Virtual Kubernetes Clusters Gain Automated Node Management
As Kubernetes adoption grows, organizations are increasingly turning to virtual clusters to cut costs and improve resource utilization. vCluster Labs is looking to make those environments easier to manage with the introduction of Auto Nodes, a capability that enables automatic node scaling within virtual Kubernetes clusters.
The new feature is powered by Karpenter, the open source cluster autoscaler originally developed by AWS. With Auto Nodes, IT teams can monitor pods—including unscheduled ones—inside a virtual cluster, dynamically provision new nodes with specific constraints, and automatically remove unused nodes once workloads terminate. This approach helps improve efficiency while reducing the need for manual intervention.
Auto Nodes integrates with existing infrastructure-as-code (IaC) workflows, allowing teams to declaratively manage scaling policies through Terraform, OpenTofu, or similar tools. It also supports specialized frameworks such as NVIDIA Base Command Manager (BCM) for GPU-based AI workloads and KubeVirt, which enables virtual machines to run inside Kubernetes clusters. These integrations make it simpler to scale private nodes in isolation or handle hybrid workloads across cloud and on-premises environments.
According to vCluster Labs, the software provides a way to spin up virtual clusters on shared infrastructure without rewriting application code or changing configurations. That flexibility gives organizations the option to shift workloads based on price, availability, or policy constraints. Just as important, Auto Nodes broadens who can manage clusters—whether through CLIs and YAML files familiar to DevOps engineers or graphical interfaces accessible to IT administrators.
Virtual clusters are most commonly deployed in pre-production today, but more are finding their way into production as cost pressures mount. With automated scaling now part of the platform, the number of virtual clusters—and virtual nodes—may soon exceed that of their physical counterparts.
