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Update a cluster

To change a running cluster, edit your config and re-run nic deploy. nic is declarative: it compares your config against the cluster's current state and applies only the difference. These steps are the same across all providers; see your provider's page for provider-specific fields.

Apply a change​

Most changes, such as scaling a node group, adding a node group, or changing tags, update the cluster without recreating it. Preview the change first, then apply it:

nic deploy -f <config-file> --dry-run    # show what would change; nothing is modified
nic deploy -f <config-file>              # apply it

Immutable fields​

Some fields (cluster identity, network foundation) can't be changed on a running cluster. Changing one requires destroying and recreating it. The exact fields are provider-specific: see your provider's page.

Reconcile drift​

If something is changed outside nic (for example, in your cloud provider's console), the cluster drifts from your config. To reconcile:

  • Preview: nic deploy --dry-run shows which resources drifted and how nic will fix them.
  • Apply: nic deploy updates them back to your config.