Configuration Reference

On this page

Full Schema
networkOperator
docaDriver
nvIpam
sriov / hostdev / rdmaShared / ipoib / macvlan
nicConfigurationOperator
spectrumX
workload
profile
clusterConfig
See Also

The Launch Kit configuration file (typically cluster-config.yaml, produced by l8k discover and consumed by l8k generate) is YAML. This page documents every top-level section.

Full Schema

networkOperator:
  selectedRelease: "26.4"
  version: v26.4.0-beta.8
  componentVersion: network-operator-v26.4.0-beta.8
  repository: nvcr.io/nvstaging/mellanox
  namespace: nvidia-network-operator
  imagePullSecrets: []
  docsBaseURL: https://docs.nvidia.com/networking/display/kubernetes2610

docaDriver:
  enable: true
  version: doca3.4.0-26.04-0.7.5.0-0
  unloadStorageModules: false
  enableNFSRDMA: false
  unloadThirdPartyRDMAModules: false
  skipPreflightChecks: false

nvIpam:
  poolName: nv-ipam-pool
  startingSubnet: "192.168.2.0"
  mask: 24
  offset: 1

sriov:
  ethernetMtu: 9000
  infinibandMtu: 4000
  numVfs: 8
  priority: 90
  resourceName: sriov_resource
  networkName: sriov-network

hostdev:
  resourceName: hostdev-resource
  networkName: hostdev-network

rdmaShared:
  resourceName: rdma_shared_resource
  hcaMax: 63

ipoib:
  networkName: ipoib-network

macvlan:
  networkName: macvlan-network

nicConfigurationOperator:
  deployNicInterfaceNameTemplate: true
  rdmaPrefix: "rdma_r%rail%"
  netdevPrefix: "eth_r%rail%"

spectrumX:
  nicType: "1023"
  overlay: "none"
  rdmaPrefix: "roce_p%plane%_r%rail%"
  netdevPrefix: "eth_p%plane%_r%rail%"

workload:
  manifest: ""

profile:
  fabric: ethernet
  deployment: sriov
  multirail: false
  spectrumX:
    spcxVersion: "RA2.1"
    multiplaneMode: swplb
    numberOfPlanes: 4
  ai: false

clusterConfig:
- identifier: "dgx-b200-nvidia-b200"
  machineType: "DGX-B200"
  productType: "NVIDIA-B200"
  capabilities:
    nodes:
      sriov: true
      rdma: true
      ib: false
  workerNodes: ["worker-0", "worker-1"]
  nodeSelector:
    nvidia.kubernetes-launch-kit.machine: "DGX-B200-NVIDIA-B200"
  thirdPartyRDMAModules: []
  storageModules: []
  linkType: Ethernet
  pfs:
  - deviceID: "1023"
    pciAddress: "0000:05:00.0"
    rdmaDevice: "mlx5_0"
    networkInterface: "net1"
    traffic: east-west
    rail: 0

networkOperator

Network Operator version, image registry, namespace, and pull secrets.

Field	Description
`selectedRelease`	Pin to a release line. Supported: `25.10`, `26.1`, `26.4`. Auto-fills `version` and image tags from an embedded catalog. Equivalent to the `--network-operator-release` flag.
`version`	Explicit Network Operator version. Overrides the catalog when set.
`componentVersion`	Tag for component images (CNI, device plugins, etc.).
`repository`	Container registry (default: `nvcr.io/nvidia/mellanox`).
`namespace`	Operator namespace (default: `nvidia-network-operator`).
`imagePullSecrets`	List of secret names. Propagated to `NicClusterPolicy.spec.global.imagePullSecrets` and per-group `NicNodePolicy` sub-specs.
`docsBaseURL`	Documentation URL embedded in generated annotations.

docaDriver

OFED driver configuration and kernel driver dependencies validation.

Field	Description
`enable`	Include the OFED driver in generated manifests. Set to `false` to skip (or use `--enable-doca-driver` to flip).
`version`	DOCA driver version tag.
`unloadStorageModules`	Unload storage-over-RDMA modules (`nvme_rdma`, `ib_isert`, `rpcrdma`, …). Auto-set to `true` during discovery if such modules are detected.
`unloadThirdPartyRDMAModules`	Unload third-party RDMA modules (`rdma_rxe`, `qedr`, `bnxt_re`, …). Auto-set to `true` during discovery if such modules are detected. Storage and third-party module lists are sourced from the `doca-driver-build` project.
`enableNFSRDMA`	Enable NFS-over-RDMA support.
`skipPreflightChecks`	Skip the kernel driver dependencies validation. Useful for environments where it’s known-good.

See Discover Workflow for how OFED-dependent modules are detected.

nvIpam

NV-IPAM configuration. Either provide an explicit subnets list or let Launch Kit auto-generate non-overlapping subnets per node group.

Field	Description
`poolName`	Pool name used in IPPool CRs.
`subnets`	Explicit list of `{subnet, gateway}` entries. Mutually exclusive with the auto-generation fields.
`startingSubnet`	First subnet for auto-generation (e.g., `192.168.2.0`).
`mask`	Prefix length for auto-generated subnets.
`offset`	Increment used between auto-generated subnets.

sriov / hostdev / rdmaShared / ipoib / macvlan

Profile-specific parameters — only the section for the selected profile is consumed.

Section	Field	Description
`sriov`	`ethernetMtu` / `infinibandMtu`	MTU values per fabric.
`sriov`	`numVfs`	Number of virtual functions per PF.
`sriov`	`priority`	SriovNetworkNodePolicy priority.
`sriov`	`resourceName` / `networkName`	Kubernetes resource and network names.
`hostdev`	`resourceName` / `networkName`	Kubernetes resource and network names for host-device.
`rdmaShared`	`resourceName`	Kubernetes resource name.
`rdmaShared`	`hcaMax`	Maximum HCAs per host (soft limit).
`ipoib`	`networkName`	IPoIB network name.
`macvlan`	`networkName`	MacVLAN network name.

nicConfigurationOperator

Controls when NIC interface names are templated by the NIC Configuration Operator.

Field	Description
`deployNicInterfaceNameTemplate`	“Enable when needed”. Templates are deployed when groups have cross-rail PCI conflicts or when names are otherwise ambiguous. See Heterogeneous Clusters.
`rdmaPrefix`	RDMA device naming template (default: `rdma_r%rail%`).
`netdevPrefix`	Netdev naming template (default: `eth_r%rail%`).

spectrumX

Spectrum-X-specific settings.

Field	Description
`nicType`	NIC type device ID. `1023` = ConnectX-8; `a2dc` = BlueField-3 SuperNIC.
`overlay`	Overlay mode.
`rdmaPrefix`	RDMA device naming template with `%plane%` and `%rail%` substitutions.
`netdevPrefix`	Netdev naming template with `%plane%` and `%rail%` substitutions.

workload

Field	Description
`manifest`	Path to a custom workload manifest. When set, Launch Kit patches it with network annotations, resource requests, and node affinity instead of generating an example DaemonSet. See Generate Workflow.

profile

Profile selection (also overridable via CLI flags).

Field	Description
`fabric`	`ethernet` or `infiniband`.
`deployment`	`sriov`, `rdma_shared`, or `host_device`.
`multirail`	Enable multirail.
`spectrumX.spcxVersion`	Spectrum-X reference architecture (`RA2.1` or `RA2.2`).
`spectrumX.multiplaneMode`	Multiplane mode: `hwplb`, `swplb`, `uniplane`, `none`.
`spectrumX.numberOfPlanes`	Number of planes.

clusterConfig

Discovered node groups, populated by l8k discover. Each entry describes one group.

Field	Description
`identifier`	Sanitised `<machineType>-<gpuType>` (e.g. `dgx-b200-nvidia-h100-nvl`) when both fields are resolved; `group-0` / `group-1` fallback when they aren’t. Used as the NicNodePolicy / SriovNetworkNodePolicy name suffix.
`machineType` / `productType`	Hardware type strings (e.g., `DGX-B200` / `NVIDIA-B200`).
`capabilities.nodes.sriov` / `rdma` / `ib`	Boolean flags reflecting hardware capability.
`workerNodes`	List of node names in this group.
`nodeSelector`	Per-group selector. After `l8k discover`, this is `{nvidia.kubernetes-launch-kit.machine: <machineType>-<gpuType>}` — a label discovery writes onto every node in the group. When `l8k generate` auto-merges groups sharing a GPU type, the merged group falls back to `{nvidia.kubernetes-launch-kit.gpu: <gpuType>}` instead (different source machineTypes can’t share a single machine label). Discovery writes both labels onto every node, so the merged selector has a value to bind to. Configs from earlier l8k versions with old-style differential nodeSelectors are preserved as-is.
`thirdPartyRDMAModules` / `storageModules`	OFED-dependent modules detected on the group.
`presetApplied`	`true` when a topology preset matched `(machineType, gpuType)` and was applied.
`presetDeviation`	List of field-level discrepancies between the matched preset and discovered hardware. Non-empty means the preset was applied but the cluster differs from the preset. Each entry has `field` (`pciAddress` / `deviceID`), `expected`, `got`, and `detail`. See Cluster Topology Presets “Validation and Deviations”.
`linkType`	The discovered fabric for the group: `Ethernet` or `InfiniBand`. Populated by the fabric probe only when every east-west port produces a confirmed verdict (port ACTIVE plus, for IB, a subnet manager is present) and they agree. When omitted, discovery couldn’t prove the cluster’s fabric — downstream code should treat the absence as “unknown”. See Discover Workflow “Fabric Type Detection”.
`pfs`	List of physical functions. Each entry has `deviceID`, `pciAddress`, `rdmaDevice`, `networkInterface`, `traffic` (`east-west` or `north-south`), and `rail` (sequential index for east-west PFs).

North-south PFs are listed for visibility but filtered out of generated manifests. See Overview and Discover Workflow.