KEP-3015: PreferSameTrafficDistribution to Beta

[danwinship]

Description

Update feature gate data for PreferSameTrafficDistribution for 1.34

Not doing any code/ docs changes at this point; when we go to GA I'll update the docs to more clearly deprecate PreferClose in favor of PreferSameZone.

Issue

kubernetes/enhancements#3015

/hold
until KEP update merges (kubernetes/enhancements#5376)

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[danwinship]

/hold cancel

[lmktfy]

How is this moving to beta without a code change?

I feel like either I have missed something, or we're missing a step as a project.

Can we explain (PR description?) why this change is OK to make?

[danwinship]

Oh, sorry, I copied that comment from the code change PR where it was clear in context that I meant "no code changes other than updating the feature gate definition" 🙂

[lmktfy]

For beta things that are enabled by default, the docs should be the same quality that we expect for production. Ideally also for beta, off-by-default things. “should” not must; even so, a promotion from beta to GA should normally be minor tidying and a metadata change. We (SIG Docs) very very rarely reject graduations to beta provided the docs are at least adequate, but even so, that's the policy we've set.

[danwinship]

minor tidying and a metadata change

This PR is the metadata change. It didn't seem to me that any tidying was needed; the documentation we added for Alpha explains the two new values to the same extent as we explain the existing GA value, but they're still behind the feature gate, so they shouldn't be mixed in with the GA value, but with the metadata change the docs will now indicate that they are available by default, so it didn't seem like anything else was needed.

We eventually need to reorganize the whole section to reflect the deprecation of PreferClose, but PreferClose doesn't actually become deprecated until PreferSameZone is GA, so that will happen in 1.35.

[lmktfy]

Do we need to update https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/service/#traffic-distribution at all? I think we do, because the feature gate is now enabled by default.

[danwinship]

I guess I could change "available when the PreferSameTrafficDistribution feature gate is enabled" to "available (unless the PreferSameTrafficDistribution feature gate is disabled)"?

For the most part, the existing documentation fully describes the feature, and there are no changes to the feature since alpha (other than flipping the feature gate). And the deprecation of PreferClose doesn't happen until PreferSameZone goes GA, so there's nothing to say about that yet either.

[lmktfy]

I guess I could change "available when the PreferSameTrafficDistribution feature gate is enabled" to "available (unless the PreferSameTrafficDistribution feature gate is disabled)"?

Something like that, yes, please. If we don't, people are quite likely to file issues, even if the text is factually correct.

[danwinship]

(Already made that change in the last push)

[michellengnx]

Hello @danwinship 👋! I'm reaching out from the Docs team. Just checking in as we approach Docs Freeze on Wednesday August 6, 2025 18:00 PDT. This documentation appears to still be under review. To meet the Docs Freeze, this PR must have a technical review as well as lgtm and approve labels applied, without any unaddressed comments or concerns from SIG Docs. Thank you!

[thockin]

Thanks!

/lgtm
/approve

[k8s-ci-robot]

LGTM label has been added.

Git tree hash: 3ec90c009b6de8f85c6394ee219aa1eeaa6ba0e8

[katcosgrove]

/approve

Thanks!

[k8s-ci-robot]

[APPROVALNOTIFIER] This PR is APPROVED

This pull-request has been approved by: katcosgrove, thockin

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