Quick Start

vCluster provisions isolated Kubernetes tenant clusters. The tenant clusters can go on your existing infrastructure, or they can be built from scratch on bare metal and VMs. Each tenant gets a full Kubernetes API experience while the virtualized control plane stays completely invisible to them. Choose the path that fits your environment.

Do you have a Kubernetes cluster?

• Yes — What are you building?

  • An internal developer platform or CI environment → Use the Shared Nodes guide (tenants share the existing node pool).
  • A GPU cloud, AI inference service, or regulated platform that needs dedicated infrastructure per tenant → Use the Private Nodes guide (each tenant gets its own nodes).

• No — What do you need to create?

  • Local development or CI without real infrastructure → Use the Docker (vind) guide.
  • A production platform from bare metal or VMs → Use the Standalone guide.

Choose your guide

Shared Nodes

You have a Kubernetes cluster and want isolated environments for your team. No extra infrastructure. Works with OSS CLI or Platform.

Private Nodes

You need hardware-level isolation per tenant for GPU workloads or regulated environments. Requires vCluster Platform (free mode OK).

Docker (vind)

You want an ephemeral cluster for local development or CI. No Kubernetes required — just Docker.

Standalone

You're building a managed Kubernetes platform from bare metal or VMs. Bootstrap a Control Plane Cluster and install Platform in one pass.

Not sure which path fits your environment? Read What is vCluster? to understand the deployment models and tradeoffs.