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Simplifying Blueprint and Add-on Management with Draft Versions

Managing infrastructure at scale demands both agility and precision—especially when it comes to version control. At Rafay, we have long supported versioning for key configuration objects such as Blueprints and Add-ons, enabling platform teams to roll out changes systematically and maintain operational consistency.

However, as many teams have discovered, managing these versions during testing and validation phases can introduce unnecessary complexity. We are excited to announce a major usability enhancement: Support for Draft Versions.

Why Versioning Matters

Versioning in Rafay’s platform delivers several key advantages:

  • Change Tracking: Keep a historical record of changes made to Blueprints and Add-ons over time
  • Staged Rollouts: Gradually deploy updates across environments and clusters to minimize risk
  • Compliance Assurance: Demonstrate adherence to organizational policies and track Day-2 changes in a controlled way

These capabilities are especially crucial for teams responsible for maintaining secure, production-grade Kubernetes environments

The Challenge: Version Sprawl During Testing

While versioning is powerful, it has traditionally introduced friction during the testing and validation phase. Each time a platform engineer made a minor change to an Add-on or Blueprint, a new version needed to be created—even if the version wasn’t production-ready.

This led to:

  • Version fatigue, with large volumes of partially validated versions cluttering the system
  • Increased manual overhead and inefficiency for platform teams
  • Risk of accidental usage of incomplete configurations in downstream projects

Introducing: Draft Versions for Blueprints and Add-ons

To streamline this process, Rafay now supports a new state: Draft.

When a Blueprint or Add-on is created in Draft state, platform teams can iterate on configurations without creating a new version every time. This enhancement introduces several benefits:

  • Rapid iteration: Modify and test Add-ons and Blueprints multiple times before promoting them to production.
  • Scoped isolation: Draft versions are project-scoped, ensuring they are not shared with downstream projects or environments.
  • Controlled promotion: Once testing is complete, the validated version can be promoted to Active, making it available for use in production clusters.

Draft version

A Typical Workflow with Draft Support

Let’s walk through a real-world scenario to see how this improvement plays out:

graph TD
    A[Need for Update] --> B[Create Draft Version]
    B --> C[Test & Validate Changes]
    C --> D{Validation Complete?}
    D -- No --> B
    D -- Yes --> E[Promote to Active]
    E --> F[Apply to Production Clusters]
    F --> G[Disable Older Versions]
    G --> H[Close Loop with Security/Auditors]

    style B fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style E fill:#bbf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style H fill:#bfb,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px

1. A Need for Update

An add-on needs updating due to a vulnerability or end-of-support (EoS) notice.

2. Draft Phase

The platform team creates a draft version of the updated Add-on. They perform multiple rounds of testing and validation without creating new versions at each step.

Draft status ensures that:

  • Only the current project has visibility into the changes
  • No other production environments are impacted

3. Promote to Active

After successful validation, the team promotes the version to Active. The updated Add-on or Blueprint is now available for use across clusters and downstream projects.

4. Deprecate Old Versions

The team can disable outdated versions, preventing their use in new deployments and reducing confusion.

5. Demonstrate Compliance

With a clean and controlled version history, the platform team closes the loop with security and auditing stakeholders to prove compliance.

Summary

The introduction of Draft Versions for Blueprints and Add-ons is significant for platform teams looking to improve operational efficiency without compromising quality or control. It simplifies version management, encourages safe experimentation, and reinforces secure, compliant delivery practices.

Try it on Preview

Draft version support will be available in Rafay's Preview Environment for all customers before rolling out to Production/SaaS.

Info

Please contact Rafay CS if you do not have access to a Preview Org. We would love to hear your feedback! Please let us know how it’s helping you move faster, manage smarter, and innovate confidently.