Kubeblocks Reconfigure Parameters

Reconfigure Database Parameters

Overview

KubeBlocks allows modifying database configuration parameters through the OpsRequest CR with type: Reconfiguring. Parameters are categorized as:

• Dynamic: Applied immediately without restart (e.g. max_connections for MySQL)
• Static: Requires a rolling restart of pods to take effect (e.g. innodb_buffer_pool_size for MySQL)

KubeBlocks automatically determines whether a restart is needed based on the parameter type.

Official docs: https://kubeblocks.io/docs/preview/user_docs/kubeblocks-for-mysql/configuration/configure-cluster-parameters

Pre-Check

Before proceeding, verify the cluster is healthy and no other operation is running:

# Cluster must be Running
kubectl get cluster <cluster-name> -n <namespace> -o jsonpath='{.status.phase}'

# No pending OpsRequests
kubectl get opsrequest -n <namespace> -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=<cluster-name> --field-selector=status.phase!=Succeed

If the cluster is not Running or has a pending OpsRequest, wait for it to complete before proceeding.

Check current parameter values via the relevant ConfigMap:

kubectl get configmap -n <namespace> -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=<cluster-name>

Workflow

- [ ] Step 1: Identify the parameter to change
- [ ] Step 2: Create Reconfiguring OpsRequest
- [ ] Step 3: Verify the change

Step 1: Identify the Parameter

Check current configuration values:

# List config templates for the cluster
kubectl get configurations -n <ns> -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=<cluster>

For a reference of common parameters per addon, see reference.md.

Step 2: Create Reconfiguring OpsRequest

Single Parameter Change

apiVersion: operations.kubeblocks.io/v1alpha1
kind: OpsRequest
metadata:
  name: <cluster>-reconfigure
  namespace: <ns>
spec:
  clusterName: <cluster>
  type: Reconfiguring
  reconfigures:
  - componentName: <component>
    parameters:
    - key: max_connections
      value: "500"

Multiple Parameters

apiVersion: operations.kubeblocks.io/v1alpha1
kind: OpsRequest
metadata:
  name: <cluster>-reconfigure
  namespace: <ns>
spec:
  clusterName: <cluster>
  type: Reconfiguring
  reconfigures:
  - componentName: <component>
    parameters:
    - key: max_connections
      value: "500"
    - key: innodb_buffer_pool_size
      value: "2147483648"

Before applying, validate with dry-run:

kubectl apply -f reconfigure-ops.yaml --dry-run=server

If dry-run reports errors, fix the YAML before proceeding.

Apply it:

kubectl apply -f reconfigure-ops.yaml

Step 3: Verify the Change

Watch OpsRequest Status

kubectl get ops <cluster>-reconfigure -n <ns> -w

Success condition: .status.phase = Succeed | Typical: 2-8min | If stuck >15min: kubectl describe ops <cluster>-reconfigure -n <ns>

Status progression:

• Pending → Running → Succeed (dynamic parameters)
• Pending → Running → Restarting → Succeed (static parameters, triggers rolling restart)

Verify Parameter Value

Connect to the database and check:

# MySQL
kubectl exec -it <pod> -n <ns> -- mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'max_connections';"

# PostgreSQL
kubectl exec -it <pod> -n <ns> -- psql -U postgres -c "SHOW max_connections;"

# Redis
kubectl exec -it <pod> -n <ns> -- redis-cli CONFIG GET maxmemory

Dynamic vs Static Parameters

KubeBlocks handles the restart automatically for static parameters. Secondary pods restart first, then a switchover occurs, and the original primary restarts last — minimizing downtime.

Troubleshooting

OpsRequest fails with validation error:

• Check that the parameter key exists for the addon
• Verify the value is within the allowed range
• Ensure the component name is correct: kubectl get cluster <cluster> -n <ns> -o jsonpath='{.spec.componentSpecs[*].name}'

Rolling restart takes too long:

• Static parameter changes trigger sequential pod restarts
• Check pod status: kubectl get pods -n <ns> -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=<cluster> -w

Additional Reference

For a list of common tunable parameters per database addon, see reference.md.

For general agent safety conventions (dry-run, status confirmation, production protection), see safety-patterns.md.