Metal³

What it does

Audience

The project describes use cases including provisioning on-premises Kubernetes cluster nodes and managing bare-metal machines in testing or high-performance computing labs.checked 8 Oct 2026

Bare-metal lifecycle

Metal³ can enroll bare-metal machines, provision operating system images, and manage Kubernetes clusters deployed on them.checked 8 Oct 2026

Cluster API

Cluster API Provider Metal3 enables users to deploy Cluster API-based clusters on bare-metal infrastructure using Metal³.checked 8 Oct 2026

Community support

The project offers community support through Kubernetes Slack, a mailing list, and a weekly community call.checked 8 Oct 2026

Deployment security

The security guide says quick-start defaults such as minimal TLS, an unauthenticated image server, and cluster-wide permissions are intended for evaluation rather than production.checked 8 Oct 2026

Hardware limits

Only Ironic is currently supported as a provisioner, and the FAQ says support for other provisioners is not on the roadmap.checked 8 Oct 2026

Hardware protocols

Metal³ supports network boot with iPXE and virtual media boot on compatible hardware using remote management protocols such as IPMI and Redfish.checked 8 Oct 2026

Hardware support

The project supports x86_64 and AARCH64, but mixed-architecture clusters are not supported yet.checked 8 Oct 2026

Host management

Bare Metal Operator inspects host hardware, can configure RAID and firmware, provisions images, and can clean disks before and after provisioning.checked 8 Oct 2026

Operating system images

Metal³ can use operating systems available in a cloud image format, and first-boot customization requires cloud-init or a similar tool in the image.checked 8 Oct 2026

Operating systems

Metal³ can install operating systems available in a cloud image format, and first-boot configuration requires cloud-init or a similar tool.checked 8 Oct 2026

Project status

Metal³ is a Cloud Native Computing Foundation incubating project.checked 8 Oct 2026

Provisioning

Metal³ can discover hardware, configure BIOS and RAID, clean disks, install operating system images, deploy Kubernetes, and perform rolling upgrades.checked 8 Oct 2026

Provisioning backend

Metal³ uses OpenStack Ironic for bare-metal provisioning, and Ironic can run as a standalone service without other OpenStack services.checked 8 Oct 2026

Provisioning limit

Ironic is currently the only supported provisioner; the FAQ says other provisioners are not on the current roadmap.checked 8 Oct 2026

Provisioning protocols

Supported hardware uses remote management protocols such as IPMI and Redfish, with network boot or, on some hardware, virtual media boot.checked 8 Oct 2026

Purpose

Metal³ is an open-source project that provides tools for managing bare-metal infrastructure using Kubernetes.checked 8 Oct 2026

Security

The project directs suspected vulnerability reports to its security mailing list and documents severity assessment, fixes, and disclosure handling.checked 8 Oct 2026

Security guidance

The security guide recommends hardening TLS, Ironic authentication, provisioning network access, and Bare Metal Operator permissions for production deployments.checked 8 Oct 2026

Security reporting

The project asks that suspected vulnerabilities be reported to its [email protected] mailing list.checked 8 Oct 2026

Standalone use

Cluster API is optional; the Baremetal Operator can be used independently through the Kubernetes API for bare-metal provisioning.checked 8 Oct 2026

Support and community

The project guide lists Kubernetes Slack, a mailing list, and a weekly community call as ways to connect with the community.checked 8 Oct 2026

Supported architectures

The FAQ lists x86_64 and AARCH64 support, but says mixed architectures are not supported yet.checked 8 Oct 2026