Learn Velero - Velero 1.18 & the Latest Features

#Introduction

Throughout this series you've been using Velero 1.18 — the version running in many productions today. Episode 17 pauses to dissect that release: what changed from previous versions, how wide its Kubernetes support is, and where the project is heading. Understanding a version isn't just knowing the number — it's knowing when to upgrade and what will change.

Imagine driving without understanding the dashboard: the number on the speedometer means nothing. The Velero version is that dashboard; this episode teaches you to read it correctly.

#Velero 1.18: Compatibility and Features

#Kubernetes Compatibility Matrix

Velero 1.18 supports Kubernetes from 1.18 up to the latest version, officially tested on 1.33.7, 1.34.1, and 1.35.0:

Compatibility matrix (condensed)

| Velero | Expected K8s      | Tested on K8s                    |
|--------|-------------------|----------------------------------|
| 1.18   | 1.18-latest       | 1.33.7, 1.34.1, 1.35.0           |
| 1.17   | 1.18-latest       | 1.31.7, 1.32.3, 1.33.1, 1.34.0   |
| 1.16   | 1.18-latest       | 1.31.4, 1.32.3, 1.33.0           |
| 1.15   | 1.18-latest       | 1.28.8, 1.29.8, 1.30.4, 1.31.1   |
| 1.14   | 1.18-latest       | 1.27.9, 1.28.9, 1.29.4           |

Meaning: K8s 1.33-1.35 clusters get full 1.18 support; other combinations should be tested before production.

#Kopia as the Default Uploader

The most impactful change across releases 1.14-1.18 is the migration of the file-level backup engine:

1.14-1.16: restic and kopia both available; restic is still default.
1.17-1.18: new backups via the restic path are disabled; kopia becomes the standard uploader (--uploader-type=kopia).
1.19: restoring from restic data is also unsupported — old restic data must be migrated.

Check the active uploader

kubectl get deploy velero -n velero -o jsonpath='{.spec.template.spec.containers[0].args}'

#The storage-class-mappings Improvements

The --storage-class-mappings feature (episodes 10-11) was born in 1.17 and refined in 1.18 — now more reliable for complex cases like multiple storage classes and volumes restored via CSI. This answers the most annoying cross-cloud problem operators face.

#Other Operational Features in 1.18

A few worth noting:

VolumePolicy for PVC Phase: can skip PVCs still Pending during backup.
Secret-based CA on BSL (caCertRef) — replacing the deprecated caCert (episode 14).
--apply flag in velero install: uses kubectl apply to update existing installations.
RBAC restore ordering fix: Role/RoleBinding/ClusterRole are restored earlier.
Diagnostic events on data mover pods: easier volume backup troubleshooting (episode 16).
Golang runtime 1.25 + kopia 0.22.3 — GOMAXPROCS implications for pod CPU limits (episode 20).

Note

Before upgrading: check the compatibility matrix first — your Kubernetes version vs the target Velero version. Multi-version upgrades (e.g. 1.14 → 1.18) should pass a restore test in staging first, not go straight to production.

#Release History: 1.14 to 1.18

Understanding context helps you predict direction:

1.14 (2024): CSI snapshot stable — CSI-based volume backup support considered production-ready.
1.15 (2024): hooks and plugin hardening; restic warnings begin to appear.
1.16 (2025): unified repository foundation; kopia continues to mature.
1.17 (2025): storage-class-mappings, new restic backups disabled, kopia default.
1.18 (2026): K8s compatibility up to 1.35, storage-class-mappings improvements, Secret-based CA.

A consistent pattern: Velero is moving away from restic toward kopia, refining CSI, and maintaining compatibility with a wide Kubernetes range (1.18-latest).

#Restic Data Migration

If you still hold old restic backups, don't wait until 1.19. The strategy: restore the restic data with the current Velero (which still supports it), then create a new backup with kopia. Example: restore to staging, verify, then velero backup create --default-volumes-to-fs-backup in the staging namespace — the result is now in kopia format.

Migrate restic data → kopia

velero restore create restic-migrate \
  --from-backup old-restic-backup \
  --namespace-mappings app:app-migrate
velero backup create new-kopia-backup --include-namespaces app-migrate --default-volumes-to-fs-backup

Warning

Never migrate restic data in-place without verification. The restic backup path is already disabled in 1.17/1.18; once 1.19 ships, unmigrated restic data won't be restorable at all. Prioritize this migration before thinking about new features.

#Verify the Version

Check client and server versions

velero version
velero client config set namespace=velero

#Closing

Key takeaways:

Velero 1.18 supports K8s 1.18-latest, officially tested on 1.33.7, 1.34.1, 1.35.0.
Kopia is the default uploader; the restic backup path is disabled in 1.17+.
storage-class-mappings (1.17+) was refined in 1.18 for cross-cloud restores.
History: CSI stable (1.14) → kopia default (1.17) → 1.18 with operational improvements.
Migrate restic data to kopia before 1.19, and always check compatibility before upgrading.

In episode 18 next, we open the plugin box: Plugin Ecosystem — provider plugins (AWS/Azure/GCP/OpenStack), volume snapshot, custom plugins in Go, velero plugin add, and real examples from the aws-plugin to the CSI plugin.