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[DOCS#CORE-13923]: Fix the BIRD probe edits for VXLAN-only manifests #3177

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ctauchen merged 2 commits into from
Nov 2, 2026
Merged

[DOCS#CORE-13923]: Fix the BIRD probe edits for VXLAN-only manifests #3177

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5c384c0
CORE-13923: Fix BIRD probe edits for VXLAN-only manifests (next)
caseydavenport Nov 2, 2026
a658310
CORE-13923: Fix BIRD probe edits for VXLAN-only manifests (3.33)
caseydavenport Nov 2, 2026
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35 changes: 27 additions & 8 deletions calico/getting-started/kubernetes/self-managed-onprem/config-options.mdx
View file
Open in desktop
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -129,24 +129,43 @@
- Optionally, (to save some resources if you're running a VXLAN-only cluster) completely disable Calico's BGP-based
networking:
- Replace `calico_backend: "bird"` with `calico_backend: "vxlan"`. This disables BIRD.
- Comment out the line `- -bird-ready` and `- -bird-live` from the calico/node readiness/liveness check (otherwise disabling BIRD will cause the
readiness/liveness check to fail on every node):
- Remove the `- --bird-live` line from the $[nodecontainer] liveness probe and the `- --bird-ready` line from its
readiness probe. Otherwise, disabling BIRD causes both checks to fail on every node, and the kubelet restarts
$[nodecontainer] repeatedly.

After these edits, the $[nodecontainer] probes look like this:

```yaml
livenessProbe:
exec:
command:
- /bin/calico-node
- -felix-live
- -bird-live
- calico
- component
- node
- health
- --felix-live
readinessProbe:
exec:
command:
- /bin/calico-node
- -bird-ready
- -felix-ready
- calico
- component
- node
- health
- --felix-ready
```

Manifests from earlier releases ran `/bin/calico-node` with single-dash flags (`-bird-live` and `-bird-ready`). If you
script these edits, update any pattern that matches the old form.

:::tip

For a VXLAN-only cluster with BGP disabled, you can skip these edits and start from
[calico-vxlan.yaml]($[manifestsUrl]/manifests/calico-vxlan.yaml) instead. It already sets `calico_backend: "vxlan"`

Check warning on line 163 in calico/getting-started/kubernetes/self-managed-onprem/config-options.mdx

View workflow job for this annotation

GitHub Actions / runner / vale 

[vale] reported by reviewdog 🐶
[Vale.Terms] Use 'YAML' instead of 'yaml'.

Raw Output:
{"message":"[Vale.Terms] Use 'YAML' instead of 'yaml'.","location":{"path":"calico/getting-started/kubernetes/self-managed-onprem/config-options.mdx","range":{"start":{"line":163,"column":15},"end":{"line":163,"column":19}}},"severity":"WARNING","code":{"value":"Vale.Terms"}}

Check warning on line 163 in calico/getting-started/kubernetes/self-managed-onprem/config-options.mdx

View workflow job for this annotation

GitHub Actions / runner / vale 

[vale] reported by reviewdog 🐶
[Vale.Terms] Use 'VXLAN' instead of 'vxlan'.

Raw Output:
{"message":"[Vale.Terms] Use 'VXLAN' instead of 'vxlan'.","location":{"path":"calico/getting-started/kubernetes/self-managed-onprem/config-options.mdx","range":{"start":{"line":163,"column":9},"end":{"line":163,"column":14}}},"severity":"WARNING","code":{"value":"Vale.Terms"}}
and leaves the BIRD checks out of the probes. It creates the default IP pool with `CALICO_IPV4POOL_VXLAN` set to
`CrossSubnet`; change the value to `Always` if you need VXLAN for all traffic between nodes.

:::

For more information on $[nodecontainer]'s configuration variables, including additional VXLAN settings, see
[Configuring $[nodecontainer]](../../../reference/configure-calico-node.mdx).

Expand Down
35 changes: 27 additions & 8 deletions .../version-3.33/getting-started/kubernetes/self-managed-onprem/config-options.mdx
View file
Open in desktop
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -129,24 +129,43 @@
- Optionally, (to save some resources if you're running a VXLAN-only cluster) completely disable Calico's BGP-based
networking:
- Replace `calico_backend: "bird"` with `calico_backend: "vxlan"`. This disables BIRD.
- Comment out the line `- -bird-ready` and `- -bird-live` from the calico/node readiness/liveness check (otherwise disabling BIRD will cause the
readiness/liveness check to fail on every node):
- Remove the `- --bird-live` line from the $[nodecontainer] liveness probe and the `- --bird-ready` line from its
readiness probe. Otherwise, disabling BIRD causes both checks to fail on every node, and the kubelet restarts
$[nodecontainer] repeatedly.

After these edits, the $[nodecontainer] probes look like this:

```yaml
livenessProbe:
exec:
command:
- /bin/calico-node
- -felix-live
- -bird-live
- calico
- component
- node
- health
- --felix-live
readinessProbe:
exec:
command:
- /bin/calico-node
- -bird-ready
- -felix-ready
- calico
- component
- node
- health
- --felix-ready
```

Manifests from earlier releases ran `/bin/calico-node` with single-dash flags (`-bird-live` and `-bird-ready`). If you
script these edits, update any pattern that matches the old form.

:::tip

For a VXLAN-only cluster with BGP disabled, you can skip these edits and start from
[calico-vxlan.yaml]($[manifestsUrl]/manifests/calico-vxlan.yaml) instead. It already sets `calico_backend: "vxlan"`

Check warning on line 163 in calico_versioned_docs/version-3.33/getting-started/kubernetes/self-managed-onprem/config-options.mdx

View workflow job for this annotation

GitHub Actions / runner / vale 

[vale] reported by reviewdog 🐶
[Vale.Terms] Use 'YAML' instead of 'yaml'.

Raw Output:
{"message":"[Vale.Terms] Use 'YAML' instead of 'yaml'.","location":{"path":"calico_versioned_docs/version-3.33/getting-started/kubernetes/self-managed-onprem/config-options.mdx","range":{"start":{"line":163,"column":15},"end":{"line":163,"column":19}}},"severity":"WARNING","code":{"value":"Vale.Terms"}}

Check warning on line 163 in calico_versioned_docs/version-3.33/getting-started/kubernetes/self-managed-onprem/config-options.mdx

View workflow job for this annotation

GitHub Actions / runner / vale 

[vale] reported by reviewdog 🐶
[Vale.Terms] Use 'VXLAN' instead of 'vxlan'.

Raw Output:
{"message":"[Vale.Terms] Use 'VXLAN' instead of 'vxlan'.","location":{"path":"calico_versioned_docs/version-3.33/getting-started/kubernetes/self-managed-onprem/config-options.mdx","range":{"start":{"line":163,"column":9},"end":{"line":163,"column":14}}},"severity":"WARNING","code":{"value":"Vale.Terms"}}
and leaves the BIRD checks out of the probes. It creates the default IP pool with `CALICO_IPV4POOL_VXLAN` set to
`CrossSubnet`; change the value to `Always` if you need VXLAN for all traffic between nodes.

:::

For more information on $[nodecontainer]'s configuration variables, including additional VXLAN settings, see
[Configuring $[nodecontainer]](../../../reference/configure-calico-node.mdx).

Expand Down
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