Where Does kOps Store Cluster State?
kOps keeps cluster state in a state store bucket plus local pointer config in ~/.kops on every OS.
Last updated
kOps splits pointer from state. Local files (~/.kops.yaml or ~/.kops/config) record which state store to use. The store itself (usually S3) holds cluster specs, keys, and generated configs that nodes consume.
Back up the bucket, not the laptop. Local pointer files rebuild in seconds; a lost state store means reconstructing the cluster definition from running infrastructure. Version the bucket with object versioning enabled.
Where kOps stores this, by platform
~/.kops/config
Local pointer config; real state in the KOPS_STATE_STORE bucket. Flags beat env, env beats files. Back up the bucket itself.
~/.kops/config
Same pointer-file semantics as Linux. State store buckets are cloud-side and OS-independent.
%USERPROFILE%\.kops\config
Same home-directory pointer files. State stays in the cloud bucket regardless of operator OS.
Frequently asked questions
How do I move a kOps state store?
Sync the state-store bucket to the new location and update KOPS_STATE_STORE plus configBase references. Nodes pull from the new store on next update.
Where does kOps actually keep cluster config?
Set KOPS_STATE_STORE or pass the state flag; both beat the local pointer config. The bucket holds the real config; local files only point at it.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.