---
title: "Kubernetes 1.9: Apps Workloads GA and Expanded Ecosystem"
date: 2017-12-15
slug: kubernetes-19-workloads-expanded-ecosystem
url: /blog/2017/12/Kubernetes-19-Workloads-Expanded-Ecosystem
evergreen: true
author: >
[Kubernetes v1.9 Release Team](https://github.com/kubernetes/sig-release/blob/master/releases/release-1.9/release_team.md)
---
We’re pleased to announce the delivery of Kubernetes 1.9, our fourth and final release this year.
Today’s release continues the evolution of an increasingly rich feature set, more robust stability, and even greater community contributions. As the fourth release of the year, it gives us an opportunity to look back at the progress made in key areas. Particularly notable is the advancement of the Apps Workloads API to stable. This removes any reservations potential adopters might have had about the functional stability required to run mission-critical workloads. Another big milestone is the beta release of Windows support, which opens the door for many Windows-specific applications and workloads to run in Kubernetes, significantly expanding the implementation scenarios and enterprise readiness of Kubernetes.
## Workloads API GA
We’re excited to announce General Availability (GA) of the [apps/v1 Workloads API](/docs/reference/workloads-18-19/), which is now enabled by default. The Apps Workloads API groups the DaemonSet, Deployment, ReplicaSet, and StatefulSet APIs together to form the foundation for long-running stateless and stateful workloads in Kubernetes. Note that the Batch Workloads API (Job and CronJob) is not part of this effort and will have a separate path to GA stability.
Deployment and ReplicaSet, two of the most commonly used objects in Kubernetes, are now stabilized after more than a year of real-world use and feedback. [SIG Apps](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/tree/master/sig-apps) has applied the lessons from this process to all four resource kinds over the last several release cycles, enabling DaemonSet and StatefulSet to join this graduation. The v1 (GA) designation indicates production hardening and readiness, and comes with the guarantee of long-term backwards compatibility.
## Windows Support (beta)
Kubernetes was originally developed for Linux systems, but as our users are realizing the benefits of container orchestration at scale, we are seeing demand for Kubernetes to run Windows workloads. Work to support Windows Server in Kubernetes began in earnest about 12 months ago. [SIG-Windows](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/tree/master/sig-windows)has now promoted this feature to beta status, which means that we can evaluate it for [usage](/docs/getting-started-guides/windows/).
## Storage Enhancements
From the first release, Kubernetes has supported multiple options for persistent data storage, including commonly-used NFS or iSCSI, along with native support for storage solutions from the major public and private cloud providers. As the project and ecosystem grow, more and more storage options have become available for Kubernetes. Adding volume plugins for new storage systems, however, has been a challenge.
Container Storage Interface (CSI) is a cross-industry standards initiative that aims to lower the barrier for cloud native storage development and ensure compatibility. [SIG-Storage](https://github.com/kubernetes/community/tree/master/sig-storage) and the [CSI Community](https://github.com/container-storage-interface/community) are collaborating to deliver a single interface for provisioning, attaching, and mounting storage compatible with Kubernetes.
Kubernetes 1.9 introduces an [alpha implementation](https://github.com/kubernetes/features/issues/178) of the Container Storage Interface (CSI), which will make installing new volume plugins as easy as deploying a pod, and enable third-party storage providers to develop their solutions without the need to add to the core Kubernetes codebase.
Because the feature is alpha in 1.9, it must be explicitly enabled and is not recommended for production usage, but it indicates the roadmap working toward a more extensible and standards-based Kubernetes storage ecosystem.