Google Distributed Cloud node pools also supportContainer-Optimized OS. Container-Optimized OS on Google Distributed Cloud
supportskdumpfor
debugging kernel issues.
Google Distributed Cloud offers the following node image options per OS for your
cluster:
OS
Node images
Status
Container-Optimized OS
cos
General Availability
Ubuntu
ubuntu_containerd
General Availability
Kubernetes version
New Google Distributed Cloud versions sometimes introduce a new Kubernetes version
for clusters. Version changes are announced inRelease notes. To learn which
Kubernetes version your cluster runs, seeVersions.
Preinstalled tools
Google Distributed Cloud's node OS has the following tools preinstalled:arpingcloud-utils,conntrack,logrotate,prips,systemd-container
Google Distributed Cloud's node OS has thedebug-toolboxcontainer image
preinstalled.debug-toolboxincludes several packages for debugging node
issues. You run an accompanying shell script,toolbox, to unpack and run thedebug-toolboxcontainer.Learn about thetoolboxscript.
Networking
As of Google Distributed Cloud version 1.1.0-gke.6, the node OS' default
networking configuration is disabled to support static IP allocation.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-09-04 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eGoogle Distributed Cloud cluster nodes primarily use the ubuntu_containerd node operating system image by default, which is comparable to Google Kubernetes Engine's Ubuntu node image.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eContainer-Optimized OS is also supported as a node image option, offering kdump for kernel debugging.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe node OS comes with several preinstalled tools such as \u003ccode\u003earping\u003c/code\u003e, \u003ccode\u003ecloud-utils\u003c/code\u003e, \u003ccode\u003econntrack\u003c/code\u003e, \u003ccode\u003elogrotate\u003c/code\u003e, \u003ccode\u003eprips\u003c/code\u003e, and \u003ccode\u003esystemd-container\u003c/code\u003e, as well as the \u003ccode\u003edebug-toolbox\u003c/code\u003e container image for troubleshooting node issues.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eAs of version 1.1.0-gke.6, the default networking configuration for the node OS is disabled to accommodate static IP allocation.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Node image\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\nThis page describes the node operating system (node OS) image that runs on\nGoogle Distributed Cloud cluster nodes.\n\nGoogle Distributed Cloud cluster nodes run ubuntu_containerd by default. The\nimage is similar to\n[Google Kubernetes Engine's Ubuntu node\nimage](/kubernetes-engine/docs/concepts/node-images).\n\nGoogle Distributed Cloud node pools also support\n[Container-Optimized OS](/container-optimized-os/docs/concepts/features-and-benefits). Container-Optimized OS on Google Distributed Cloud\nsupports [kdump](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kdump_(Linux)) for\ndebugging kernel issues.\n\nGoogle Distributed Cloud offers the following node image options per OS for your\ncluster:\n\nKubernetes version\n------------------\n\nNew Google Distributed Cloud versions sometimes introduce a new Kubernetes version\nfor clusters. Version changes are announced in\n[Release notes](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.16/release-notes). To learn which\nKubernetes version your cluster runs, see\n[Versions](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.16/version-history).\n\nPreinstalled tools\n------------------\n\n- Google Distributed Cloud's node OS has the following tools preinstalled: `arping` `cloud-utils`, `conntrack`, `logrotate`, `prips`, `systemd-container`\n- Google Distributed Cloud's node OS has the `debug-toolbox` container image preinstalled. `debug-toolbox` includes several packages for debugging node issues. You run an accompanying shell script, `toolbox`, to unpack and run the `debug-toolbox` container. [Learn about the `toolbox` script](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.16/toolbox).\n\nNetworking\n----------\n\nAs of Google Distributed Cloud version 1.1.0-gke.6, the node OS' default\nnetworking configuration is disabled to support static IP allocation.\n\nSecurity\n--------\n\nSee [node security](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.16/concepts/security#node_security)."]]
