# How to check compatibility between EKS Kubernetes version and AWX Operator/AWX? **URL:** \ **Category:** Get Help\ **Tags:** kubernetes, awx-operator, upgrade, awx\ **Created:** [May 1, 2025, 10:03am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-check-compatibility-between-eks-kubernetes-version-and-awx-operator-awx/42329 "2025-05-01T10:03:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![satokom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@satokom](https://forum.ansible.com/u/satokom)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 10:03am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-check-compatibility-between-eks-kubernetes-version-and-awx-operator-awx/42329/1 "2025-05-01T10:03:53Z")
I would like a **reliable method to verify that the Kubernetes version running on Amazon EKS is officially compatible with the version of AWX Operator / AWX that we are using**. - I’m not sure **which documents or release pages** to check, or **when an upgrade becomes mandatory or strongly recommended**. ## 📜 **What I’ve Checked So Far** 1. **AWX Operator Release Notes** - [https://github.com/ansible/awx-operator/releases](https://github.com/ansible/awx-operator/releases) - Some releases say “_Tested against Kubernetes vX.Y_”, but not all. ## ❓ **Questions** 1. **Is there an officially maintained compatibility matrix** (EKS minor ←→ AWX Operator / AWX) beyond the scattered notes above? 2. **When should we plan an upgrade?** - E.g., Operator minor behind two releases? - EKS entering extended support? Any links, success stories, or official guidance would be highly appreciated. Thanks for your time! ---
**Author:** ![motorbass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@motorbass](https://forum.ansible.com/u/motorbass)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2025, 8:21am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-check-compatibility-between-eks-kubernetes-version-and-awx-operator-awx/42329/2 "2025-05-05T08:21:39Z")
Hi, I’m not an expert but here’s how I proceed since years : - When a new version is released, I’m looking if there’s major evolution from my current version (awx and awx-operator), depends on what’s new, i’m testing the release apart from my current production setup. - Else, i still keep in mind to update/upgrades the whole chain : k8s version \> k8s components (in my case metalLB/ingress-nginx) \> helm chart (awx-operator) I try to still have the most updated K8s version my platform and components allow. - Then I first backup my AWX configuration using `awx export` cli Then, I upgrade awx-operator If i face an issue, so I simply rollback with Helm. I used to perform 2 upgrades per year, however, as AWX is currently completely refactored, next time will probably be a fresh new installation 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![satokom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@satokom](https://forum.ansible.com/u/satokom)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 12:26pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-check-compatibility-between-eks-kubernetes-version-and-awx-operator-awx/42329/3 "2025-05-07T12:26:26Z")
Thanks a lot for sharing your approach — this is super helpful! Your upgrade strategy sounds well-balanced, especially the part about decoupling the Kubernetes upgrades from AWX upgrades and keeping a clear backup/rollback flow via Helm and `awx export`. That gives me some confidence that AWX Operator upgrades can be managed relatively safely even without a strict compatibility matrix. I agree that with the recent AWX architecture changes, it may make more sense to treat upcoming versions as fresh setups rather than traditional upgrades. Really appreciate your practical insight! ---
**Author:** ![motorbass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@motorbass](https://forum.ansible.com/u/motorbass)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 1:51pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-check-compatibility-between-eks-kubernetes-version-and-awx-operator-awx/42329/4 "2025-05-07T13:51:50Z")
> [@satokom](#): > > That gives me some confidence that AWX Operator upgrades can be managed relatively safely even without a strict compatibility matrix. Yeah, honestly i learnt K8s basics when i first deployed AWX, and thanks to k8s/helm you can safely try to update/upgrade or even duplicate your instance without breaking anything, just keep a backup somewhere in case of need but if you understand the workflow, it’s ok 🙂 My approach is probably not the best and the most automated, but it fit my needs (we’re a very small team). I remember some others posts (about awx db backup) where people used to get external database, then perform whole database backup. It’s another option.