click to expand</summary>
@@ -143,8 +143,6 @@ docker run -d --restart=unless-stopped \
 
 </details>
 
-
-
 :::note
 
 If you don't intend to send telemetry data, opt out [telemetry](../../../../faq/telemetry.md) during the initial login.

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/other-installation-methods/air-gapped-helm-cli-install/infrastructure-private-registry.md

@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ We recommend setting up the following infrastructure for a high-availability ins
 - **A DNS record** to map a URL to the load balancer. This will become the Rancher server URL, and downstream Kubernetes clusters will need to reach it.
 - **A private image registry** to distribute container images to your machines.
 
-### 1. Set up Linux Nodes
+## 1. Set up Linux Nodes
 
 These hosts will be disconnected from the internet, but require being able to connect with your private registry.
 
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ Make sure that your nodes fulfill the general installation requirements for [OS,
 
 For an example of one way to set up Linux nodes, refer to this [tutorial](../../../../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/infrastructure-setup/nodes-in-amazon-ec2.md) for setting up nodes as instances in Amazon EC2.
 
-### 2. Set up External Datastore
+## 2. Set up External Datastore
 
 The ability to run Kubernetes using a datastore other than etcd sets K3s apart from other Kubernetes distributions. This feature provides flexibility to Kubernetes operators. The available options allow you to select a datastore that best fits your use case.
 
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ For an example of one way to set up the database, refer to this [tutorial](../..
 
 For the complete list of options that are available for configuring a K3s cluster datastore, refer to the [K3s documentation.](https://rancher.com/docs/k3s/latest/en/installation/datastore/)
 
-### 3. Set up the Load Balancer
+## 3. Set up the Load Balancer
 
 You will also need to set up a load balancer to direct traffic to the Rancher replica on both nodes. That will prevent an outage of any single node from taking down communications to the Rancher management server.
 
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ Do not use this load balancer (i.e, the `local` cluster Ingress) to load balance
 
 :::
 
-### 4. Set up the DNS Record
+## 4. Set up the DNS Record
 
 Once you have set up your load balancer, you will need to create a DNS record to send traffic to this load balancer.
 
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ You will need to specify this hostname in a later step when you install Rancher,
 
 For a how-to guide for setting up a DNS record to route domain traffic to an Amazon ELB load balancer, refer to the [official AWS documentation.](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/Route53/latest/DeveloperGuide/routing-to-elb-load-balancer)
 
-### 5. Set up a Private Image Registry
+## 5. Set up a Private Image Registry
 
 Rancher supports air gap installs using a private registry. You must have your own private registry or other means of distributing container images to your machines.
 
@@ -106,13 +106,13 @@ To install the Rancher management server on a high-availability RKE cluster, we
 
 These nodes must be in the same region/data center. You may place these servers in separate availability zones.
 
-### Why three nodes?
+## Why Three Nodes?
 
 In an RKE cluster, Rancher server data is stored on etcd. This etcd database runs on all three nodes.
 
 The etcd database requires an odd number of nodes so that it can always elect a leader with a majority of the etcd cluster. If the etcd database cannot elect a leader, etcd can suffer from [split brain](https://www.quora.com/What-is-split-brain-in-distributed-systems), requiring the cluster to be restored from backup. If one of the three etcd nodes fails, the two remaining nodes can elect a leader because they have the majority of the total number of etcd nodes.
 
-### 1. Set up Linux Nodes
+## 1. Set up Linux Nodes
 
 These hosts will be disconnected from the internet, but require being able to connect with your private registry.
 
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ Make sure that your nodes fulfill the general installation requirements for [OS,
 
 For an example of one way to set up Linux nodes, refer to this [tutorial](../../../../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/infrastructure-setup/nodes-in-amazon-ec2.md) for setting up nodes as instances in Amazon EC2.
 
-### 2. Set up the Load Balancer
+## 2. Set up the Load Balancer
 
 You will also need to set up a load balancer to direct traffic to the Rancher replica on both nodes. That will prevent an outage of any single node from taking down communications to the Rancher management server.
 
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ Do not use this load balancer (i.e, the `local` cluster Ingress) to load balance
 
 :::
 
-### 3. Set up the DNS Record
+## 3. Set up the DNS Record
 
 Once you have set up your load balancer, you will need to create a DNS record to send traffic to this load balancer.
 
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ You will need to specify this hostname in a later step when you install Rancher,
 
 For a how-to guide for setting up a DNS record to route domain traffic to an Amazon ELB load balancer, refer to the [official AWS documentation.](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/Route53/latest/DeveloperGuide/routing-to-elb-load-balancer)
 
-### 4. Set up a Private Image Registry
+## 4. Set up a Private Image Registry
 
 Rancher supports air gap installs using a secure private registry. You must have your own private registry or other means of distributing container images to your machines.
 
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ If you need to create a private registry, refer to the documentation pages for y
 
 :::
 
-### 1. Set up a Linux Node
+## 1. Set up a Linux Node
 
 This host will be disconnected from the Internet, but needs to be able to connect to your private registry.
 
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ Make sure that your node fulfills the general installation requirements for [OS,
 
 For an example of one way to set up Linux nodes, refer to this [tutorial](../../../../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/infrastructure-setup/nodes-in-amazon-ec2.md) for setting up nodes as instances in Amazon EC2.
 
-### 2. Set up a Private Docker Registry
+## 2. Set up a Private Docker Registry
 
 Rancher supports air gap installs using a private registry on your bastion server. You must have your own private registry or other means of distributing container images to your machines.
 
@@ -193,4 +193,4 @@ If you need help with creating a private registry, please refer to the [official
 </TabItem>
 </Tabs>
 
-### [Next: Collect and Publish Images to your Private Registry](publish-images.md)
+## [Next: Collect and Publish Images to your Private Registry](publish-images.md)

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/other-installation-methods/air-gapped-helm-cli-install/install-kubernetes.md

@@ -23,14 +23,15 @@ The steps to set up an air-gapped Kubernetes cluster on RKE, RKE2, or K3s are sh
 
 In this guide, we are assuming you have created your nodes in your air gapped environment and have a secure Docker private registry on your bastion server.
 
-### Installation Outline
+## Installation Outline
 
 1. [Prepare Images Directory](#1-prepare-images-directory)
 2. [Create Registry YAML](#2-create-registry-yaml)
 3. [Install K3s](#3-install-k3s)
 4. [Save and Start Using the kubeconfig File](#4-save-and-start-using-the-kubeconfig-file)
 
-### 1. Prepare Images Directory
+## 1. Prepare Images Directory
+
 Obtain the images tar file for your architecture from the [releases](https://github.com/k3s-io/k3s/releases) page for the version of K3s you will be running.
 
 Place the tar file in the `images` directory before starting K3s on each node, for example:
@@ -40,7 +41,8 @@ sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/rancher/k3s/agent/images/
 sudo cp ./k3s-airgap-images-$ARCH.tar /var/lib/rancher/k3s/agent/images/
 ```
 
-### 2. Create Registry YAML
+## 2. Create Registry YAML
+
 Create the registries.yaml file at `/etc/rancher/k3s/registries.yaml`. This will tell K3s the necessary details to connect to your private registry.
 
 The registries.yaml file should look like this before plugging in the necessary information:
@@ -66,7 +68,7 @@ Note, at this time only secure registries are supported with K3s (SSL with custo
 
 For more information on private registries configuration file for K3s, refer to the [K3s documentation.](https://rancher.com/docs/k3s/latest/en/installation/private-registry/)
 
-### 3. Install K3s
+## 3. Install K3s
 
 Rancher needs to be installed on a supported Kubernetes version. To find out which versions of Kubernetes are supported for your Rancher version, refer to the [Rancher Support Matrix](https://www.suse.com/suse-rancher/support-matrix/all-supported-versions/).
 
@@ -98,7 +100,7 @@ K3s additionally provides a `--resolv-conf` flag for kubelets, which may help wi
 
 :::
 
-### 4. Save and Start Using the kubeconfig File
+## 4. Save and Start Using the kubeconfig File
 
 When you installed K3s on each Rancher server node, a `kubeconfig` file was created on the node at `/etc/rancher/k3s/k3s.yaml`. This file contains credentials for full access to the cluster, and you should save this file in a secure location.
 
@@ -138,7 +140,7 @@ kubectl --kubeconfig ~/.kube/config/k3s.yaml get pods --all-namespaces
 
 For more information about the `kubeconfig` file, refer to the [K3s documentation](https://rancher.com/docs/k3s/latest/en/cluster-access/) or the [official Kubernetes documentation](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/configuration/organize-cluster-access-kubeconfig/) about organizing cluster access using `kubeconfig` files.
 
-### Note on Upgrading
+## Note on Upgrading
 
 Upgrading an air-gap environment can be accomplished in the following manner:
 
@@ -151,14 +153,15 @@ Upgrading an air-gap environment can be accomplished in the following manner:
 
 In this guide, we are assuming you have created your nodes in your air-gapped environment and have a secure Docker private registry on your bastion server.
 
-### Installation Outline
+## Installation Outline
 
 1. [Create RKE2 configuration](#1-create-rke2-configuration)
 2. [Create Registry YAML](#2-create-registry-yaml)
 3. [Install RKE2](#3-install-rke2)
 4. [Save and Start Using the kubeconfig File](#4-save-and-start-using-the-kubeconfig-file)
 
-### 1. Create RKE2 configuration
+## 1. Create RKE2 configuration
+
 Create the config.yaml file at `/etc/rancher/rke2/config.yaml`. This will contain all the configuration options necessary to create a highly available RKE2 cluster.
 
 On the first server the minimum config is:
@@ -186,7 +189,8 @@ RKE2 additionally provides a `resolv-conf` option for kubelets, which may help w
 
 :::
 
-### 2. Create Registry YAML
+## 2. Create Registry YAML
+
 Create the registries.yaml file at `/etc/rancher/rke2/registries.yaml`. This will tell RKE2 the necessary details to connect to your private registry.
 
 The registries.yaml file should look like this before plugging in the necessary information:
@@ -210,7 +214,7 @@ configs:
 
 For more information on private registries configuration file for RKE2, refer to the [RKE2 documentation.](https://docs.rke2.io/install/containerd_registry_configuration)
 
-### 3. Install RKE2
+## 3. Install RKE2
 
 Rancher needs to be installed on a supported Kubernetes version. To find out which versions of Kubernetes are supported for your Rancher version, refer to the [support maintenance terms.](https://rancher.com/support-maintenance-terms/)
 
@@ -239,7 +243,7 @@ systemctl start rke2-server.service
 
 For more information, refer to the [RKE2 documentation](https://docs.rke2.io/install/airgap).
 
-### 4. Save and Start Using the kubeconfig File
+## 4. Save and Start Using the kubeconfig File
 
 When you installed RKE2 on each Rancher server node, a `kubeconfig` file was created on the node at `/etc/rancher/rke2/rke2.yaml`. This file contains credentials for full access to the cluster, and you should save this file in a secure location.
 
@@ -279,7 +283,7 @@ kubectl --kubeconfig ~/.kube/config/rke2.yaml get pods --all-namespaces
 
 For more information about the `kubeconfig` file, refer to the [RKE2 documentation](https://docs.rke2.io/cluster_access) or the [official Kubernetes documentation](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/configuration/organize-cluster-access-kubeconfig/) about organizing cluster access using `kubeconfig` files.
 
-### Note on Upgrading
+## Note on Upgrading
 
 Upgrading an air-gap environment can be accomplished in the following manner:
 
@@ -291,7 +295,7 @@ Upgrading an air-gap environment can be accomplished in the following manner:
 <TabItem value="RKE">
 We will create a Kubernetes cluster using Rancher Kubernetes Engine (RKE). Before being able to start your Kubernetes cluster, you’ll need to install RKE and create a RKE config file.
 
-### 1. Install RKE
+## 1. Install RKE
 
 Install RKE by following the instructions in the [RKE documentation.](https://rancher.com/docs/rke/latest/en/installation/)
 
@@ -301,7 +305,7 @@ Certified version(s) of RKE based on the Rancher version can be found in the [Ra
 
 :::
 
-### 2. Create an RKE Config File
+## 2. Create an RKE Config File
 
 From a system that can access ports 22/TCP and 6443/TCP on the Linux host node(s) that you set up in a previous step, use the sample below to create a new file named `rancher-cluster.yml`.
 
@@ -352,7 +356,7 @@ private_registries:
     is_default: true
 ```
 
-### 3. Run RKE
+## 3. Run RKE
 
 After configuring `rancher-cluster.yml`, bring up your Kubernetes cluster:
 
@@ -360,7 +364,7 @@ After configuring `rancher-cluster.yml`, bring up your Kubernetes cluster:
 rke up --config ./rancher-cluster.yml
 ```
 
-### 4. Save Your Files
+## 4. Save Your Files
 
 :::note Important:
 
@@ -383,8 +387,8 @@ The "rancher-cluster" parts of the two latter file names are dependent on how yo
 
 :::
 
-### Issues or errors?
+## Issues or Errors?
 
 See the [Troubleshooting](../../install-upgrade-on-a-kubernetes-cluster/troubleshooting.md) page.
 
-### [Next: Install Rancher](install-rancher-ha.md)
+## [Next: Install Rancher](install-rancher-ha.md)

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/other-installation-methods/air-gapped-helm-cli-install/install-rancher-ha.md

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ title: 4. Install Rancher
 
 This section is about how to deploy Rancher for your air gapped environment in a high-availability Kubernetes installation. An air gapped environment could be where Rancher server will be installed offline, behind a firewall, or behind a proxy.
 
-### Privileged Access for Rancher
+## Privileged Access for Rancher
 
 When the Rancher server is deployed in the Docker container, a local Kubernetes cluster is installed within the container for Rancher to use. Because many features of Rancher run as deployments, and privileged mode is required to run containers within containers, you will need to install Rancher with the `--privileged` option.
 
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ Recent changes to cert-manager require an upgrade. If you are upgrading Rancher
 
 :::
 
-##### 1. Add the cert-manager repo
+##### 1. Add the cert-manager Repo
 
 From a system connected to the internet, add the cert-manager repo to Helm:
 
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ helm repo add jetstack https://charts.jetstack.io
 helm repo update
 ```
 
-##### 2. Fetch the cert-manager chart
+##### 2. Fetch the cert-manager Chart
 
 Fetch the latest cert-manager chart available from the [Helm chart repository](https://artifacthub.io/packages/helm/cert-manager/cert-manager).
 
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ Fetch the latest cert-manager chart available from the [Helm chart repository](h
 helm fetch jetstack/cert-manager --version v1.11.0
 ```
 
-##### 3. Retrieve the Cert-Manager CRDs
+##### 3. Retrieve the cert-manager CRDs
 
 Download the required CRD file for cert-manager:
    ```plain
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ Download the required CRD file for cert-manager:
 
 Copy the fetched charts to a system that has access to the Rancher server cluster to complete installation.
 
-##### 1. Install Cert-Manager
+#### 1. Install cert-manager
 
 Install cert-manager with the same options you would use to install the chart. Remember to set the `image.repository` option to pull the image from your private registry.
 
@@ -160,7 +160,8 @@ If you are using self-signed certificates, install cert-manager:
 
 </details>
 
-##### 2. Install Rancher
+#### 2. Install Rancher
+
 First, refer to [Adding TLS Secrets](../../resources/add-tls-secrets.md) to publish the certificate files so Rancher and the ingress controller can use them.
 
 Then, create the namespace for Rancher using kubectl:
@@ -192,9 +193,9 @@ Placeholder | Description
 
 **Optional**: To install a specific Rancher version, set the `rancherImageTag` value, example: `--set rancherImageTag=v2.5.8`
 
-#### Option B: Certificates From Files using Kubernetes Secrets
+#### Option B: Certificates From Files Using Kubernetes Secrets
 
-##### 1. Create secrets
+##### 1. Create Secrets
 
 Create Kubernetes secrets from your own certificates for Rancher to use. The common name for the cert will need to match the `hostname` option in the command below, or the ingress controller will fail to provision the site for Rancher.
 

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/other-installation-methods/rancher-behind-an-http-proxy/install-kubernetes.md

@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ First configure the HTTP proxy settings on the K3s systemd service, so that K3s'
 ```
 cat <<'EOF' | sudo tee /etc/default/k3s > /dev/null
 HTTP_PROXY=http://${proxy_host}
-HTTPS_PROXY=http://${proxy_host}"
+HTTPS_PROXY=http://${proxy_host}
 NO_PROXY=127.0.0.0/8,10.0.0.0/8,cattle-system.svc,172.16.0.0/12,192.168.0.0/16,.svc,.cluster.local
 EOF
 ```
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ Then you have to configure the HTTP proxy settings on the RKE2 systemd service,
 ```
 cat <<'EOF' | sudo tee /etc/default/rke2-server > /dev/null
 HTTP_PROXY=http://${proxy_host}
-HTTPS_PROXY=http://${proxy_host}"
+HTTPS_PROXY=http://${proxy_host}
 NO_PROXY=127.0.0.0/8,10.0.0.0/8,cattle-system.svc,172.16.0.0/12,192.168.0.0/16,.svc,.cluster.local
 EOF
 ```

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/resources/bootstrap-password.md

@@ -6,26 +6,63 @@ title: Setting up the Bootstrap Password
   <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/resources/bootstrap-password"/>
 </head>
 
-When Rancher starts for the first time, a password is randomly generated for the first admin user. When the admin first logs in to Rancher, the UI shows commands that can be used to retrieve the bootstrap password. The admin needs to run those commands and log in with the bootstrap password. Then Rancher gives the admin an opportunity to reset the password.
+When you install Rancher, you can set a bootstrap password for the first admin account.
 
-The bootstrap password is randomly generated if it is not set during installation with a variable. For details on how to set the bootstrap password using a variable, see below.
+If you choose not to set a bootstrap password, Rancher randomly generates a bootstrap password for the first admin account.
 
-### Specifying the Bootstrap Password in Helm Installs
+For details on how to set the bootstrap password, see below.
 
-For a Helm install, users can specify the bootstrap password variable by configuring it in the Helm chart values with `.Values.bootstrapPassword`.
+## Password Requirements
 
-The password will be stored in a Kubernetes secret. After Rancher is installed, the UI will show instructions for how to retrieve the password using kubectl:
+The bootstrap password can be any length.
 
+When you reset the first admin account's password after first login, the new password must be at least 12 characters long.
+
+You can [customize the minimum password length](../../../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/authentication-config/manage-users-and-groups.md#minimum-password-length) for user accounts, within limitations.
+
+Minimum password length can be any positive integer value between 2 and 256. Decimal values and leading zeroes are not allowed.
+
+## Specifying the Bootstrap Password
+
+<Tabs>
+<TabItem value="Helm">
+
+During [Rancher installation](../install-upgrade-on-a-kubernetes-cluster/install-upgrade-on-a-kubernetes-cluster.md), set `bootstrapPassword` alongside any other flags for the Rancher Helm chart. For example:
+
+```bash
+helm install rancher rancher-<chart-repo>/rancher \
+  --set bootstrapPassword=<password>
 ```
+
+</TabItem>
+<TabItem value="Docker">
+
+Pass the following value to the [Docker install command](../other-installation-methods/air-gapped-helm-cli-install/docker-install-commands.md):
+
+```bash
+-e CATTLE_BOOTSTRAP_PASSWORD=<password>
+```
+
+</TabItem>
+</Tabs>
+
+## Retrieving the Bootstrap Password
+
+The bootstrap password is stored in the Docker container logs. After Rancher is installed, the UI shows instructions for how to retrieve the password based on your installation method. 
+
+<Tabs>
+<TabItem value="Helm">
+
+```bash
 kubectl get secret --namespace cattle-system bootstrap-secret -o go-template='{{ .data.bootstrapPassword|base64decode}}{{ "\n" }}'
 ```
 
-### Specifying the Bootstrap Password in Docker Installs
-
-For a Docker install, you can specify the bootstrap password by passing `-e CATTLE_BOOTSTRAP_PASSWORD=password` to the Docker install command.
-
-The password will be stored in the Docker container logs. After Rancher is installed, the UI will show instructions for how to retrieve the password using the Docker container ID:
+</TabItem>
+<TabItem value="Docker">
 
+```bash
+docker logs container-id  2>&1 | grep "Bootstrap Password:"
 ```
-docker logs  container-id  2>&1 | grep "Bootstrap Password:"
-```
+
+</TabItem>
+</Tabs>

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/resources/choose-a-rancher-version.md

@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ Rancher Server is distributed as a Docker image, which have tags attached to the
 | -------------------------- | ------ |
 | `rancher/rancher:latest`   | Our latest development release. These builds are validated through our CI automation framework. These releases are not recommended for production environments. |
 | `rancher/rancher:stable`   | Our newest stable release. This tag is recommended for production.                                                                                              |
-| `rancher/rancher:<v2.X.X>` | You can install specific versions of Rancher by using the tag from a previous release. See what's available at DockerHub.                                       |
+| `rancher/rancher:<v2.X.X>` | You can install specific versions of Rancher by using the tag from a previous release. See what's available at Docker Hub.                                       |
 
 :::note
 

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/resources/update-rancher-certificate.md

@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ Repeat the below steps for each downstream cluster:
 
 ### 5. Force Update Fleet clusters to reconnect the fleet-agent to Rancher
 
-Select 'Force Update' for the clusters within the [Continuous Delivery](../../../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/deploy-apps-across-clusters/fleet.md#accessing-fleet-in-the-rancher-ui) view of the Rancher UI to allow the fleet-agent in downstream clusters to successfully connect to Rancher.
+Select 'Force Update' for the clusters within the [Continuous Delivery](../../../integrations-in-rancher/fleet/overview.md#accessing-fleet-in-the-rancher-ui) view of the Rancher UI to allow the fleet-agent in downstream clusters to successfully connect to Rancher.
 
 #### Why is this step required?
 
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ As a private CA is no longer being used, the `CATTLE_CA_CHECKSUM` environment va
 
 ### 5. Force Update Fleet clusters to reconnect the fleet-agent to Rancher
 
-Select 'Force Update' for the clusters within the [Continuous Delivery](../../../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/deploy-apps-across-clusters/fleet.md#accessing-fleet-in-the-rancher-ui) view of the Rancher UI to allow the fleet-agent in downstream clusters to successfully connect to Rancher.
+Select 'Force Update' for the clusters within the [Continuous Delivery](../../../integrations-in-rancher/fleet/overview.md#accessing-fleet-in-the-rancher-ui) view of the Rancher UI to allow the fleet-agent in downstream clusters to successfully connect to Rancher.
 
 #### Why is this step required?
 

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/upgrade-and-roll-back-kubernetes.md

@@ -102,8 +102,6 @@ There is a [known issue](https://github.com/rancher/rancher/issues/25478) in whi
 
 ### Maintaining Availability for Applications During Upgrades
 
-_Available as of RKE v1.1.0_
-
 In [this section of the RKE documentation,](https://rancher.com/docs/rke/latest/en/upgrades/maintaining-availability/) you'll learn the requirements to prevent downtime for your applications when upgrading the cluster.
 
 ### Configuring the Upgrade Strategy in the cluster.yml

docs/getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/upgrade-kubernetes-without-upgrading-rancher.md

@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ Administrators might configure the RKE metadata settings to do the following:
 - Change the metadata URL that Rancher uses to sync the metadata, which is useful for air gap setups if you need to sync Rancher locally instead of with GitHub
 - Prevent Rancher from auto-syncing the metadata, which is one way to prevent new and unsupported Kubernetes versions from being available in Rancher
 
-### Refresh Kubernetes Metadata
+## Refresh Kubernetes Metadata
 
 The option to refresh the Kubernetes metadata is available for administrators by default, or for any user who has the **Manage Cluster Drivers** [global role.](../../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/global-permissions.md)
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ If you don't have an air gap setup, you don't need to specify the URL where Ranc
 
 However, if you have an [air gap setup,](#air-gap-setups) you will need to mirror the Kubernetes metadata repository in a location available to Rancher. Then you need to change the URL to point to the new location of the JSON file.
 
-### Air Gap Setups
+## Air Gap Setups
 
 Rancher relies on a periodic refresh of the `rke-metadata-config` to download new Kubernetes version metadata if it is supported with the current version of the Rancher server. For a table of compatible Kubernetes and Rancher versions, refer to the [service terms section.](https://rancher.com/support-maintenance-terms/all-supported-versions/rancher-v2.2.8/)
 

docs/getting-started/quick-start-guides/deploy-rancher-manager/aws.md

@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ The AWS module just creates an EC2 KeyPair, an EC2 SecurityGroup and an EC2 inst
 
     - `aws_access_key` - Amazon AWS Access Key
     - `aws_secret_key` - Amazon AWS Secret Key
-    - `rancher_server_admin_password` - Admin password for created Rancher server (minimum 12 characters)
+    - `rancher_server_admin_password` - Admin password for created Rancher server. See [Setting up the Bootstrap Password](../../installation-and-upgrade/resources/bootstrap-password.md#password-requirements) for password requirements.
 
 5. **Optional:** Modify optional variables within `terraform.tfvars`. See the [Quickstart Readme](https://github.com/rancher/quickstart) and the [AWS Quickstart Readme](https://github.com/rancher/quickstart/tree/master/rancher/aws) for more information.
 Suggestions include:

docs/getting-started/quick-start-guides/deploy-rancher-manager/azure.md

@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ Deploying to Microsoft Azure will incur charges.
     - `azure_client_id` - Microsoft Azure Client ID
     - `azure_client_secret` - Microsoft Azure Client Secret
     - `azure_tenant_id` - Microsoft Azure Tenant ID
-    - `rancher_server_admin_password` - Admin password for created Rancher server (minimum 12 characters)
+    - `rancher_server_admin_password` - Admin password for created Rancher server. See [Setting up the Bootstrap Password](../../installation-and-upgrade/resources/bootstrap-password.md#password-requirements) for password requirements.
 
 5. **Optional:** Modify optional variables within `terraform.tfvars`.
 See the [Quickstart Readme](https://github.com/rancher/quickstart) and the [Azure Quickstart Readme](https://github.com/rancher/quickstart/tree/master/rancher/azure) for more information. Suggestions include:

docs/getting-started/quick-start-guides/deploy-rancher-manager/digitalocean.md

@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ Deploying to DigitalOcean will incur charges.
 
 4. Edit `terraform.tfvars` and customize the following variables:
     - `do_token` - DigitalOcean access key
-    - `rancher_server_admin_password` - Admin password for created Rancher server (minimum 12 characters)
+    - `rancher_server_admin_password` - Admin password for created Rancher server. See [Setting up the Bootstrap Password](../../installation-and-upgrade/resources/bootstrap-password.md#password-requirements) for password requirements.
 
 5. **Optional:** Modify optional variables within `terraform.tfvars`.
 See the [Quickstart Readme](https://github.com/rancher/quickstart) and the [DO Quickstart Readme](https://github.com/rancher/quickstart/tree/master/rancher/do) for more information. Suggestions include:

docs/getting-started/quick-start-guides/deploy-rancher-manager/gcp.md

@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ Deploying to Google GCP will incur charges.
 
 4. Edit `terraform.tfvars` and customize the following variables:
     - `gcp_account_json` - GCP service account file path and file name
-    - `rancher_server_admin_password` - Admin password for created Rancher server (minimum 12 characters)
+    - `rancher_server_admin_password` - Admin password for created Rancher server. See [Setting up the Bootstrap Password](../../installation-and-upgrade/resources/bootstrap-password.md#password-requirements) for password requirements.
 
 5. **Optional:** Modify optional variables within `terraform.tfvars`.
 See the [Quickstart Readme](https://github.com/rancher/quickstart) and the [GCP Quickstart Readme](https://github.com/rancher/quickstart/tree/master/rancher/gcp) for more information.

docs/getting-started/quick-start-guides/deploy-rancher-manager/helm-cli.md

@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ To install a specific Rancher version, use the `--version` flag (e.g., `--versio
 
 For Kubernetes v1.25 or later, set `global.cattle.psp.enabled` to `false` when using Rancher v2.7.2-v2.7.4. This is not necessary for Rancher v2.7.5 and above, but you can still manually set the option if you choose.
 
-Note the password requires a minimum of 12 characters.
+See [Setting up the Bootstrap Password](../../installation-and-upgrade/resources/bootstrap-password.md#password-requirements) for password requirements.
 
 ```
 helm install rancher rancher-latest/rancher \

docs/getting-started/quick-start-guides/deploy-rancher-manager/hetzner-cloud.md

@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ Deploying to Hetzner Cloud will incur charges.
 
 4. Edit `terraform.tfvars` and customize the following variables:
     - `hcloud_token` - Hetzner API access key
-    - `rancher_server_admin_password` - Admin password for created Rancher server (minimum 12 characters)
+    - `rancher_server_admin_password` - Admin password for created Rancher server. See [Setting up the Bootstrap Password](../../installation-and-upgrade/resources/bootstrap-password.md#password-requirements) for password requirements.
 
 5. **Optional:** Modify optional variables within `terraform.tfvars`.
 See the [Quickstart Readme](https://github.com/rancher/quickstart) and the [Hetzner Quickstart Readme](https://github.com/rancher/quickstart/tree/master/rancher/hcloud) for more information.

docs/getting-started/quick-start-guides/deploy-rancher-manager/linode.md

@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ Deploying to Linode will incur charges.
 
 4. Edit `terraform.tfvars` and customize the following variables:
     - `linode_token` - The Linode Personal Access Token mentioned above.
-    - `rancher_server_admin_password` - Admin password for created Rancher server (minimum 12 characters).
+    - `rancher_server_admin_password` - Admin password for created Rancher server. See [Setting up the Bootstrap Password](../../installation-and-upgrade/resources/bootstrap-password.md#password-requirements) for password requirements.
 
 5. **Optional:** Modify optional variables within `terraform.tfvars`.
 See the [Quickstart Readme](https://github.com/rancher/quickstart) and the [Linode Quickstart Readme](https://github.com/rancher/quickstart/tree/master/rancher/linode) for more information. Suggestions include:

docs/getting-started/quick-start-guides/deploy-rancher-manager/outscale-qs.md

@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ Deploying to Outscale will incur charges.
 4. Edit `terraform.tfvars` and customize the following variables:
     - `access_key_id` - Outscale access key
     - `secret_key_id` - Outscale secret key
-    - `rancher_server_admin_password` - Admin password for created Rancher server (minimum 12 characters)
+    - `rancher_server_admin_password` - Admin password for created Rancher server. See [Setting up the Bootstrap Password](../../installation-and-upgrade/resources/bootstrap-password.md#password-requirements) for password requirements.
 
 5. **Optional:** Modify optional variables within `terraform.tfvars`.
 See the [Quickstart Readme](https://github.com/rancher/quickstart) and the [Outscale Quickstart Readme](https://github.com/rancher/quickstart/tree/master/rancher/outscale) for more information.

docs/getting-started/quick-start-guides/deploy-rancher-manager/prime.md

@@ -6,6 +6,6 @@ title: Rancher Prime
   <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/getting-started/quick-start-guides/deploy-rancher-manager/prime"/>
 </head>
 
-Rancher v2.7 introduces Rancher Prime, an evolution of the Rancher enterprise offering. Rancher Prime is a new edition of the commercial, enterprise offering built on the the same source code. Rancher’s product will therefore continue to be 100% open source with additional value coming in from security assurances, extended lifecycles, access to focused architectures and Kubernetes advisories. Rancher Prime will also offer options to get production support for innovative Rancher projects. With Rancher Prime, installation assets are hosted on a trusted registry owned and managed by Rancher.
+SUSE Rancher introduces Rancher Prime – an evolution of Rancher – from version v2.7. Rancher Prime is the new commercially available enterprise offering of Rancher, built on the same open source code. The Rancher project will continue to be 100% open source. Prime introduces additional value with greater security assurances, extended lifecycles, access to focused architectures and Kubernetes advisories. Rancher Prime will also offer options to get production support for innovative Rancher projects. With Rancher Prime, installation assets are hosted on a trusted registry owned and managed by Rancher.
 
 To get started with Rancher Prime, [go to this page](https://www.rancher.com/quick-start) and fill out the form.

docs/glossary.md

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+---
+title: Glossary
+---
+
+<head>
+  <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/glossary"/>
+</head>
+
+This page covers Rancher-specific terminology and symbols which might be unfamiliar, or which differ between Rancher versions.
+
+```mdx-code-block
+import Glossary, {toc as GlossaryTOC} from "/shared-files/_glossary.md"
+
+<Glossary />
+
+export const toc = GlossaryTOC;
+```

docs/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/configure-layer-7-nginx-load-balancer.md

@@ -80,11 +80,11 @@ If you use a certificate signed by a recognized CA, installing your certificate
 
 1.  Enter the following command.
 
-        ```
-        docker run -d --restart=unless-stopped \
-        -p 80:80 -p 443:443 \
-        rancher/rancher:latest --no-cacerts
-        ```
+    ```
+    docker run -d --restart=unless-stopped \
+      -p 80:80 -p 443:443 \
+      rancher/rancher:latest --no-cacerts
+    ```
 
 </details>
 

docs/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/enable-api-audit-log-in-downstream-clusters.md

@@ -28,14 +28,14 @@ spec:
   rkeConfig:
     machineGlobalConfig:
       audit-policy-file: |
-        apiVersion: audit.k8s.io/v1 
-        kind: Policy 
-        rules: 
-        - level: RequestResponse
-          resources:
-          - group: ""
-            resources: 
-            - pods
+        apiVersion: audit.k8s.io/v1
+        kind: Policy
+        rules:
+          - level: RequestResponse
+            resources:
+              - group: ""
+                resources:
+                  - pods
 ```
 
 ### Method 2: Use the Directives, `machineSelectorFiles` and `machineGlobalConfig`

docs/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/enable-api-audit-log.md

@@ -36,12 +36,12 @@ The usage below defines rules about what the audit log should record and what da
 
 The following table displays what parts of API transactions are logged for each [`AUDIT_LEVEL`](#api-audit-log-options) setting.
 
-| `AUDIT_LEVEL` Setting | Request Metadata | Request Body | Response Metadata | Response Body |
-| --------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | ----------------- | ------------- |
-| `0`                   |                  |              |                   |               |
-| `1`                   | ✓                |              |                   |               |
-| `2`                   | ✓                | ✓            |                   |               |
-| `3`                   | ✓                | ✓            | ✓                 | ✓             |
+| `AUDIT_LEVEL` Setting | Metadata | Request Body | Response Body |
+| --------------------- | -------- | ------------ | ------------- |
+| `0`                   |          |              |               |
+| `1`                   | ✓        |              |               |
+| `2`                   | ✓        | ✓            |               |
+| `3`                   | ✓        | ✓            | ✓             |
 
 ## Viewing API Audit Logs
 

docs/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/enable-experimental-features/continuous-delivery.md

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ title: Continuous Delivery
   <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/enable-experimental-features/continuous-delivery"/>
 </head>
 
-[Fleet](../../../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/deploy-apps-across-clusters/fleet.md) comes preinstalled in Rancher can't be fully disabled. However, the Fleet feature for GitOps continuous delivery may be disabled using the `continuous-delivery` feature flag.
+[Continuous Delivery with Fleet](../../../integrations-in-rancher/fleet/fleet.md) comes preinstalled in Rancher and can't be fully disabled. However, the Fleet feature for GitOps continuous delivery may be disabled using the `continuous-delivery` feature flag.
 
 To enable or disable this feature, refer to the instructions on [the main page about enabling experimental features.](enable-experimental-features.md)
 

docs/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/enable-experimental-features/ui-server-side-pagination.md

@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+---
+title: UI Server-Side Pagination
+---
+
+<head>
+  <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/enable-experimental-features/ui-server-side-pagination"/>
+</head>
+
+:::caution
+UI server-side pagination is not intended for use in production at this time. This feature is considered highly experimental. SUSE customers should consult SUSE Support before activating this feature.
+:::
+
+
+UI server-side pagination caching provides an optional SQLite-backed cache of Kubernetes objects to improve performance. This unlocks sorting, filtering and pagination features used by the UI to restrict the amount of resources it fetches and stores in browser memory. These features are primarily used to improve list performance for resources with high counts.
+
+This feature creates file system based caches in the `rancher` pods of the upstream cluster, and in the `cattle-cluster-agent` pods of the downstream clusters. In most environments, disk usage and I/O should not be significant. However, you should monitor activity after you enable caching.
+
+SQLite-backed caching persists copies of any cached Kubernetes objects to disk. See [Encrypting SQLite-backed Caching](#encrypting-sqlite-backed-caches) if this is a security concern.
+
+## Enabling UI Server-Side Pagination
+
+1. In the upper left corner, click **☰ > Global Settings > Feature Flags**.
+1. Find **`ui-sql-cache`** and select **⋮ > Activate > Activate**.
+1. Wait for Rancher to restart. This also restarts agents on all downstream clusters.
+1. In the upper left corner, click **☰ > Global Settings > Performance**.
+1. Go to **Server-side Pagination** and check the **Enable Server-side Pagination** option.
+1. Click **Apply**.
+1. Reload the page with the browser button (or the equivalent keyboard combination, typically `CTRL + R` on Windows and Linux, and `⌘ + R` on macOS).
+
+
+## Encrypting SQLite-backed Caches
+
+UI server-side pagination persists copies of any cached Kubernetes objects to disk. If you're concerned about the safety of this data, you can encrypt all objects before they are persisted to disk, by setting the environment variable `CATTLE_ENCRYPT_CACHE_ALL` to `true` in `rancher` pods in the upstream cluster and `cattle-cluster-agent` pods in the downstream clusters.
+
+Secrets and security Tokens are always encrypted regardless of the above setting.
+
+## Known Limitations of UI Server-Side Pagination
+
+This initial release improves the performance of Pods, Secrets, Nodes and ConfigMaps in the Cluster Explorer pages, and most resources in the Explorer's **More Resources** section.
+
+Pages can't be automatically refreshed. You can manually refresh table contents by clicking the **Refresh** button.

docs/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/enable-user-retention.md

@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+---
+title: Enabling User Retention
+---
+
+<head>
+  <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/enable-user-retention"/>
+</head>
+
+In Rancher v2.8.5 and later, you can enable user retention to automatically disable or delete inactive user accounts after a configurable time period.
+
+The user retention feature is off by default.
+
+## Enabling User Retention with kubectl
+
+To enable user retention, you must set `user-retention-cron`. You must also set at least one of  `disable-inactive-user-after` or `delete-inactive-user-after`. You can use `kubectl edit setting <name-of-setting>` to open your editor of choice and set these values.
+
+## Configuring Rancher to Delete Users, Disable Users, or Combine Operations
+
+Rancher uses two global user retention settings to determine if and when users are disabled or deleted after a certain period of inactivity. Disabled accounts must be re-enabled before users can log in again. If an account is deleted without being disabled, users may be able to log in through external authentication and the deleted account will be recreated.
+
+The global settings, `disable-inactive-user-after` and  `delete-inactive-user-after`, do not block one another from running. 
+
+For example, you can set both operations to run. If you give `disable-inactive-user-after` a shorter duration than `delete-inactive-user-after`, the user retention process disables inactive accounts before deleting them.
+
+You can also edit some user retention settings on a specific user's `UserAttribute`. Setting these values overrides the global settings. See [User-specific User Retention Overrides](#user-specific-user-retention-overrides) for more details.
+
+### Required User Retention Settings
+
+The following are global settings:
+
+- `user-retention-cron`: Describes how often the user retention process runs. The value is a cron expression (for example, `0 * * * *` for every hour).
+ - `disable-inactive-user-after`: The amount of time that a user account can be inactive before the process disables an account. Disabling an account forces the user to request that an administrator re-enable the account before they can log in to use it. Values are expressed in [time.Duration units](https://pkg.go.dev/time#ParseDuration) (for example, `720h` for 720 hours or 30 days). The value must be greater than `auth-user-session-ttl-minutes`, which is `16h` by default. If the value is not set, set to the empty string, or is equal to 0, the process does not disable any inactive accounts.
+- `delete-inactive-user-after`: The amount of time that a user account can be inactive before the process deletes the account. Values are expressed in time.Duration units (for example, `720h` for 720 hours or 30 days). The value must be greater than `auth-user-session-ttl-minutes`, which is `16h` by default. The value should be greater than `336h` (14 days), otherwise it is rejected by the Rancher webhook. If you need the value to be lower than 14 days, you can [bypass the webhook](../../reference-guides/rancher-webhook.md#bypassing-the-webhook). If the value is not set, set to the empty string, or is equal to 0, the process does not delete any inactive accounts.
+
+### Optional User Retention Settings
+
+The following are global settings:
+
+- `user-retention-dry-run`: If set to `true`, the user retention process runs without actually deleting or disabling any user accounts. This can help test user retention behavior before allowing the process to disable or delete user accounts in a production environment.
+- `user-last-login-default`: If a user does not have `UserAttribute.LastLogin` set on their account, this setting is used instead. The value is expressed as an [RFC 3339 date-time](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc3339#section-5.6) truncated to the last second; for example, `2023-03-01T00:00:00Z`. If the value is set to the empty string or is equal to 0, this setting is not used.
+
+#### User-specific User Retention Overrides
+
+The following are user-specific overrides to the global settings for special cases. These settings are applied by editing the `UserAttribute` associated with a given account:
+
+```
+kubectl edit userattribute <user-name>
+```
+
+- `disableAfter`: The user-specific override for `disable-inactive-user-after`. The value is expressed in [time.Duration units](https://pkg.go.dev/time#ParseDuration) and truncated to the second. If the value is set to `0s` then the account won't be subject to disabling. 
+- `deleteAfter`: The user-specific override for `delete-inactive-user-after`. The value is expressed in [time.Duration units](https://pkg.go.dev/time#ParseDuration) and truncated to the second. If the value is set to `0s` then the account won't be subject to deletion.
+
+## Viewing User Retention Settings in the Rancher UI
+
+You can see which user retention settings are applied to which users. 
+
+1. In the upper left corner, click **☰ > Users & Authentication**.
+1. In the left navigation menu, select **Users**. 
+
+The **Disable After** and **Delete After** columns for each user account indicate how long the account can be inactive before it is disabled or deleted from Rancher. There is also a **Last Login** column roughly indicating when the account was last active. 
+
+The same information is available if you click a user's name in the **Users** table and select the **Detail** tab.

docs/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/istio-setup-guide/generate-and-view-traffic.md

@@ -6,19 +6,21 @@ title: Generate and View Traffic from Istio
   <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/istio-setup-guide/generate-and-view-traffic"/>
 </head>
 
-This section describes how to view the traffic that is being managed by Istio.
-
 ## The Kiali Traffic Graph
 
-The Istio overview page provides a link to the Kiali dashboard. From the Kiali dashboard, you are able to view graphs for each namespace. The Kiali graph provides a powerful way to visualize the topology of your Istio service mesh. It shows you which services communicate with each other.
+The Istio overview page provides a link to the Kiali dashboard. From the Kiali dashboard, you can view graphs for each namespace. The Kiali graph provides a powerful way to visualize the topology of your Istio service mesh. It shows you which services communicate with each other.
 
-:::note Prerequisites:
+## Prerequisites
 
-To enable traffic to show up in the graph, ensure you have prometheus installed in the cluster. Rancher-istio installs Kiali configured by default to work with the rancher-monitoring chart. You can use rancher-monitoring or install your own monitoring solution. Optional: you can change configuration on how data scraping occurs by setting the [Selectors & Scrape Configs](../../../integrations-in-rancher/istio/configuration-options/selectors-and-scrape-configurations.md) options.
+To enable traffic to show up in the graph, ensure that you have Prometheus installed in the cluster. `Rancher-istio` installs Kiali, and configures it by default to work with the `rancher-monitoring` chart. You can use `rancher-monitoring` or install your own monitoring solution.
 
-:::
+Additionally, for Istio installations version `103.1.0+up1.19.6` and later, Kiali uses a token value for its authentication strategy. If you are trying to generate or retrieve the token (e.g. for login), note that the name of the Kiali service account in Rancher is `kiali`. For more information, refer to the [Kiali token authentication FAQ](https://kiali.io/docs/faq/authentication/).
 
-To see the traffic graph,
+Optional: You can configure which namespaces data scraping occurs in by setting the Helm chart options described in [Selectors & Scrape Configs](../../../integrations-in-rancher/istio/configuration-options/selectors-and-scrape-configurations.md).
+
+## Traffic Visualization
+
+To see the traffic graph follow the steps below:
 
 1. In the cluster where Istio is installed, click **Istio** in the left navigation bar.
 1. Click the **Kiali** link.

docs/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/istio-setup-guide/istio-setup-guide.md

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-title: Setup Guide
+title: Istio Setup Guides
 ---
 
 <head>

docs/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/monitoring-alerting-guides/enable-monitoring.md

@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ For more information about the default limits, see [this page.](../../../referen
 
 ### Enable Monitoring for use without SSL
 
-1.  Click **☰ > Cluster Management**.
+1. Click **☰ > Cluster Management**.
 1. Go to the cluster that you created and click **Explore**.
 1. Click **Cluster Tools** (bottom left corner).
 1. Click **Install** by Monitoring.
@@ -77,3 +77,79 @@ key.pfx=`base64-content`
 ```
 
 Then **Cert File Path** would be set to `/etc/alertmanager/secrets/cert.pem`.
+
+## Rancher Performance Dashboard
+
+When monitoring is installed on the upstream (local) cluster, you are given basic health metrics about the Rancher pods, such as CPU and memory data. To get advanced metrics for your local Rancher server, you must additionally enable the Rancher Performance Dashboard for Grafana.
+
+This dashboard provides access to the following advanced metrics:
+
+- Handler Average Execution Times Over Last 5 Minutes
+- Rancher API Average Request Times Over Last 5 Minutes
+- Subscribe Average Request Times Over Last 5 Minutes
+- Lasso Controller Work Queue Depth (Top 20)
+- Number of Rancher Requests (Top 20)
+- Number of Failed Rancher API Requests (Top 20)
+- K8s Proxy Store Average Request Times Over Last 5 Minutes (Top 20)
+- K8s Proxy Client Average Request Times Over Last 5 Minutes (Top 20)
+- Cached Objects by GroupVersionKind (Top 20)
+- Lasso Handler Executions (Top 20)
+- Handler Executions Over Last 2 Minutes (Top 20)
+- Total Handler Executions with Error (Top 20)
+- Data Transmitted by Remote Dialer Sessions (Top 20)
+- Errors for Remote Dialer Sessions (Top 20)
+- Remote Dialer Connections Removed (Top 20)
+- Remote Dialer Connections Added by Client (Top 20)
+
+:::note
+
+Profiling data (such as advanced memory or CPU analysis) is not present as it is a very context-dependent technique that's meant for debugging and not intended for normal observation.
+
+:::
+
+### Enabling the Rancher Performance Dashboard
+
+To enable the Rancher Performance Dashboard:
+
+<Tabs groupId="UIorCLI">
+<TabItem value="Helm">
+
+Use the following options with the Helm CLI:
+
+```bash
+--set extraEnv\[0\].name="CATTLE_PROMETHEUS_METRICS" --set-string extraEnv\[0\].value=true
+```
+
+You can also include the following snippet in your Rancher Helm chart's values.yaml file:
+
+```yaml
+extraEnv:
+  - name: "CATTLE_PROMETHEUS_METRICS"
+    value: "true"
+```
+
+</TabItem>
+<TabItem value="UI">
+
+1. Click **☰ > Cluster Management**.
+1. Go to the row of the `local` cluster and click **Explore**.
+1. Click **Workloads > Deployments**.
+1. Use the dropdown menu at the top to filter for **All Namespaces**.
+1. Under the `cattle-system` namespace, go to the `rancher` row and click **⋮ > Edit Config**
+1. Under **Environment Variables**, click **Add Variable**.
+1. For **Type**, select `Key/Value Pair`.
+1. For **Variable Name**, enter `CATTLE_PROMETHEUS_METRICS`.
+1. For **Value**, enter `true`.
+1. Click **Save** to apply the change.
+
+</TabItem>
+</Tabs>
+
+### Accessing the Rancher Performance Dashboard
+
+1. Click **☰ > Cluster Management**.
+1. Go to the row of the `local` cluster and click **Explore**.
+1. Click **Monitoring**
+1. Select the **Grafana** dashboard.
+1. From the sidebar, click **Search dashboards**.
+1. Enter `Rancher Performance Debugging` and select it.

docs/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/monitoring-v2-configuration-guides/monitoring-v2-configuration-guides.md

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-title: Configuration
+title: Monitoring Configuration Guides
 ---
 
 <head>

docs/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/open-ports-with-firewalld.md

@@ -6,7 +6,17 @@ title: Opening Ports with firewalld
   <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/open-ports-with-firewalld"/>
 </head>
 
-> We recommend disabling firewalld. For Kubernetes 1.19.x and higher, firewalld must be turned off.
+:::danger
+
+Enabling firewalld can cause serious network communication problems. 
+
+For proper network function, firewalld must be disabled on systems running RKE2. [Firewalld conflicts with Canal](https://docs.rke2.io/known_issues#firewalld-conflicts-with-default-networking), RKE2's default networking stack.
+
+Firewalld must also be disabled on systems running Kubernetes 1.19 and later.
+
+If you enable firewalld on systems running Kubernetes 1.18 or earlier, understand that this may cause networking issues. CNIs in Kubernetes dynamically update iptables and networking rules independently of any external firewalls, such as firewalld. This can cause unexpected behavior when the CNI and the external firewall conflict.
+
+:::
 
 Some distributions of Linux [derived from RHEL,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux#Rebuilds) including Oracle Linux, may have default firewall rules that block communication with Helm.
 

docs/how-to-guides/advanced-user-guides/tune-etcd-for-large-installs.md

@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ title: Tuning etcd for Large Installations
 
 When Rancher is used to manage [a large infrastructure](../../getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/installation-requirements/installation-requirements.md) it is recommended to increase the default keyspace for etcd from the default 2 GB. The maximum setting is 8 GB and the host should have enough RAM to keep the entire dataset in memory. When increasing this value you should also increase the size of the host. The keyspace size can also be adjusted in smaller installations if you anticipate a high rate of change of pods during the garbage collection interval.
 
-The etcd data set is automatically cleaned up on a five minute interval by Kubernetes. There are situations, e.g. deployment thrashing, where enough events could be written to etcd and deleted before garbage collection occurs and cleans things up causing the keyspace to fill up. If you see `mvcc: database space exceeded` errors, in the etcd logs or Kubernetes API server logs, you should consider increasing the keyspace size. This can be accomplished by setting the [quota-backend-bytes](https://etcd.io/docs/v3.4.0/op-guide/maintenance/#space-quota) setting on the etcd servers.
+The etcd data set is automatically cleaned up on a five minute interval by Kubernetes. There are situations, e.g. deployment thrashing, where enough events could be written to etcd and deleted before garbage collection occurs and cleans things up causing the keyspace to fill up. If you see `mvcc: database space exceeded` errors, in the etcd logs or Kubernetes API server logs, you should consider increasing the keyspace size. This can be accomplished by setting the [quota-backend-bytes](https://etcd.io/docs/v3.5/op-guide/maintenance/#space-quota) setting on the etcd servers.
 
-### Example: This snippet of the RKE cluster.yml file increases the keyspace size to 5GB
+## Example: This Snippet of the RKE Cluster.yml file Increases the Keyspace Size to 5GB
 
 ```yaml
 # RKE cluster.yml
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ services:
       quota-backend-bytes: 5368709120
 ```
 
-## Scaling etcd disk performance
+## Scaling etcd Disk Performance
 
-You can follow the recommendations from [the etcd docs](https://etcd.io/docs/v3.4.0/tuning/#disk) on how to tune the disk priority on the host.
+You can follow the recommendations from [the etcd docs](https://etcd.io/docs/v3.5/tuning/#disk) on how to tune the disk priority on the host.
 
 Additionally, to reduce IO contention on the disks for etcd, you can use a dedicated device for the data and wal directory. Based on etcd best practices, mirroring RAID configurations are unnecessary because etcd replicates data between the nodes in the cluster. You can use striping RAID configurations to increase available IOPS.
 

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/add-users-to-projects.md

@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@ Want to provide a user with access to _all_ projects within a cluster? See [Addi
 
 :::
 
-### Adding Members to a New Project
+## Adding Members to a New Project
 
 You can add members to a project as you create it (recommended if possible). For details on creating a new project, refer to the [cluster administration section.](../../how-to-guides/new-user-guides/manage-clusters/projects-and-namespaces.md)
 
-### Adding Members to an Existing Project
+## Adding Members to an Existing Project
 
 Following project creation, you can add users as project members so that they can access its resources.
 

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/about-provisioning-drivers/about-provisioning-drivers.md

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ There are several other hosted Kubernetes cloud providers that are disabled by d
 
 ### Node Drivers
 
-Node drivers are used to provision hosts, which Rancher uses to launch and manage Kubernetes clusters. A node driver is the same as a [Docker Machine driver](https://docs.docker.com/machine/drivers/). The availability of which node driver to display when creating node templates is defined based on the node driver's status. Only `active` node drivers will be displayed as an option for creating node templates. By default, Rancher is packaged with many existing Docker Machine drivers, but you can also create custom node drivers to add to Rancher.
+Node drivers are used to provision hosts, which Rancher uses to launch and manage Kubernetes clusters. A node driver is the same as a [Docker Machine driver](https://github.com/docker/docs/blob/vnext-engine/machine/drivers/index.md). The availability of which node driver to display when creating node templates is defined based on the node driver's status. Only `active` node drivers will be displayed as an option for creating node templates. By default, Rancher is packaged with many existing Docker Machine drivers, but you can also create custom node drivers to add to Rancher.
 
 If there are specific node drivers that you don't want to show to your users, you would need to de-activate these node drivers.
 

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/about-provisioning-drivers/manage-node-drivers.md

@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ title: Node Drivers
   <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/about-provisioning-drivers/manage-node-drivers"/>
 </head>
 
-Node drivers are used to provision hosts, which Rancher uses to launch and manage Kubernetes clusters. A node driver is the same as a [Docker Machine driver](https://docs.docker.com/machine/drivers/). The availability of which node driver to display when creating node templates is defined based on the node driver's status. Only `active` node drivers will be displayed as an option for creating node templates. By default, Rancher is packaged with many existing Docker Machine drivers, but you can also create custom node drivers to add to Rancher.
+A node driver is the same as a [Docker Machine driver](https://github.com/docker/docs/blob/vnext-engine/machine/drivers/index.md). Node drivers are used to provision hosts, which Rancher uses to launch and manage Kubernetes clusters. By default, Rancher is packaged with many node drivers, but you can also create and add custom node drivers to Rancher.
 
-If there are specific node drivers that you don't want to show to your users, you would need to de-activate these node drivers.
+Only `Active` node drivers are displayed in the Rancher UI when you create node templates. If there are specific node drivers that you don't want to show your users, you must deactivate these node drivers.
 
-#### Managing Node Drivers
+## Managing Node Drivers
 
 :::note Prerequisites:
 
@@ -21,17 +21,31 @@ To create, edit, or delete drivers, you need _one_ of the following permissions:
 
 :::
 
-## Activating/Deactivating Node Drivers
+### Activating/Deactivating Node Drivers
 
-By default, Rancher only activates drivers for the most popular cloud providers, Amazon EC2, Azure, DigitalOcean, Linode and vSphere. If you want to show or hide any node driver, you can change its status.
+By default, Rancher only activates drivers for the most popular cloud providers, such as Amazon EC2, Azure, DigitalOcean, Linode and vSphere. If you want to show or hide any node driver, you can change its status.
 
 1. In the upper left corner, click **☰ > Cluster Management**.
+1.  In the left navigation menu, click **Drivers**.
+1.	On the **Node Drivers** tab, select the driver that you wish to activate or deactivate and click **⋮ > Activate** or **⋮ > Deactivate**.
 
-2.  In the left navigation menu, click **Drivers**.
+:::danger 
 
-2.	On the **Node Drivers** tab, select the driver that you wish to activate or deactivate and click **⋮ > Activate** or **⋮ > Deactivate**.
+You can lose access to clusters after deactivating a node driver.
 
-## Adding Custom Node Drivers
+Deactivating a node driver doesn't just affect its visibility in the Rancher UI. When you deactivate or delete a node driver, any nodes deployed with that driver become inaccessible. 
+
+For example, if you deactivate a vSphere node driver to hide it in the UI, and you have a vSphere cluster that was deployed with that driver, the initial node in the cluster will fail, and the entire cluster will become inaccessible. Attempts to delete the vSphere nodes will fail, with nodes stuck in an extended `Removing` state.
+
+Before you deactivate a node driver, make sure that it has no associated clusters. One way to check is to see if the respective platform for a driver is listed among your clusters:
+
+1. In the upper left corner, click **☰ > Cluster Management**.
+1. Select **Clusters**.
+1. Check the **Provider** column of the table for instances of the node driver you are deactivating.
+
+:::
+
+### Adding Custom Node Drivers
 
 If you want to use a node driver that Rancher doesn't support out-of-the-box, you can add that provider's driver in order to start using them to create node templates and eventually node pools for your Kubernetes cluster.
 
@@ -40,6 +54,8 @@ If you want to use a node driver that Rancher doesn't support out-of-the-box, yo
 1. On **Node Drivers** tab, click **Add Node Driver**.
 1.	Complete the **Add Node Driver** form. Then click **Create**.
 
-### Developing your own node driver
+### Developing Your Own Node Drivers
 
-Node drivers are implemented with [Docker Machine](https://docs.docker.com/machine/).
+Node drivers are implemented with [Rancher Machine](https://github.com/rancher/machine), a fork of [Docker Machine](https://github.com/docker/machine). Docker Machine is no longer under active development.
+
+Refer to the original [Docker Machine documentation](https://github.com/docker/docs/blob/vnext-engine/machine/overview.md) for details on how to develop your own node drivers.

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/about-rke1-templates/about-rke1-templates.md

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-title: RKE Templates
+title: About RKE1 Templates
 ---
 
 <head>

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/about-rke1-templates/apply-templates.md

@@ -60,4 +60,4 @@ To convert an existing cluster to use an RKE template,
 
 - A new RKE template is created.
 - The cluster is converted to use the new template.
-- New clusters can be [created from the new template.](apply-templates.md#creating-a-cluster-from-an-rke-template)
+- New clusters can be [created from the new template.](#creating-a-cluster-from-an-rke-template)

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/about-rke1-templates/infrastructure.md

@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ This section focuses on how to use Terraform with the [Rancher 2 Terraform provi
 Terraform allows you to:
 
 - Define almost any kind of infrastructure-as-code, including servers, databases, load balancers, monitoring, firewall settings, and SSL certificates
-- Leverage catalog apps and multi-cluster apps
 - Codify infrastructure across many platforms, including Rancher and major cloud providers
 - Commit infrastructure-as-code to version control
 - Easily repeat configuration and setup of infrastructure

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/authentication-config/authentication-config.md

@@ -21,20 +21,21 @@ The account used to enable the external provider will be granted admin permissio
 
 The Rancher authentication proxy integrates with the following external authentication services.
 
-| Auth Service                                                                                     |
-| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
-| [Microsoft Active Directory](configure-active-directory.md)  |
-| [GitHub](configure-github.md)                  |
-| [Microsoft Azure AD](configure-azure-ad.md)    |
-| [FreeIPA](configure-freeipa.md)                |
-| [OpenLDAP](../configure-openldap/configure-openldap.md)              |
+| Auth Service                                                                                                           |
+|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
+| [Microsoft Active Directory](configure-active-directory.md)                                                            |
+| [GitHub](configure-github.md)                                                                                          |
+| [Microsoft Azure AD](configure-azure-ad.md)                                                                            |
+| [FreeIPA](configure-freeipa.md)                                                                                        |
+| [OpenLDAP](../configure-openldap/configure-openldap.md)                                                                |
 | [Microsoft AD FS](../configure-microsoft-ad-federation-service-saml/configure-microsoft-ad-federation-service-saml.md) |
-| [PingIdentity](configure-pingidentity.md)     |
-| [Keycloak (OIDC)](configure-keycloak-oidc.md)  |
-| [Keycloak (SAML)](configure-keycloak-saml.md)  |
-| [Okta](configure-okta-saml.md)                      |
-| [Google OAuth](configure-google-oauth.md)            |
-| [Shibboleth](../configure-shibboleth-saml/configure-shibboleth-saml.md)           |
+| [PingIdentity](configure-pingidentity.md)                                                                              |
+| [Keycloak (OIDC)](configure-keycloak-oidc.md)                                                                          |
+| [Keycloak (SAML)](configure-keycloak-saml.md)                                                                          |
+| [Okta](configure-okta-saml.md)                                                                                         |
+| [Google OAuth](configure-google-oauth.md)                                                                              |
+| [Shibboleth](../configure-shibboleth-saml/configure-shibboleth-saml.md)                                                |
+| [Generic (OIDC)](configure-generic-oidc.md)                                                                            |
 
 However, Rancher also provides [local authentication](create-local-users.md).
 
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ In most cases, you should use an external authentication service over local auth
 
 ## Users and Groups
 
-Rancher relies on users and groups to determine who is allowed to log in to Rancher and which resources they can access. When authenticating with an external provider, groups are provided from the external provider based on the user. These users and groups are given specific roles to resources like clusters, projects, multi-cluster apps, and global DNS providers and entries. When you give access to a group, all users who are a member of that group in the authentication provider will be able to access the resource with the permissions that you've specified. For more information on roles and permissions, see [Role Based Access Control](../manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac.md).
+Rancher relies on users and groups to determine who is allowed to log in to Rancher and which resources they can access. When authenticating with an external provider, groups are provided from the external provider based on the user. These users and groups are given specific roles to resources like clusters, projects, and global DNS providers and entries. When you give access to a group, all users who are a member of that group in the authentication provider will be able to access the resource with the permissions that you've specified. For more information on roles and permissions, see [Role Based Access Control](../manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac.md).
 
 :::note
 
@@ -62,6 +63,12 @@ After you configure Rancher to allow sign on using an external authentication se
 | Allow members of Clusters, Projects, plus Authorized Users and Organizations | Any user in the authorization service and any group added as a **Cluster Member** or **Project Member** can log in to Rancher. Additionally, any user in the authentication service or group you add to the **Authorized Users and Organizations** list may log in to Rancher. |
 | Restrict access to only Authorized Users and Organizations | Only users in the authentication service or groups added to the Authorized Users and Organizations can log in to Rancher. |
 
+:::warning 
+
+Only trusted admin-level users should have access to the local cluster, which manages all of the other clusters in a Rancher instance. Rancher is directly installed on the local cluster, and Rancher's management features allow admins on the local cluster to provision, modify, connect to, and view details about downstream clusters. Since the local cluster is key to a Rancher instance's architecture, inappropriate access carries security risks.
+
+:::
+
 To set the Rancher access level for users in the authorization service, follow these steps:
 
 1. In the upper left corner, click **☰ > Users & Authentication**.

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/authentication-config/configure-azure-ad.md

@@ -133,7 +133,17 @@ Here are a few examples of permission combinations that satisfy Rancher's needs:
 
 :::
 
-#### 4. Copy Azure Application Data
+#### 4. Allow Public Client Flows
+
+To login from Rancher CLI you must allow public client flows:
+
+1. From the left navigation menu, select **Authentication**.
+
+1. Under **Advanced Settings**, select **Yes** on the toggle next to **Allow public client flows**.
+
+    ![Allow Public Client Flows](/img/azure-public-client-flows.png)
+
+#### 5. Copy Azure Application Data
 
 ![Application ID](/img/app-configuration.png)
 
@@ -167,7 +177,7 @@ Custom Endpoints are not tested or fully supported by Rancher.
 
 You'll also need to manually enter the Graph, Token, and Auth Endpoints.
 
-- From <b>App registrations</b>, click <b>Endpoints</b>:
+- From **App registrations**, click **Endpoints**:
 
 ![Click Endpoints](/img/endpoints.png)
 
@@ -176,7 +186,7 @@ You'll also need to manually enter the Graph, Token, and Auth Endpoints.
   - **OAuth 2.0 token endpoint (v1)** (Token Endpoint)
   - **OAuth 2.0 authorization endpoint (v1)** (Auth Endpoint)
 
-#### 5. Configure Azure AD in Rancher
+#### 6. Configure Azure AD in Rancher
 
 To complete configuration, enter information about your AD instance in the Rancher UI.
 
@@ -188,7 +198,7 @@ To complete configuration, enter information about your AD instance in the Ranch
 
 1. Click **AzureAD**.
 
-1. Complete the **Configure Azure AD Account** form using the information you copied while completing [Copy Azure Application Data](#4-copy-azure-application-data).
+1. Complete the **Configure Azure AD Account** form using the information you copied while completing [Copy Azure Application Data](#5-copy-azure-application-data).
 
     :::caution
 
@@ -221,10 +231,15 @@ To complete configuration, enter information about your AD instance in the Ranch
 
     <code>http<span>s://g</span>raph.microsoft.com<del>/abb5adde-bee8-4821-8b03-e63efdc7701c</del></code>
 
+1. (Optional) In Rancher v2.9.0 and later, you can filter users' group memberships in Azure AD to reduce the amount of log data generated. See steps 4–5 of [Filtering Users by Azure AD Auth Group Memberships](#filtering-users-by-azure-ad-auth-group-memberships) for full instructions.
+
 1. Click **Enable**.
 
 **Result:** Azure Active Directory authentication is configured.
 
+#### (Optional) Configure Authentication with Multiple Rancher Domains
+
+If you have multiple Rancher domains, it's not possible to configure multiple redirect URIs through the Rancher UI. The Azure AD configuration file, `azuread`, only allows one redirect URI by default. You must manually edit `azuread` to set the redirect URI as needed for any other domains. If you don't manually edit `azuread`, then upon a successful login attempt to any domain, Rancher automatically redirects the user to the **Redirect URI** value you set when you registered the app in [Step 1. Register Rancher with Azure](#1-register-rancher-with-azure).
 
 ### Migrating from Azure AD Graph API to Microsoft Graph API
 
@@ -311,6 +326,29 @@ Endpoint         | https://login.partner.microsoftonline.cn/
 Graph Endpoint   | https://microsoftgraph.chinacloudapi.cn
 Token Endpoint   | https://login.partner.microsoftonline.cn/{tenantID}/oauth2/v2.0/token
 
+## Filtering Users by Azure AD Auth Group Memberships
+
+In Rancher v2.9.0 and later, you can filter users' group memberships from Azure AD to reduce the amount of log data generated. If you did not filter group memberships during initial setup, you can still add filters on an existing Azure AD configuration.
+
+:::warning
+    
+Filtering out a user group membership affects more than just logging. 
+
+Since the filter prevents Rancher from seeing that the user belongs to an excluded group, it also does not see any permissions from that group. This means that excluding a group from the filter can have the side effect of denying users permissions they should have.
+
+:::
+
+1. In Rancher, in the top left corner, click **☰ > Users & Authentication**.
+
+1. In the left navigation menu, click **Auth Provider**.
+
+1. Click **AzureAD**.
+
+1. Click the checkbox next to **Limit users by group membership**.
+    
+1. Enter an [OData filter clause](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/odata/concepts/queryoptions-overview#filter) into the **Group Membership Filter** field. For example, if you want to limit logging to group memberships whose name starts with `test`, click the checkbox and enter `startswith(displayName,'test')`.
+
+![Adding a group membership filter to Azure AD](/img/auth-setup-azure-ad-filter.png)
 
 ## Deprecated Azure AD Graph API
 
@@ -325,4 +363,3 @@ Token Endpoint   | https://login.partner.microsoftonline.cn/{tenantID}/oauth2/v2
 >- If you don't wish to upgrade to v2.7.0+ after the Azure AD Graph API is retired, you'll need to either:
     - Use the built-in Rancher auth or
     - Use another third-party auth system and set that up in Rancher. Please see the [authentication docs](authentication-config.md) to learn how to configure other open authentication providers.
-

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/authentication-config/configure-generic-oidc.md

@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+---
+title: Configure Generic OIDC
+description: Create an OpenID Connect (OIDC) client and configure Rancher to work with your authentication provider. Your users can then sign into Rancher using their login from the authentication provider.
+---
+
+<head> 
+  <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/authentication-config/configure-generic-oidc"/>
+</head>
+
+If your organization uses an OIDC provider for user authentication, you can configure Rancher to allow login using Identity Provider (IdP) credentials. Rancher supports integration with the OpenID Connect (OIDC) protocol and the SAML protocol. Both implementations are functionally equivalent when used with Rancher. The following instructions describe how to configure Rancher to work using the OIDC protocol.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- In Rancher:
+  - Generic OIDC is disabled.
+
+:::note
+Consult the documentation for your specific IdP to complete the listed prerequisites.
+:::
+
+- In your IdP:
+  - Create a new client with the settings below:
+
+    Setting | Value
+    ------------|------------
+    `Client ID` | <CLIENT_ID> (e.g. `rancher`)
+    `Name` | <CLIENT_NAME> (e.g. `rancher`)
+    `Client Protocol` | `openid-connect`
+    `Access Type` | `confidential`
+    `Valid Redirect URI` | `https://yourRancherHostURL/verify-auth`
+
+  - In the new OIDC client, create mappers to expose the users fields.
+    - Create a new Groups Mapper with the settings below:
+
+      Setting | Value
+      ------------|------------
+      `Name` | `Groups Mapper`
+      `Mapper Type` | `Group Membership`
+      `Token Claim Name` | `groups`
+      `Add to ID token` | `OFF`
+      `Add to access token` | `OFF`
+      `Add to user info` | `ON`
+
+    - Create a new Client Audience with the settings below:
+
+      Setting | Value
+      ------------|------------
+      `Name` | `Client Audience`
+      `Mapper Type` | `Audience`
+      `Included Client Audience` | <CLIENT_NAME>
+      `Add to access token` | `ON`
+
+    - Create a new "Groups Path" with the settings below.
+
+      Setting | Value
+      ------------|------------
+      `Name` | `Group Path`
+      `Mapper Type` | `Group Membership`
+      `Token Claim Name` | `full_group_path`
+      `Full group path` | `ON`
+      `Add to user info` | `ON`
+
+- Important:  Rancher will use the value received in the "sub" claim to form the PrincipalID which is the unique identifier in Rancher.  It is important to make this a value that will be unique and immutable.
+
+## Configuring Generic OIDC in Rancher
+
+1. In the upper left corner of the Rancher UI, click **☰ > Users & Authentication**.
+1. In the left navigation bar, click **Auth Provider**.
+1. Select **Generic OIDC**.
+1. Complete the **Configure an OIDC account** form. For help with filling the form, see the [configuration reference](#configuration-reference).
+1. Click **Enable**.
+
+   Rancher will redirect you to the IdP login page. Enter your IdP credentials to validate your Rancher Keycloak configuration.
+
+   :::note
+
+   You may need to disable your popup blocker to see the IdP login page.
+
+   :::
+
+**Result:** Rancher is configured to work with your provider using the OIDC protocol. Your users can now sign into Rancher using their IdP logins.
+
+## Configuration Reference
+
+| Field                     | Description                                                                                                                                        |
+| ------------------------- |----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
+| Client ID                 | The Client ID of your OIDC client.                                                                                                               |
+| Client Secret             | The generated Secret of your OIDC client.                                                                                                        |
+| Private Key/Certificate | A key/certificate pair to create a secure shell between Rancher and your IdP. Required if HTTPS/SSL is enabled on your OIDC server.                |
+| Endpoints                 | Choose whether to use the generated values for the Rancher URL, Issue, and Auth Endpoint fields or to provide manual overrides if incorrect. |
+| Rancher URL               | The URL for your Rancher Server.                                                                                                                   |
+| Issuer                    | The URL of your IdP.  If your provider has discovery enabled, Rancher uses the Issuer URL to fetch all of the required URLs.                   |
+| Auth Endpoint             | The URL where users are redirected to authenticate.                                                                                                |
+## Troubleshooting
+
+If you are experiencing issues while testing the connection to the OIDC server, first double-check the configuration options of your OIDC client. You can also inspect the Rancher logs to help pinpoint what's causing issues. Debug logs may contain more detailed information about the error. Please refer to [How can I enable debug logging](../../../../faq/technical-items.md#how-can-i-enable-debug-logging) in this documentation.
+
+All Generic OIDC related log entries are prepended with either `[generic oidc]` or `[oidc]`.
+
+### You are not redirected to your authentication provider
+
+If you fill out the **Configure a Generic OIDC account** form and click on **Enable**, and you are not redirected to your IdP, verify your OIDC client configuration.
+
+### The generated `Issuer` and `Auth Endpoint` are incorrect
+
+If the `Issuer` and `Auth Endpoint` are generated incorrectly, open the **Configure an OIDC account** form, change **Endpoints** to `Specify (advanced)` and override the `Issuer` value.
+
+### Error: "Invalid grant_type"
+
+In some cases, the "Invalid grant_type" error message may be misleading and is actually caused by setting the `Valid Redirect URI` incorrectly.

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/authentication-config/configure-keycloak-oidc.md

@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ If you have an existing configuration using the SAML protocol and want to switch
     `Name` | `Groups Mapper`
     `Mapper Type` | `Group Membership`
     `Token Claim Name` | `groups`
+    `Full group path` | `OFF`
     `Add to ID token` | `OFF`
     `Add to access token` | `OFF`
     `Add to user info` | `ON`
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ If you have an existing configuration using the SAML protocol and want to switch
     `Name` | `Client Audience`
     `Mapper Type` | `Audience`
     `Included Client Audience` | <CLIENT_NAME>
+    `Add to ID token` | `OFF`
     `Add to access token` | `ON`
 
   - Create a new "Groups Path" with the settings below.
@@ -56,8 +58,15 @@ If you have an existing configuration using the SAML protocol and want to switch
     `Mapper Type` | `Group Membership`
     `Token Claim Name` | `full_group_path`
     `Full group path` | `ON`
+    `Add to ID token` | `ON`
+    `Add to access token` | `ON`
     `Add to user info` | `ON`
 
+- Go to **Role Mappings > Client Roles >  realm-management** and add the following Role Mappings to all users or groups that need to query the Keycloak users.
+  - query-users
+  - query-groups
+  - view-users
+
 ## Configuring Keycloak in Rancher
 
 1. In the Rancher UI, click **☰ > Users & Authentication**.

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/authentication-config/configure-okta-saml.md

@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ You can integrate Okta with Rancher, so that authenticated users can access Ranc
 
     :::
 
-
 1. After you complete the **Configure Okta Account** form, click **Enable**.
 
     Rancher redirects you to the IdP login page. Enter credentials that authenticate with Okta IdP to validate your Rancher Okta configuration.

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/authentication-config/manage-users-and-groups.md

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ title: Users and Groups
 
 Rancher relies on users and groups to determine who is allowed to log in to Rancher and which resources they can access. When you configure an external authentication provider, users from that provider will be able to log in to your Rancher server. When a user logs in, the authentication provider will supply your Rancher server with a list of groups to which the user belongs.
 
-Access to clusters, projects, multi-cluster apps, and global DNS providers and entries can be controlled by adding either individual users or groups to these resources. When you add a group to a resource, all users who are members of that group in the authentication provider, will be able to access the resource with the permissions that you've specified for the group. For more information on roles and permissions, see [Role Based Access Control](../manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac.md).
+Access to clusters, projects, and global DNS providers and entries can be controlled by adding either individual users or groups to these resources. When you add a group to a resource, all users who are members of that group in the authentication provider, will be able to access the resource with the permissions that you've specified for the group. For more information on roles and permissions, see [Role Based Access Control](../manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac.md).
 
 ## Managing Members
 
@@ -70,6 +70,14 @@ Since SAML does not support user lookup, SAML-based authentication providers do
 
 :::
 
+## Minimum Password Length
+
+By default, user passwords must be at least 12 characters long. However, you can customize the password length requirement:
+
+1. In the upper left corner, click **☰ > Global Settings**.
+1. Go to **`password-min-length`** and click **⋮ > Edit Setting**.
+1. Enter an integer value between 2 and 256, and click **Save**.
+
 ## Session Length
 
 The default length (TTL) of each user session is adjustable. The default session length is 16 hours.

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration.md

@@ -30,6 +30,14 @@ Within Rancher, each person authenticates as a _user_, which is a login that gra
 
 For more information how authorization works and how to customize roles, see [Roles Based Access Control (RBAC)](manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac.md).
 
+## User Retention
+
+In Rancher v2.8.5 and later, you can enable user retention. This feature automatically removes inactive users after a configurable period of time.
+
+The user retention feature is disabled by default.
+
+For more information, see [Enabling User Retention](../../advanced-user-guides/enable-user-retention.md).
+
 ## Pod Security Policies
 
 _Pod Security Policies_ (or PSPs) are objects that control security-sensitive aspects of pod specification, e.g. root privileges. If a pod does not meet the conditions specified in the PSP, Kubernetes will not allow it to start, and Rancher will display an error message.
@@ -82,4 +90,4 @@ The following features are available under **Global Configuration**:
 - **Global DNS Entries**
 - **Global DNS Providers**
 
-As these are legacy features, please see the Rancher v2.0—v2.4 docs on [catalogs](/versioned_docs/version-2.0-2.4/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/helm-charts-in-rancher/helm-charts-in-rancher.md), [global DNS entries](/versioned_docs/version-2.0-2.4/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/helm-charts-in-rancher/globaldns.md#adding-a-global-dns-entry), and [global DNS providers](/versioned_docs/version-2.0-2.4/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/helm-charts-in-rancher/globaldns.md#editing-a-global-dns-provider) for more details.
+As these are legacy features, please see the Rancher v2.0—v2.4 docs on [catalogs](/versioned_docs/version-2.0-2.4/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/helm-charts-in-rancher/helm-charts-in-rancher.md), [global DNS entries](/versioned_docs/version-2.0-2.4/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/helm-charts-in-rancher/globaldns.md#adding-a-global-dns-entry), and [global DNS providers](/versioned_docs/version-2.0-2.4/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/helm-charts-in-rancher/globaldns.md#editing-a-global-dns-provider) for more details.

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/custom-branding.md

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ This option replaces "Rancher" with the value you provide in most places. Files
 
 ### Support Links
 
-Use a url address to send new "File an Issue" reports instead of sending users to the Github issues page. Optionally show Rancher community support links.
+Use a url address to send new "File an Issue" reports instead of sending users to the GitHub issues page. Optionally show Rancher community support links.
 
 ### Logo
 

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/global-default-private-registry.md

@@ -54,8 +54,20 @@ Since the private registry cannot be configured after the cluster is created, yo
 1. Select **☰ > Cluster Management**.
 1. On the **Clusters** page, click **Create**.
 1. Choose a cluster type.
-1. In the **Cluster Configuration** go to the **Registries** tab and select **Pull images for Rancher from a private registry**.
-1. Enter the registry hostname and credentials.
+1. In the **Cluster Configuration** go to the **Registries** tab.
+1. Check the box next to **Enable cluster scoped container registry for Rancher system container images**.
+1. Enter the registry hostname.
+1. Under **Authentication** select **Create a HTTP Basic Auth Secret** and fill in the credential fields.
 1. Click **Create**.
 
 **Result:** The new cluster pulls images from the private registry.
+
+### Working with Private Registry Credentials
+
+When working with private registries, it is important to ensure that any secrets created for these registries are properly backed up. When you add a private registry credential secret through the Rancher GUI and select **Create a HTTP Basic Auth Secret**, the secret is included in backup operations using Rancher Backups.
+
+However, if you create a credential secret outside of the Rancher GUI, such as by using kubectl or Terraform, you must add the `fleet.cattle.io/managed=true` label to indicate that the secret should be included in backups created by Rancher Backups.
+
+For example, if you have a custom private registry named "my-private-registry" and create a secret called "my-reg-creds" for it, apply the `fleet.cattle.io/managed=true` label to this secret. This ensures that your backup process captures the secret, providing easy restoration if needed.
+
+By following this guidance, you can ensure that all of your private registry credentials are backed up and easily accessible in the event of a restore or migration.

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/jwt-authentication.md

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+---
+title: JSON Web Token (JWT) Authentication
+---
+<head> 
+  <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/jwt-authentication"/>
+</head>
+
+Many 3rd party integrations available for Kubernetes, such as GitLab and HashiCorp Vault, involve giving an external process access to the Kubernetes API using a native Kubernetes Service Account token for authentication.
+
+In Rancher v2.9.0 and later, service accounts on downstream clusters can now authenticate through a JSON web token (JWT) using the Rancher authentication proxy. In Rancher versions earlier than  v2.9.0, only Rancher-issued tokens were supported.
+
+To enable this feature, follow these steps:
+
+1. In the upper left corner, click **☰ > Cluster Management**.
+1. Click **Advanced** to open the dropdown menu.
+1. Select **JWT Authentication**.
+1. Click the checkbox for the cluster you want to enable JWT authentication for, and click **Enable**. Alternatively, you can click **⋮** > **Enable**.

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/cluster-and-project-roles.md

@@ -238,3 +238,9 @@ When you revoke the cluster membership for a standard user that's explicitly ass
 - Exercise any [individual project roles](#project-role-reference) they are assigned.
 
 If you want to completely revoke a user's access within a cluster, revoke both their cluster and project memberships.
+
+### External `RoleTemplate` Behavior
+
+In Rancher v2.9.0 and later, external `RoleTemplate` objects can only be created if the backing `ClusterRole` exists in the local cluster or the `ExternalRules` is set in your configuration.
+
+For context, the backing `ClusterRole` holds cluster rules and privileges, and shares the same `metadata.name` used in the `RoleTemplate` in your respective cluster referenced by the `ClusterRoleTemplateBinding/ProjectRoleTemplateBinding`. Additionally, note that `escalate` permissions on `RoleTemplates` are required to create external `RoleTemplates` with `ExternalRules`.

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/backup-restore-and-disaster-recovery/back-up-rancher.md

@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Backups are created as .tar.gz files. These files can be pushed to S3 or Minio,
 
 :::note
 
-There is a known issue in Fleet that occurs after performing a restoration using the backup-restore-operator: Secrets used for clientSecretName and helmSecretName are not included in Fleet gitrepos. Refer [here](../deploy-apps-across-clusters/fleet.md#troubleshooting) for a workaround.
+There is a known issue in Fleet that occurs after performing a restoration using the backup-restore-operator: Secrets used for clientSecretName and helmSecretName are not included in Fleet gitrepos. Refer [here](../../../integrations-in-rancher/fleet/overview.md#troubleshooting) for a workaround.
 
 :::
 

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/backup-restore-and-disaster-recovery/backup-restore-and-disaster-recovery.md

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-title: Backups and Disaster Recovery
+title: Backup, Restore, and Disaster Recovery
 keywords: [rancher backup restore, rancher backup and restore, backup restore rancher, rancher backup and restore rancher]
 ---
 

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/backup-restore-and-disaster-recovery/migrate-rancher-to-new-cluster.md

@@ -8,14 +8,13 @@ title: Migrating Rancher to a New Cluster
 
 If you are migrating Rancher to a new Kubernetes cluster, you don't need to install Rancher on the new cluster first. If Rancher is restored to a new cluster with Rancher already installed, it can cause problems.
 
-
 ### Prerequisites
 
 These instructions assume that you have [created a backup](back-up-rancher.md) and  already installed a new Kubernetes cluster where Rancher will be deployed. The backup is specific to the Rancher application and can only migrate the Rancher application.
 
 :::caution
 
-It is required to use the same hostname that was set as the server URL in the first cluster. If not done, downstream clusters will show as unavailable in the cluster management page of the UI, and you won't be able to click inside the cluster or on the cluster's <b>Explore</b> button.
+You must use the same hostname that was set as the server URL in the original cluster. If you don't, downstream clusters will show as unavailable in the cluster management page of the UI, and you won't be able to click inside the cluster or on the cluster's **Explore** button.
 
 :::
 
@@ -25,7 +24,6 @@ Rancher can be installed on any Kubernetes cluster, including hosted Kubernetes
 
 Since Rancher can be installed on any Kubernetes cluster, you can use this backup and restore method to migrate Rancher from one Kubernetes cluster to any other Kubernetes cluster. This method *only* migrates Rancher-related resources and won't affect other applications on the cluster. Refer to the [support matrix](https://www.suse.com/lifecycle/) to identify which Kubernetes cluster types and versions are supported for your Rancher version.
 
-
 ### 1. Install the rancher-backup Helm chart
 
 Install the [`rancher-backup chart`](https://github.com/rancher/backup-restore-operator/tags):
@@ -54,31 +52,16 @@ Install the [`rancher-backup chart`](https://github.com/rancher/backup-restore-o
 
      The above assumes an environment with outbound connectivity to Docker Hub.
 
-     For an **air-gapped environment**, use the Helm value below to pull the `backup-restore-operator` image from your private registry when installing the rancher-backup Helm chart.
+     For an **air-gapped environment**, use the following Helm value to pull the `backup-restore-operator` image from your private registry when you install the rancher-backup Helm chart.
 
      ```bash
-     --set image.repository $REGISTRY/rancher/backup-restore-operator
+     --set image.repository <registry>/rancher/backup-restore-operator
      ```
 
      :::
 
 ### 2. Restore from backup using a Restore custom resource
 
-:::note Important:
-
-Kubernetes v1.22, available as an experimental feature of v2.6.3, does not support restoring from backup files containing CRDs with the apiVersion `apiextensions.k8s.io/v1beta1`. In v1.22, the default `resourceSet` in the rancher-backup app is updated to collect only CRDs that use `apiextensions.k8s.io/v1`. There are currently two ways to work around this issue:
-
-1. Update the default `resourceSet` to collect the CRDs with the apiVersion v1.
-1. Update the default `resourceSet` and the client to use the new APIs internally, with `apiextensions.k8s.io/v1` as the replacement.
-
-    :::note
-
-    When making or restoring backups for v1.22, the Rancher version and the local cluster's Kubernetes version should be the same. The Kubernetes version should be considered when restoring a backup since the supported apiVersion in the cluster and in the backup file could be different.
-
-    :::
-
-:::
-
 1. When using S3 object storage as the backup source for a restore that requires credentials, create a `Secret` object in this cluster to add the S3 credentials. The secret data must have two keys - `accessKey`, and `secretKey`, that contain the S3 credentials.
 
    The secret can be created in any namespace, this example uses the default namespace.
@@ -189,3 +172,9 @@ helm install rancher rancher-latest/rancher -n cattle-system -f rancher-values.y
 ```
 
 :::
+
+### 5. Redirect Traffic to the New Cluster
+
+After migration completes, update your DNS records and any load balancers, so that traffic is routed correctly to the migrated cluster. Remember that you must use the same hostname that was set as the server URL in the original cluster.
+
+Full instructions on how to redirect traffic to the migrated cluster differ based on your specific environment. Refer to your hosting provider's documentation for more details.

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/backup-restore-and-disaster-recovery/restore-rancher-launched-kubernetes-clusters-from-backup.md

@@ -79,15 +79,20 @@ If you are using [local snapshots](./back-up-rancher-launched-kubernetes-cluster
     1. In the **Clusters** page, go to the cluster where you want to remove nodes.
     1. In the **Machines** tab, click **⋮ > Delete** on each node you want to delete. Initially, you will see the nodes hang in a `deleting` state, but once all etcd nodes are deleting, they will be removed together. This is due to the fact that Rancher sees all etcd nodes deleting and proceeds to "short circuit" the etcd safe-removal logic.
 
-1. After all etcd nodes are removed, add a new etcd node that you are planning to restore from.
+1. After all etcd nodes are removed, add the new etcd node that you are planning to restore from. Assign the new node the role of `all` (etcd, controlplane, and worker).
 
-    - For custom clusters, go to the **Registration** tab then copy and run the registration command on your node. If the node has previously been used in a cluster, [clean the node](../manage-clusters/clean-cluster-nodes.md#cleaning-up-nodes) first.
+    - If the node was previously in a cluster, [clean the node](../manage-clusters/clean-cluster-nodes.md#cleaning-up-nodes) first.
+    - For custom clusters, go to the **Registration** tab and check the box for `etcd, controlplane, and worker`. Then copy and run the registration command on your node.
     - For node driver clusters, a new node is provisioned automatically.
 
     At this point, Rancher will indicate that restoration from etcd snapshot is required.
 
 1. Restore from an etcd snapshot.
 
+    :::note
+    As the etcd node is a clean node, you may need to manually create the `/var/lib/rancher/<k3s/rke2>/server/db/snapshots/` path.
+    :::
+
     - For S3 snapshots, restore using the UI.
       1. Click the **Snapshots** tab to view the list of saved snapshots.
       1. Go to the snapshot you want to restore and click **⋮ > Restore**.
@@ -95,7 +100,15 @@ If you are using [local snapshots](./back-up-rancher-launched-kubernetes-cluster
       1. Click **Restore**.
     - For local snapshots, restore using the UI is **not** available.
       1. In the upper right corner, click **⋮ > Edit YAML**.
-      1. Define `spec.cluster.rkeConfig.etcdSnapshotRestore.name` as the filename of the snapshot on disk in `/var/lib/rancher/<k3s/rke2>/server/db/snapshots/`.
+      1. The example YAML below can be added under your `rkeConfig` to configure the etcd restore:
+
+      ```yaml
+        ...
+        rkeConfig:
+          etcdSnapshotRestore:
+            name: <string> # This field is required. Refers to the filename of the associated etcdsnapshot object.
+        ...
+      ```
 
 1. After restoration is successful, you can scale your etcd nodes back up to the desired redundancy.
 

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/deploy-apps-across-clusters/deploy-apps-across-clusters.md

@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
----
-title: Deploying Applications across Clusters
----
-
-<head>
-  <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/deploy-apps-across-clusters"/>
-</head>
-
-Rancher offers several ways to deploy applications across clusters, depending on version.
-
-## Fleet
-
-Rancher v2.5 and later uses Fleet to deploy applications across clusters.
-
-Continuous Delivery with Fleet is GitOps at scale. For more information, refer to the [Fleet section](fleet.md).
-
-## Multi-cluster Apps
-
-In Rancher before v2.5, the multi-cluster apps feature was used to deploy applications across clusters. The multi-cluster apps feature is deprecated, but still available as a legacy feature.
-
-See the [multi-cluster app documentation](multi-cluster-apps.md) for more details.

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/deploy-apps-across-clusters/fleet.md

@@ -1,71 +0,0 @@
----
-title: Continuous Delivery with Fleet
----
-
-<head>
-  <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/deploy-apps-across-clusters/fleet"/>
-</head>
-
-Continuous Delivery with Fleet is GitOps at scale. Fleet is designed to manage up to a million clusters. It's also lightweight enough that it works great for a [single cluster](https://fleet.rancher.io/installation#default-install) too, but it really shines when you get to a [large scale.](https://fleet.rancher.io/installation#configuration-for-multi-cluster) By large scale we mean either a lot of clusters, a lot of deployments, or a lot of teams in a single organization.
-
-Fleet is a separate project from Rancher, and can be installed on any Kubernetes cluster with Helm.
-
-
-## Architecture
-
-For information about how Fleet works, see [this page.](../../../integrations-in-rancher/fleet/architecture.md)
-
-## Accessing Fleet in the Rancher UI
-
-Fleet comes preinstalled in Rancher and is managed by the **Continous Delivery** option in the Rancher UI. For additional information on Continuous Delivery and other Fleet troubleshooting tips, refer [here](https://fleet.rancher.io/troubleshooting).
-
-Users can leverage continuous delivery to deploy their applications to the Kubernetes clusters in the git repository without any manual operation by following **gitops** practice.
-
-Follow the steps below to access Continuous Delivery in the Rancher UI:
-
-1. Click **☰ > Continuous Delivery**.
-
-1. Select your namespace at the top of the menu, noting the following:
-    - By default,`fleet-default` is selected which includes all downstream clusters that are registered through Rancher.
-    - You may switch to `fleet-local`, which only contains the `local` cluster, or you may create your own workspace to which you may assign and move clusters.
-    - You can then manage clusters by clicking on **Clusters** on the left navigation bar.
-
-1. Click on **Gitrepos** on the left navigation bar to deploy the gitrepo into your clusters in the current workspace.
-
-1. Select your [git repository](https://fleet.rancher.io/gitrepo-add) and [target clusters/cluster group](https://fleet.rancher.io/gitrepo-targets). You can also create the cluster group in the UI by clicking on **Cluster Groups** from the left navigation bar.
-
-1. Once the gitrepo is deployed, you can monitor the application through the Rancher UI.
-
-## Windows Support
-
-For details on support for clusters with Windows nodes, see [this page.](../../../integrations-in-rancher/fleet/windows-support.md)
-
-
-## GitHub Repository
-
-The Fleet Helm charts are available [here.](https://github.com/rancher/fleet/releases/latest)
-
-
-## Using Fleet Behind a Proxy
-
-For details on using Fleet behind a proxy, see [this page.](../../../integrations-in-rancher/fleet/use-fleet-behind-a-proxy.md)
-
-## Helm Chart Dependencies
-
-In order for Helm charts with dependencies to deploy successfully, you must run a manual command (as listed below), as it is up to the user to fulfill the dependency list. If you do not do this and proceed to clone your repository and run `helm install`, your installation will fail because the dependencies will be missing.
-
-The Helm chart in the git repository must include its dependencies in the charts subdirectory. You must either manually run `helm dependencies update $chart` or run `helm dependencies build $chart` locally, then commit the complete charts directory to your git repository. Note that you will update your commands with the applicable parameters.
-
-## Troubleshooting
-
----
-* **Known Issue:** clientSecretName and helmSecretName secrets for Fleet gitrepos are not included in the backup nor restore created by the [backup-restore-operator](../backup-restore-and-disaster-recovery/back-up-rancher.md#1-install-the-rancher-backup-operator). We will update the community once a permanent solution is in place.
-
-* **Temporary Workaround:** <br/>
-By default, user-defined secrets are not backed up in Fleet. It is necessary to recreate secrets if performing a disaster recovery restore or migration of Rancher into a fresh cluster. To modify resourceSet to include extra resources you want to backup, refer to docs [here](https://github.com/rancher/backup-restore-operator#user-flow).
-
----
-
-## Documentation
-
-The Fleet documentation is at [https://fleet.rancher.io/.](https://fleet.rancher.io/)

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/deploy-apps-across-clusters/multi-cluster-apps.md

@@ -1,179 +0,0 @@
----
-title: Multi-cluster Apps
----
-
-<head>
-  <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/deploy-apps-across-clusters/multi-cluster-apps"/>
-</head>
-
-Typically, most applications are deployed on a single Kubernetes cluster, but there will be times you might want to deploy multiple copies of the same application across different clusters and/or projects. In Rancher, a _multi-cluster application_,  is an application deployed using a Helm chart across multiple clusters. With the ability to deploy the same application across multiple clusters, it avoids the repetition of the same action on each cluster, which could introduce user error during application configuration. With multi-cluster applications, you can customize to have the same configuration across all projects/clusters as well as have the ability to change the configuration based on your target project. Since multi-cluster application is considered a single application, it's easy to manage and maintain this application.
-
-Any Helm charts from a global catalog can be used to deploy and manage multi-cluster applications.
-
-After creating a multi-cluster application, you can program a global DNS entry to make it easier to access the application.
-
-## Prerequisites
-
-### Permissions
-
-To create a multi-cluster app in Rancher, you must have at least one of the following permissions:
-
-- A [project-member role](../authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/cluster-and-project-roles.md#project-roles) in the target cluster(s), which gives you the ability to create, read, update, and delete the workloads
-- A [cluster owner role](../authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/cluster-and-project-roles.md#cluster-roles) for the clusters(s) that include the target project(s)
-
-### Enable Legacy Features
-
-Because multi-cluster apps were deprecated and replaced with Fleet in Rancher v2.5, you will need to enable multi-cluster apps with a feature flag.
-
-1. In the upper left corner, click **☰ > Global Settings**.
-1. Click **Feature Flags**.
-1. Go to the `legacy` feature flag and click **Activate**.
-
-## Launching a Multi-Cluster App
-
-1. In the upper left corner, click **☰ > Multi-cluster Apps**.
-1. Click **Launch**.
-1. Find the application that you want to launch.
-1.  (Optional) Review the detailed descriptions, which are derived from the Helm chart's `README`.
-1. Under **Configuration Options** enter a **Name** for the multi-cluster application. By default, this name is also used to create a Kubernetes namespace in each [target project](#targets) for the multi-cluster application. The namespace is named as `<MULTI-CLUSTER_APPLICATION_NAME>-<PROJECT_ID>`.
-1. Select a **Template Version**.
-1. Complete the [multi-cluster applications specific configuration options](#multi-cluster-app-configuration-options) as well as the [application configuration options](#application-configuration-options).
-1. Select the **Members** who can [interact with the multi-cluster application](#members).
-1. Add any [custom application configuration answers](#overriding-application-configuration-options-for-specific-projects) that would change the configuration for specific project(s) from the default application configuration answers.
-1. Review the files in the **Preview** section. When you're satisfied, click **Launch**.
-
-**Result**: Your application is deployed to your chosen namespace. You can view the application status from the project's:
-
-## Multi-cluster App Configuration Options
-
-Rancher has divided the configuration option for the multi-cluster application into several sections.
-
-### Targets
-
-In the **Targets** section, select the projects that you want the application to be deployed in. The list of projects is based on what projects you have access to. For each project that you select, it will be added to the list, which shows the cluster name and project name that were selected. To remove a target project, click on **-**.
-
-### Upgrades
-
-In the **Upgrades** section, select the upgrade strategy to use, when you decide to upgrade your application.
-
-* **Rolling Update (batched):** When selecting this upgrade strategy, the number of applications upgraded at a time is based on the selected **Batch size** and the **Interval** specifies how many seconds to wait before starting the next batch of updates.
-
-* **Upgrade all apps simultaneously:** When selecting this upgrade strategy, all applications across all projects will be upgraded at the same time.
-
-### Roles
-
-In the **Roles** section, you define the role of the multi-cluster application. Typically, when a user [launches catalog applications](../helm-charts-in-rancher/helm-charts-in-rancher.md), that specific user's permissions are used for creation of all workloads/resources that is required by the app.
-
-For multi-cluster applications, the application is deployed by a _system user_ and is assigned as the creator of all underlying resources. A _system user_ is used instead of the actual user due to the fact that the actual user could be removed from one of the target projects. If the actual user was removed from one of the projects, then that user would no longer be able to manage the application for the other projects.
-
-Rancher will let you select from two options for Roles, **Project** and **Cluster**. Rancher will allow creation using any of these roles based on the user's permissions.
-
-- **Project** - This is the equivalent of a [project member](../authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/cluster-and-project-roles.md#project-roles). If you select this role, Rancher will check that in all the target projects, the user has minimally the [project member](../authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/cluster-and-project-roles.md#project-roles) role. While the user might not be explicitly granted the _project member_ role, if the user is an [administrator](../authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/global-permissions.md), a [cluster owner](../authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/cluster-and-project-roles.md#cluster-roles), or a [project owner](../authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/cluster-and-project-roles.md#project-roles), then the user is considered to have the appropriate level of permissions.
-
-- **Cluster** - This is the equivalent of a [cluster owner](../authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/cluster-and-project-roles.md#cluster-roles). If you select this role, Rancher will check that in all the target projects, the user has minimally the [cluster owner](../authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/cluster-and-project-roles.md#project-roles) role. While the user might not be explicitly granted the _cluster owner_ role, if the user is an [administrator](../authentication-permissions-and-global-configuration/manage-role-based-access-control-rbac/global-permissions.md), then the user is considered to have the appropriate level of permissions.
-
-When launching the application, Rancher will confirm if you have these permissions in the target projects before launching the application.
-
-:::note
-
-There are some applications like _Grafana_ or _Datadog_ that require access to specific cluster-scoped resources. These applications will require the _Cluster_ role. If you find out later that the application requires cluster roles, the multi-cluster application can be upgraded to update the roles.
-
-:::
-
-## Application Configuration Options
-
-For each Helm chart, there are a list of desired answers that must be entered in order to successfully deploy the chart. When entering answers, you must format them using the syntax rules found in [Using Helm: The format and limitations of –set](https://helm.sh/docs/intro/using_helm/#the-format-and-limitations-of---set), as Rancher passes them as `--set` flags to Helm.
-
-:::note Example
-
-When entering an answer that includes two values separated by a comma (i.e. `abc, bcd`), it is required to wrap the values with double quotes (i.e., ``"abc, bcd"``).
-
-:::
-
-### Using a questions.yml file
-
-If the Helm chart that you are deploying contains a `questions.yml` file, Rancher's UI will translate this file to display an easy to use UI to collect the answers for the questions.
-
-### Key Value Pairs for Native Helm Charts
-
-For native Helm charts (i.e., charts from the **Helm Stable** or **Helm Incubator** catalogs or a custom Helm chart repository, answers are provided as key value pairs in the **Answers** section. These answers are used to override the default values.
-
-### Members
-
-By default, multi-cluster applications can only be managed by the user who created it. In the **Members** section, other users can be added so that they can also help manage or view the multi-cluster application.
-
-1. Find the user that you want to add by typing in the member's name in the **Member** search box.
-
-2. Select the **Access Type** for that member. There are three access types for a multi-cluster project, but due to how the permissions of a multi-cluster application are launched, please read carefully to understand what these access types mean.
-
-    - **Owner**: This access type can manage any configuration part of the multi-cluster application including the template version, the [multi-cluster applications specific configuration options](#Multi-cluster App Configuration Options), the [application specific configuration options](#application-configuration-options), the members who can interact with the multi-cluster application and the [custom application configuration answers](#overriding-application-configuration-options-for-specific-projects). Since a multi-cluster application is created with a different set of permissions from the user, any _owner_ of the multi-cluster application can manage/remove applications in [target projects](#targets) without explicitly having access to these project(s). Only trusted users should be provided with this access type.
-
-    - **Member**: This access type can only modify the template version, the [application specific configuration options](#application-configuration-options) and the [custom application configuration answers](#overriding-application-configuration-options-for-specific-projects). Since a multi-cluster application is created with a different set of permissions from the user, any _member_ of the multi-cluster application can modify the application without explicitly having access to these project(s). Only trusted users should be provided with this access type.
-
-    - **Read-only**: This access type cannot modify any configuration option for the multi-cluster application. Users can only view these applications.
-
-    :::caution
-
-    Please ensure only trusted users are given _Owner_ or _Member_ access as they will automatically be able to manage applications created for this multi-cluster application in target projects they might not have direct access to.
-
-    :::
-
-### Overriding Application Configuration Options for Specific Projects
-
-The ability to use the same configuration to deploy the same application across multiple clusters/projects is one of the main benefits of multi-cluster applications. There might be a specific project that requires a slightly different configuration option, but you want to manage that application with all the other matching applications. Instead of creating a brand new application, you can override specific [application specific configuration options](#application-configuration-options) for specific projects.
-
-1. In the **Answer Overrides** section, click **Add Override**.
-
-2. For each override, you can select the following:
-
-    - **Scope**: Select which target projects you want to override the answer in the configuration option.
-
-    - **Question**: Select which question you want to override.
-
-    - **Answer**: Enter the answer that you want to be used instead.
-
-## Upgrading Multi-Cluster App Roles and Projects
-
-- **Changing Roles on an existing Multi-Cluster app**
-The creator and any users added with the access-type "owner" to a multi-cluster app, can upgrade its Roles. When adding a new Role, we check if the user has that exact role in all current target projects. These checks allow the same relaxations for global admins, cluster owners and project-owners as described in the installation section for the field `Roles`.
-
-- **Adding/Removing target projects**
-1. The creator and any users added with access-type "owner" to a multi-cluster app, can add or remove its target projects. When adding a new project, we check if the caller of this request has all Roles defined on multi-cluster app, in the new projects they want to add. The roles checks are again relaxed for global admins, cluster-owners and project-owners.
-2. We do not do these membership checks when removing target projects. This is because the caller's permissions could have with respect to the target project, or the project could have been deleted and hence the caller wants to remove it from targets list.
-
-
-## Multi-Cluster Application Management
-
-One of the benefits of using a multi-cluster application as opposed to multiple individual applications of the same type, is the ease of management. Multi-cluster applications can be cloned, upgraded or rolled back.
-
-:::note Prerequisite:
-
-The `legacy` feature flag needs to be enabled.
-
-:::
-
-1. In the upper left corner, click **☰ > Multi-cluster Apps**.
-
-2. Choose the multi-cluster application you want to take one of these actions on and click the **⋮**. Select one of the following options:
-
-   * **Clone**: Creates another multi-cluster application with the same configuration. By using this option, you can easily duplicate a multi-cluster application.
-   * **Upgrade**: Upgrade your multi-cluster application to change some part of the configuration. When performing an upgrade for multi-cluster application, the [upgrade strategy](#upgrades) can be modified if you have the correct [access type](#members).
-   * **Rollback**: Rollback your application to a specific version. If after an upgrade, there are issues for your multi-cluster application for one or more of your [targets](#targets), Rancher has stored up to 10 versions of the multi-cluster application. Rolling back a multi-cluster application reverts the application for **all** target clusters and projects, not just the targets(s) affected by the upgrade issue.
-
-## Deleting a Multi-Cluster Application
-
-:::note Prerequisite:
-
-The `legacy` feature flag needs to be enabled.
-
-:::
-
-1. In the upper left corner, click **☰ > Multi-cluster Apps**.
-
-2. Choose the multi-cluster application you want to delete and click the **⋮ > Delete**. When deleting the multi-cluster application, all applications and namespaces are deleted in all of the target projects.
-
-   :::note
-
-   The applications in the target projects, that are created for a multi-cluster application, cannot be deleted individually. The applications can only be deleted when the multi-cluster application is deleted.
-
-   :::

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/helm-charts-in-rancher/helm-charts-in-rancher.md

@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ To display prerelease versions:
 | rancher-logging | 100.0.0+up3.12.0 | 100.1.2+up3.17.4 |
 | rancher-longhorn | 100.0.0+up1.1.2 | 100.1.2+up1.2.4 |
 | rancher-monitoring | 100.0.0+up16.6.0 | 100.1.2+up19.0.3 |
-| rancher-sriov (experimental) | 100.0.0+up0.1.0 | 100.0.3+up0.1.0 |
+| rancher-sriov<sup>[1](#sriov-chart-deprecation-and-migration)</sup> | 100.0.0+up0.1.0 | 100.0.3+up0.1.0 |
 | rancher-vsphere-cpi | 100.3.0+up1.2.1 | 100.3.0+up1.2.1 |
 | rancher-vsphere-csi | 100.3.0+up2.5.1-rancher1 | 100.3.0+up2.5.1-rancher1 |
 | rancher-wins-upgrader | 0.0.100 | 100.0.1+up0.0.1 |
@@ -163,10 +163,37 @@ spec:
 
 :::
 
+### Add Custom OCI Chart Repositories
+
+:::caution
+
+This feature is currently experimental and is not officially supported in Rancher.
+
+:::
+
+Helm v3 introduced storing Helm charts as [Open Container Initiative (OCI)](https://opencontainers.org/about/overview/) artifacts in container registries. With Rancher v2.9.0, you can add [OCI-based Helm chart repositories](https://helm.sh/docs/topics/registries/) alongside HTTP-based and Git-based repositories. This means you can deploy apps that are stored as OCI artifacts. For more information, see [Using OCI Helm Chart Repositories](./oci-repositories.md).
+
 ### Helm Compatibility
 
 Only Helm 3 compatible charts are supported.
 
+### Refresh Chart Repositories
+
+The **Refresh** button can be used to sync changes from selected Helm chart repositories on the **Repositories** page.
+
+To refresh a chart repository:
+
+1. Click **☰ > Cluster Management**.
+1. Find the name of the cluster whose repositories you want to access. Click **Explore** at the end of the cluster's row.
+1. In the left navigation menu on the **Cluster Dashboard**, click **Apps > Repositories**.
+1. Use the toggle next to the **State** field to select all repositories, or toggle specified chart repositories to sync changes.
+1. Click **Refresh**.
+1. The **⋮** at the end of each chart repository row also includes a **Refresh** option, which can be clicked to refresh the respective repository.
+
+Non-Airgap Rancher installations upon refresh will reflect any chart repository changes immediately and you will see the **State** field for updated repositories move from `In Progress` to `Active` once the action is completed.
+
+Airgap installations where Rancher is configured to use the packaged copy of Helm system charts ([`useBundledSystemChart=true`](../../../getting-started/installation-and-upgrade/other-installation-methods/air-gapped-helm-cli-install/install-rancher-ha.md#helm-chart-options-for-air-gap-installations)) will only refer to the [system-chart](https://github.com/rancher/system-charts) repository that comes bundled and will not be able to be refreshed or synced.
+
 ## Deploy and Upgrade Charts
 
 To install and deploy a chart:
@@ -212,6 +239,31 @@ To upgrade legacy multi-cluster apps:
 1. Click **☰**. 
 1. Under **Legacy Apps**, click **Multi-cluster Apps**.
 
+### Chart-Specific Information
+
+#### sriov Chart Deprecation and Migration
+
+The `sriov` (SR-IOV network operator) chart from the Rancher Charts repository is deprecated and will be removed in Rancher v2.10. Please migrate to the `sriov-network-operator` chart from the SUSE Edge repository (https://github.com/suse-edge/charts) instead.
+
+To migrate, follow these steps:
+
+1. Add the SUSE Edge repository to your cluster by following the steps in [Add Custom Git Repositories](#add-custom-git-repositories).
+1. For the **Git Repo URL** field, enter `https://github.com/suse-edge/charts`.
+1. Click **Create**.
+1. In the left navigation menu on the **Cluster Dashboard**, click **Apps > Charts**.
+1. Find the `sriov-network-operator` chart and click on it.
+1. Click **Install**.
+1. In the **Name** field, enter the same name you used for your existing `sriov` chart installation.
+1. Click **Next**.
+1. Click **Install**.
+
+**Result:** Rancher redirects to the **Installed Apps** page where your existing installation enters the **Updating** state. The migration is complete when it enters the **Deployed** state.
+
 ## Limitations
 
-Dashboard apps or Rancher feature charts can't be installed using the Rancher CLI.
+- Dashboard apps or Rancher feature charts can't be installed using the Rancher CLI.
+
+- When determining the most recent version to display for the **Upgradable** column on the **Apps > Installed Apps** page, rather than only considering versions of the Helm chart from the repository it was installed from, Rancher considers versions of the Helm chart from all repositories on the cluster.
+
+  For example, suppose you install `cert-manager` v1.13.0 from repository A, where v1.14.0 is now the most recent version available. In this case, you expect **Upgradable** to display v1.14.0. However, if the cluster also has access to repository B where v1.15.0 of `cert-manager` is available, then **Upgradable** displays v1.15.0 even though the original installation used repository A.
+  

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/helm-charts-in-rancher/oci-repositories.md

@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+---
+title: Using OCI-Based Helm Chart Repositories
+---
+
+<head>
+  <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/helm-charts-in-rancher/oci-registries"/>
+</head>
+
+:::caution
+
+This feature is currently experimental and is not officially supported in Rancher.
+
+:::
+
+Helm v3 introduced storing Helm charts as [Open Container Initiative (OCI)](https://opencontainers.org/about/overview/) artifacts in container registries. With Rancher v2.9.0, you can add [OCI-based Helm chart repositories](https://helm.sh/docs/topics/registries/) alongside HTTP-based and Git-based repositories. This means that you can deploy apps that are stored as OCI artifacts.
+
+## Add an OCI-Based Helm Chart Repository
+
+To add an OCI-based Helm chart repository through the Rancher UI:
+
+1. Click **☰ > Cluster Management**.
+2. Find the name of the cluster whose repositories you want to access. Click **Explore** at the end of the cluster's row.
+3. In the left navigation bar, select **Apps > Repositories**.
+4. Click **Create**.
+5. Enter a **Name** for the registry. Select **OCI Repository** as the target.
+6. Enter the **OCI Repository Host URL** for the registry. The registry endpoint must not contain anything besides OCI Helm Chart artifacts. The artifacts should all have unique names. If you attempt to add an endpoint that contains any other kinds of files or artifacts, the OCI repository will not be added. 
+  
+  :::note
+  
+  You can use the **OCI URL** field to fine-tune how many charts from the registry are available for installation on Rancher. More generic endpoints target more charts, as the following examples demonstrate:
+
+    - `oci://<registry-host>`: Every chart in the registry becomes available for installation, regardless of namespace or tag.
+    - `oci://<registry-host>/<namespace>`: Every chart in the specified namespace within the registry becomes available for installation.
+    - `oci://<registry-host>/<namespace>/<chart-name>`: Only the specified chart and any associated tags or versions of that chart become available for installation.
+    - `oci://<registry-host>/<namespace>/<chart-name>:<tag>`: Only the chart with the specified tag becomes available for installation.
+  
+  :::
+
+7. Set up authentication. Select **Basicauth** from the authentication field and enter a username and password as required. Otherwise, create or select an **Authentication** secret. See [Authentication](#authentication-for-oci-based-helm-chart-repositories) for a full description.
+8. (optional) Enter a base64 encoded DER certificate in the **CA Cert Bundle** field. This field is for cases where you have a private OCI-based Helm chart repository and need Rancher to trust its certificates.   
+9. (optional) To allow insecure connections without performing an SSL check, select **Skip TLS Verification**. To force Rancher to use HTTP instead of HTTPS to send requests to the repository, select **Insecure Plain Http**.
+10. (optional) If your repository has a rate limiting policy and may respond with status code `429 Too Many Requests`, you may want to fill out the fields under **Exponential Back Off**:
+    - **Min Wait**: The minimum duration in seconds that Rancher should wait before retrying. The default is 1 second.
+    - **Max Wait**: The maximum duration in seconds that Rancher should wait before retrying. The default is 5 second.
+    - **Max Number of Retries**: The default is 5 retries.
+
+    Once these values are set, Rancher responds to the `429` status code by staggering requests based on the minimum and maximum wait values. The wait time between retries increases exponentially, until Rancher has sent the maximum number of retries set. See [Rate Limiting](#rate-limiting-of-oci-based-helm-chart-repositories) for more details.
+11. Add any labels and annotations.
+12. Click **Create**.
+
+It may take some time for the OCI repository to activate. This is particularly true if the OCI endpoint contains multiple namespaces. 
+
+## Authentication for OCI-Based Helm Chart Repositories
+
+Rancher supports BasicAuth for OCI registries. You must create a [**BasicAuth** Kubernetes secret](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/configuration/secret/#basic-authentication-secret). You can also [create the secret through the Rancher UI](../kubernetes-resources-setup/secrets.md). 
+
+
+The CRD that is linked to the OCI-based Helm repository is `ClusterRepo`.
+
+## View Helm Charts in OCI-Based Helm Chart Repositories
+
+To view Helm charts in the OCI-based Helm chart repository after it achieves an `Active` state:
+
+1. Click **☰**. Under **Explore Cluster** in the left navigation menu, select a cluster.
+1. Click **Apps > Charts**.
+1. Select the OCI-based Helm chart repository from the dropdown.
+
+## Refresh an OCI-Based Helm Chart Repository
+
+Rancher automatically refreshes the OCI-based Helm chart repository every 6 hours. 
+
+If you need to update immediately, you can [perform a manual refresh](./helm-charts-in-rancher.md#refresh-chart-repositories).
+
+## Update an OCI-Based Helm Chart Repository Configuration
+
+1. Click **☰ > Cluster Management**.
+1. Find the name of the cluster whose repositories you want to access. Click **Explore** at the end of the cluster's row.
+1. In the left navigation bar, select **Apps > Repositories**.
+1. Find the row associated with the OCI-based Helm chart repository, and click **⋮**.
+1. From the submenu, select **Edit Config**.
+
+## Delete an OCI-Based Helm Chart Repository
+
+1. Click **☰ > Cluster Management**.
+1. Find the name of the cluster whose repositories you want to access. Click **Explore** at the end of the cluster's row.
+1. In the left navigation bar, select **Apps > Repositories**.
+1. Select the row associated with the OCI-based Helm chart repository, and click **Delete**.
+
+## Size Limitations of OCI-Based Helm Chart Repositories in Rancher
+
+Due to security concerns, there are limitations on how large of a Helm chart you can deploy through an OCI-based repository, and how much metadata you can use to describe the Helm charts within a single OCI endpoint.
+
+Rancher can deploy OCI Helm charts up to 20 MB in size.
+
+## Rate Limiting of OCI-Based Helm Chart Repositories
+
+Different OCI registries implement rate limiting in different ways. 
+
+Most servers return a `Retry-After` header, indicating how long to wait before rate limiting is lifted. 
+
+Docker Hub returns a `429` status code when it completes all allocated requests. It also returns a `RateLimit-Remaining` header which describes the rate limiting policy. 
+
+Rancher currently checks for the `Retry-After` header. It also handles Docker Hub-style responses (status code `429` and the `RateLimit-Remaining` header) and automatically waits before making a new request. When handling `Retry-After` or Docker Hub-style responses, Rancher ignores `ExponentialBackOff` values. 
+
+If you have an OCI-based Helm chart repository which doesn't implement the `Retry-After` or `RateLimit-Remaining` headers, and think you may be rate-limited at some point, fill out the fields under **Exponential Back Off** when you add the repository. 
+
+For example, if you have an OCI-based Helm chart repository that doesn't return a `Retry-After` header, but you know that the server allows 50 requests in 24 hours, you can provide Rancher a **Min Wait** value of **86400** seconds, a **Max Wait** value of **90000** seconds, and a **Max Number of Retries** value of **1**. Then, if Rancher gets rate limited by the server, Rancher will wait for 24 hours before trying again. The request should succeed as Rancher hasn't sent any other requests in the previous 24 hours.
+
+## Troubleshooting OCI-based Helm Registries
+
+- To enhance logging information, [enable the debug option](../../../troubleshooting/other-troubleshooting-tips/logging.md#kubernetes-install) while deploying Rancher.
+
+- If there is any discrepancy between the repository contents and Rancher, you should refresh the cluster repository as a first resort. If the discrepancy persists, delete the OCI-based Helm chart repository from Rancher and add it again. Deleting the repository won't delete any Helm charts that are already installed.
+
+- Apps installed through OCI-based Helm chart repositories are subject to a known issue with how Rancher displays upgradeable version information. See the [Limitations](./helm-charts-in-rancher.md#limitations) section of **Helm Charts and Apps** for more details.

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/infrastructure-setup/ha-rke2-kubernetes-cluster.md

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ These nodes must be in the same region. You may place these servers in separate
 To install the Rancher management server on a high-availability RKE2 cluster, we recommend setting up the following infrastructure:
 
 - **Three Linux nodes,** typically virtual machines, in the infrastructure provider of your choice.
-- **A load balancer** to direct traffic to the two nodes.
+- **A load balancer** to direct traffic to the nodes.
 - **A DNS record** to map a URL to the load balancer. This will become the Rancher server URL, and downstream Kubernetes clusters will need to reach it.
 
 ### 1. Set up Linux Nodes
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ Do not use this load balancer (i.e, the `local` cluster Ingress) to load balance
 
 :::
 
-### 4. Set up the DNS Record
+### 3. Set up the DNS Record
 
 Once you have set up your load balancer, you will need to create a DNS record to send traffic to this load balancer.
 
@@ -59,4 +59,4 @@ Depending on your environment, this may be an A record pointing to the load bala
 
 You will need to specify this hostname in a later step when you install Rancher, and it is not possible to change it later. Make sure that your decision is a final one.
 
-For a how-to guide for setting up a DNS record to route domain traffic to an Amazon ELB load balancer, refer to the [official AWS documentation.](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/Route53/latest/DeveloperGuide/routing-to-elb-load-balancer)
+For a how-to guide for setting up a DNS record to route domain traffic to an Amazon ELB load balancer, refer to the [official AWS documentation.](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/Route53/latest/DeveloperGuide/routing-to-elb-load-balancer)

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/infrastructure-setup/infrastructure-setup.md

@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 ---
-title: Don't have infrastructure for your Kubernetes cluster? Try one of these tutorials.
+title: Infrastructure Setup
 ---
 
 <head>
   <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/infrastructure-setup"/>
 </head>
 
-To set up infrastructure for a high-availability K3s Kubernetes cluster with an external DB, refer to [this page.](ha-k3s-kubernetes-cluster.md)
+Don't have infrastructure for your Kubernetes cluster? Try one of these tutorials.
 
+To set up infrastructure for a high-availability K3s Kubernetes cluster with an external database, refer to [this page.](ha-k3s-kubernetes-cluster.md)
 
 To set up infrastructure for a high-availability RKE Kubernetes cluster, refer to [this page.](ha-rke1-kubernetes-cluster.md)

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/kubernetes-cluster-setup/kubernetes-cluster-setup.md

@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 ---
-title: "Don't have a Kubernetes cluster? Try one of these tutorials."
+title: Setting up a Kubernetes Cluster for Rancher Server
 ---
 
 <head>
   <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/kubernetes-cluster-setup"/>
 </head>
 
+Don't have a Kubernetes cluster? Try one of these tutorials.
+
 This section contains information on how to install a Kubernetes cluster that the Rancher server can be installed on.
 
 Rancher can run on any Kubernetes cluster.

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/kubernetes-clusters-in-rancher-setup/checklist-for-production-ready-clusters/checklist-for-production-ready-clusters.md

@@ -49,5 +49,5 @@ number of nodes for each Kubernetes role, refer to the section on [recommended a
 
 ### Networking
 
-* Minimize network latency. Rancher recommends minimizing latency between the etcd nodes. The default setting for `heartbeat-interval` is `500`, and the default setting for `election-timeout` is `5000`. These [settings for etcd tuning](https://coreos.com/etcd/docs/latest/tuning.html) allow etcd to run in most networks (except really high latency networks).
+* Minimize network latency. Rancher recommends minimizing latency between the etcd nodes. The default setting for `heartbeat-interval` is `500`, and the default setting for `election-timeout` is `5000`. These [settings for etcd tuning](https://etcd.io/docs/v3.5/tuning/) allow etcd to run in most networks (except really high latency networks).
 * Cluster nodes should be located within a single region. Most cloud providers provide multiple availability zones within a region, which can be used to create higher availability for your cluster. Using multiple availability zones is fine for nodes with any role. If you are using [Kubernetes Cloud Provider](../set-up-cloud-providers/set-up-cloud-providers.md) resources, consult the documentation for any restrictions (i.e. zone storage restrictions).

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/kubernetes-clusters-in-rancher-setup/checklist-for-production-ready-clusters/recommended-cluster-architecture.md

@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ The number of nodes that you can lose at once while maintaining cluster availabi
 
 References:
 
-* [Official etcd documentation on optimal etcd cluster size](https://etcd.io/docs/v3.4.0/faq/#what-is-failure-tolerance)
+* [Official etcd documentation on optimal etcd cluster size](https://etcd.io/docs/v3.5/faq/#what-is-failure-tolerance)
 * [Official Kubernetes documentation on operating etcd clusters for Kubernetes](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/administer-cluster/configure-upgrade-etcd/)
 
 ### Number of Worker Nodes

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/kubernetes-clusters-in-rancher-setup/kubernetes-clusters-in-rancher-setup.md

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-title: Setting up Kubernetes Clusters in Rancher
+title: Kubernetes Clusters in Rancher Setup
 description: Provisioning Kubernetes Clusters
 ---
 
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ Rancher uses the [Rancher Kubernetes Engine (RKE)](https://rancher.com/docs/rke/
 
 In RKE clusters, Rancher manages the deployment of Kubernetes. These clusters can be deployed on any bare metal server, cloud provider, or virtualization platform.
 
-These nodes can be dynamically provisioned through Rancher's UI, which calls [Docker Machine](https://docs.docker.com/machine/) to launch nodes on various cloud providers.
+These nodes can be dynamically provisioned through Rancher's UI, which calls [Docker Machine](https://github.com/docker/docs/blob/vnext-engine/machine/overview.md) to launch nodes on various cloud providers.
 
 If you already have a node that you want to add to an RKE cluster, you can add it to the cluster by running a Rancher agent container on it.
 

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/kubernetes-clusters-in-rancher-setup/migrate-to-an-out-of-tree-cloud-provider/migrate-to-out-of-tree-azure.md

@@ -0,0 +1,211 @@
+---
+title: Migrating Azure In-tree to Out-of-tree
+---
+
+<head>
+  <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/kubernetes-clusters-in-rancher-setup/migrate-to-an-out-of-tree-cloud-provider/migrate-to-out-of-tree-azure"/>
+</head>
+
+Kubernetes is moving away from maintaining cloud providers in-tree.
+
+Starting with Kubernetes 1.29, in-tree cloud providers have been disabled. You must disable `DisableCloudProviders` and `DisableKubeletCloudCredentialProvider` to use the in-tree Azure cloud provider or migrate from in-tree cloud provider to out-of-tree provider. You can disable the required feature gates by setting `feature-gates=DisableCloudProviders=false` as an additional argument for the cluster's Kubelet, Controller Manager, and API Server in the advanced cluster configuration. Additionally, set `DisableKubeletCloudCredentialProvider=false` in the Kubelet's arguments to enable in-tree functionality for authenticating to Azure container registries for image pull credentials. See [upstream docs](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/117503) for more details.
+
+In Kubernetes v1.30 and later, the in-tree cloud providers have been removed. Rancher allows you to upgrade to Kubernetes v1.30 when you migrate from an in-tree to out-of-tree provider.
+
+To migrate from the in-tree cloud provider to the out-of-tree Azure cloud provider, you must stop the existing cluster's kube controller manager and install the Azure cloud controller manager.
+
+If it's acceptable to have some downtime during migration, follow the instructions to [set up an external cloud provider](../set-up-cloud-providers/azure.md#using-the-out-of-tree-azure-cloud-provider). These instructions outline how to configure the out-of-tree cloud provider for a newly provisioned cluster. During set up, there will be some downtime, as there is a time gap between when the old cloud provider stops running and when the new cloud provider starts to run.
+
+If your setup can't tolerate any control plane downtime, you must enable leader migration. This facilitates a smooth transition from the controllers in the kube controller manager to their counterparts in the cloud controller manager.
+
+:::note Important:
+The Kubernetes [cloud controller migration documentation](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/administer-cluster/controller-manager-leader-migration/#before-you-begin) states that it's possible to migrate with the same Kubernetes version, but assumes that the migration is part of a Kubernetes upgrade. Refer to the Kubernetes documentation on [migrating to use the cloud controller manager](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/administer-cluster/controller-manager-leader-migration/) to see if you need to customize your setup before migrating. Confirm your [migration configuration values](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/administer-cluster/controller-manager-leader-migration/#default-configuration). If your cloud provider provides an implementation of the Node IPAM controller, you also need to [migrate the IPAM controller](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/administer-cluster/controller-manager-leader-migration/#node-ipam-controller-migration).
+
+Starting with Kubernetes v1.26, in-tree persistent volume types `kubernetes.io/azure-disk` and `kubernetes.io/azure-file` are deprecated and no longer supported. There are no plans to remove these drivers following their deprecation, however you should migrate to the corresponding CSI drivers, `disk.csi.azure.com` and `file.csi.azure.com`. To review the migration options for your storage classes and upgrade your cluster to use Azure Disks and Azure Files CSI drivers, see [Migrate from in-tree to CSI drivers](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/csi-migrate-in-tree-volumes).
+:::
+
+<Tabs groupId="k8s-distro">
+<TabItem value="RKE2">
+
+1. Update the cluster config to enable leader migration:
+
+```yaml
+spec:
+  rkeConfig:
+    machineSelectorConfig:
+      - config:
+          kube-controller-manager-arg:
+            - enable-leader-migration
+        machineLabelSelector:
+          matchExpressions:
+            - key: rke.cattle.io/control-plane-role
+              operator: In
+              values:
+                - 'true'
+```
+
+Note that the cloud provider is still `azure` at this step:
+
+```yaml
+spec:
+  rkeConfig:
+    machineGlobalConfig:
+      cloud-provider-name: azure
+```
+
+2. Cordon control plane nodes so that Azure cloud controller pods run on nodes only after upgrading to the external cloud provider:
+
+```shell
+kubectl cordon -l "node-role.kubernetes.io/control-plane=true"
+```
+
+3. To deploy the Azure cloud controller manager, use any of the available options: 
+- UI: Follow steps 1-10 of [Helm chart installation from UI](../set-up-cloud-providers/azure.md#helm-chart-installation-from-ui) to install the cloud controller manager chart.
+- CLI: Follow steps 1-4 of [Helm chart installation from CLI](../set-up-cloud-providers/azure.md#helm-chart-installation-from-cli).
+- Update the cluster's additional manifest: Follow steps 2-3 to [install the cloud controller manager chart](../set-up-cloud-providers/azure.md#using-the-out-of-tree-azure-cloud-provider).
+
+Confirm that the chart is installed but that the new pods aren't running yet due to cordoned controlplane nodes.
+
+4. To enable leader migration, add `--enable-leader-migration` to the container arguments of `cloud-controller-manager`:
+
+```shell 
+kubectl -n kube-system patch deployment cloud-controller-manager \
+--type=json \
+-p='[{"op": "add", "path": "/spec/template/spec/containers/0/args/-", "value": "--enable-leader-migration"}]'
+```
+
+5. Update the provisioning cluster to change the cloud provider and remove leader migration args from the kube controller manager.
+   If upgrading the Kubernetes version, set the Kubernetes version as well in the `spec.kubernetesVersion` section of the cluster YAML file.
+
+```yaml
+spec:
+  rkeConfig:
+    machineGlobalConfig:
+      cloud-provider-name: external
+```
+
+Remove `enable-leader-migration` from the kube controller manager:
+
+```yaml
+spec:
+  rkeConfig:
+    machineSelectorConfig:
+      - config:
+          kube-controller-manager-arg:
+            - enable-leader-migration
+        machineLabelSelector:
+          matchExpressions:
+            - key: rke.cattle.io/control-plane-role
+              operator: In
+              values:
+                - 'true'
+```
+
+6. Uncordon control plane nodes so that Azure cloud controller pods now run on nodes:
+
+```shell
+kubectl uncordon -l "node-role.kubernetes.io/control-plane=true"
+```
+
+7. Update the cluster. The `cloud-controller-manager` pods should now be running.
+
+```shell
+kubectl rollout status deployment -n kube-system cloud-controller-manager
+kubectl rollout status daemonset -n kube-system cloud-node-manager
+```
+
+8. The cloud provider is responsible for setting the ProviderID of the node. Check if all nodes are initialized with the ProviderID:
+
+```shell
+kubectl describe nodes | grep "ProviderID"
+```
+
+9. (Optional) You can also disable leader migration after the upgrade, as leader migration is not required with only one cloud-controller-manager.
+    Update the `cloud-controller-manager` deployment to remove leader migration from the container arguments:
+
+```yaml
+- --enable-leader-migration=true 
+```
+
+</TabItem>
+
+<TabItem value="RKE">
+
+1. Update the cluster config to enable leader migration in `cluster.yml`:
+
+```yaml
+services:
+  kube-controller:
+    extra_args:
+      enable-leader-migration: "true"
+```
+
+Note that the cloud provider is still `azure` at this step:
+
+```yaml
+cloud_provider:
+  name: azure
+```
+
+2. Cordon the control plane nodes, so that Azure cloud controller pods run on nodes only after upgrading to the external cloud provider:
+
+```shell
+kubectl cordon -l "node-role.kubernetes.io/controlplane=true"
+```
+
+3. To install the Azure cloud controller manager, follow the same steps as when installing Azure cloud provider on a new cluster:
+- UI: Follow steps 1-10 of [Helm chart installation from UI](../set-up-cloud-providers/azure.md#helm-chart-installation-from-ui) to install the cloud controller manager chart.
+- CLI: Follow steps 1-4 of [Helm chart installation from CLI](../set-up-cloud-providers/azure.md#helm-chart-installation-from-cli) to install the cloud controller manager chart.
+
+4. Confirm that the chart is installed but that the new pods aren't running yet due to cordoned controlplane nodes. After updating the cluster in the next step, RKE will upgrade and uncordon each node, and schedule `cloud-controller-manager` pods.
+
+5. To enable leader migration, add `--enable-leader-migration` to the container arguments of `cloud-controller-manager`:
+
+```shell 
+kubectl -n kube-system patch deployment cloud-controller-manager \
+--type=json \
+-p='[{"op": "add", "path": "/spec/template/spec/containers/0/args/-", "value": "--enable-leader-migration"}]'
+```
+
+6. Update `cluster.yml` to change the cloud provider to `external` and remove the leader migration arguments from the kube-controller.
+
+```yaml
+rancher_kubernetes_engine_config:
+  cloud_provider:
+    name: external
+```
+
+Remove `enable-leader-migration` if you don't want it enabled in your cluster:
+
+```yaml
+services:
+  kube-controller:
+    extra_args:
+      enable-leader-migration: "true"
+```
+
+7. If you're upgrading the cluster's Kubernetes version, set the Kubernetes version as well.
+
+8. Update the cluster. The `cloud-controller-manager` pods should now be running. 
+
+```shell
+kubectl rollout status deployment -n kube-system cloud-controller-manager
+kubectl rollout status daemonset -n kube-system cloud-node-manager
+```
+
+9. The cloud provider is responsible for setting the ProviderID of the node. Verify that all nodes are initialized with the ProviderID:
+
+```shell
+kubectl describe nodes | grep "ProviderID"
+```
+
+10. (Optional) You can also disable leader migration after the upgrade, as leader migration is not required with only one cloud-controller-manager.
+    Update the `cloud-controller-manager` deployment to remove leader migration from the container arguments:
+
+```yaml
+- --enable-leader-migration=true 
+```
+
+</TabItem>
+</Tabs>
+

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/kubernetes-clusters-in-rancher-setup/migrate-to-an-out-of-tree-cloud-provider/migrate-to-out-of-tree-vsphere.md

@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 ---
-title: Migrating vSphere In-tree to Out-of-tree
+title: Migrating VMware vSphere In-tree to Out-of-tree
 ---
 
 <head>
   <link rel="canonical" href="https://ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/kubernetes-clusters-in-rancher-setup/migrate-to-an-out-of-tree-cloud-provider/migrate-to-out-of-tree-vsphere"/>
 </head>
 
-Kubernetes is moving away from maintaining cloud providers in-tree. vSphere has an out-of-tree cloud provider that can be used by installing the vSphere cloud provider and cloud storage plugins.
+Kubernetes is moving away from maintaining cloud providers in-tree. VMware vSphere has an out-of-tree cloud provider that can be used by installing the vSphere cloud provider and cloud storage plugins.
 
 This page covers how to migrate from the in-tree vSphere cloud provider to out-of-tree, and manage the existing VMs post migration.
 

docs/how-to-guides/new-user-guides/kubernetes-clusters-in-rancher-setup/node-requirements-for-rancher-managed-clusters.md

@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ Regarding CPU and memory, it is recommended that the different planes of Kuberne
 
 For hardware recommendations for large Kubernetes clusters, refer to the official Kubernetes documentation on [building large clusters.](https://kubernetes.io/docs/setup/best-practices/cluster-large/)
 
-For hardware recommendations for etcd clusters in production, refer to the official [etcd documentation.](https://etcd.io/docs/v3.4.0/op-guide/hardware/)
+For hardware recommendations for etcd clusters in production, refer to the official [etcd documentation.](https://etcd.io/docs/v3.5/op-guide/hardware/)
 
 ## Networking Requirements