---
slug: "azure-aks-kubenet-networking-retirement"
title: "Azure Kubernetes Service: kubenet networking retirement"
summary: "Retirement date for kubenet networking on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): 31 Mar 2028. From that date, workloads running on kubenet for AKS are no longer supported."
cloud: "azure"
service: "Azure Kubernetes Service"
service_slug: "aks"
category: "feature"
type: "retirement"
announced_date: "2025-03-18"
effective_date: "2028-03-31"
effective_precision: "day"
replacement: "Azure CNI overlay"
affected_versions: []
source_url: "https://azure.microsoft.com/updates?id=485172"
extra_source_urls: ["https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/aks/upgrade-aks-ipam-and-dataplane"]
vendor_ref: "485172"
last_checked_at: "2026-11-12T09:55:19.345Z"
created_at: "2026-11-13T13:36:44.208Z"
updated_at: "2026-11-13T13:36:44.208Z"
url: "https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-aks-kubenet-networking-retirement"
short_url: "https://eolwatch.dev/i/9g"
markdown_url: "https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-aks-kubenet-networking-retirement.md"
json_url: "https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-aks-kubenet-networking-retirement.json"
source_note: null
---

# Azure Kubernetes Service: kubenet networking retirement

Retirement date for kubenet networking on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): 31 Mar 2028. From that date, workloads running on kubenet for AKS are no longer supported.

- Effective date: 31 Mar 2028
- Cloud: [Azure](https://eolwatch.dev/cloud/azure.md)
- Service: [Azure Kubernetes Service](https://eolwatch.dev/services/azure/aks.md)
- Type: Retirement
- Category: [Feature](https://eolwatch.dev/categories/features.md)
- Replacement: Azure CNI overlay
- Announced: 18 Mar 2025
- Official source: [azure.microsoft.com](https://azure.microsoft.com/updates?id=485172)
- Last checked: 12 Nov 2026

## What breaks

Kubenet networking for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) is retired on 31 Mar 2028. From that date, workloads running on kubenet for AKS are no longer supported. Microsoft states that an upgrade before that date is needed to avoid service disruptions.

## Who is affected

### Matching resource types

- `microsoft.containerservice/managedclusters`
- `azurerm_kubernetes_cluster`

### Fields the check reads

- `properties.networkprofile.networkplugin`
- `network_profile.network_plugin`

### Detected by the estate check from

- Terraform state or plan (JSON)
- ARM template

## What to do

Follow the Microsoft instructions to [upgrade to Azure Container Networking Interface (CNI) overlay](https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/aks/upgrade-aks-ipam-and-dataplane) before the retirement date. Azure CNI overlay provides the same IP address overlay architecture as kubenet.

## Replacement

Azure CNI overlay

## Sources

- [Official source](https://azure.microsoft.com/updates?id=485172) (azure.microsoft.com, Official)
- [Additional source](https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/aks/upgrade-aks-ipam-and-dataplane) (learn.microsoft.com, Official)

Last checked against the first source in this list on 12 Nov 2026.

Page: https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-aks-kubenet-networking-retirement | JSON: https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-aks-kubenet-networking-retirement.json

The text on this page is drafted with AI assistance from the vendor's text, checked against the official source and approved by a person before it is published.