Keycloak is a popular open-source IAM solution, providing SSO, identity brokering, and flexible authentication/authorization. It supports modern identity protocols like OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and SAML 2.0, making it broadly compatible with a wide range of applications and services. Keycloak's Quarkus-based runtime is optimized for Kubernetes, supporting high availability and RBAC integration, making it essential for secure and scalable environments.

However, upgrading Keycloak deployments can be complex, introducing risks such as breaking changes, deprecated APIs, or database migrations that could disrupt critical authentication flows. In this post, we’ll show how Chkk’s Operational Safety Platform provides an end-to-end solution for managing Keycloak upgrades. From curated release notes and preflight checks to structured Upgrade Templates and preverification, Chkk helps you confidently upgrade Keycloak without the usual risk of disruptions or downtime.

Chkk’s Coverage for Keycloak

Curated Release Notes

Chkk continuously monitors Keycloak’s updates and curates operational summaries tailored for your environment. It spotlights critical changes such as security fixes, database schema migrations, updated hashing algorithms, or removed features. Instead of parsing every upstream release note yourself, you’ll receive concise pointers about potential breakages or important updates. This ensures you don’t overlook subtle changes (for example, tweaks to token lifespans or encryption defaults) that could impact your deployments.

Preflight & Postflight Checks

Chkk runs automated preflight checks before a Keycloak upgrade and postflight checks after the upgrade to verify system health and compatibility. Preflight checks validate that your database is ready for the new Keycloak version, flag any usage of deprecated APIs or configuration that the new release no longer supports, and ensure your chosen installation method is compatible. 

After the upgrade, Chkk’s postflight checks confirm that the new Keycloak pods are running properly, realms and client configurations have migrated successfully, and user login flows are functioning as expected. This two-step validation catches common issues, allowing you to upgrade with confidence, knowing each stage has been thoroughly validated.

Version Recommendations

Chkk tracks Keycloak’s release lifecycle and support policies to alert you when your deployed version is outdated or about to enter end-of-life status. It intelligently maps Keycloak’s changes against your environment, warning you about major version upgrades that include deprecated features or required config changes. Chkk will recommend stable Keycloak versions that align with your Kubernetes cluster and other dependencies, highlighting known issues to be aware of. 

Upgrade Templates

Chkk provides Upgrade Templates for both in-place rolling upgrades and blue-green deployment strategies. These step-by-step instructions cover everything from backing up the Keycloak database to performing a canary rollout of the new version and running smoke tests on authentication flows. By following Chkk’s Upgrade Templates, teams can minimize human error and execute Keycloak upgrades in a safe, standardized way.

Preverification

For complex Keycloak upgrades, Chkk’s preverification feature is invaluable. It spins up a mirrored test environment that simulates your production Keycloak deployment and then rehearses the entire upgrade process there first. This real-world dry run catches issues like incompatible customizations, outdated database schemas, or broken SPIs before they impact your production users. By resolving any problems in this isolated rehearsal, you can proceed to upgrade your live Keycloak with confidence. 

Supported Packages

Chkk works seamlessly with whatever packaging or deployment method you use for Keycloak. Whether you installed Keycloak via the official Helm chart, deploy it using the Keycloak Operator, manage it with Kustomize or raw Kubernetes manifests, or even run custom-built Keycloak images from a private registry – Chkk’s platform will detect your installation approach and tailor its checks accordingly. 

Chkk’s Core Benefits

Chkk Operational Safety Platform simplifies upgrades, reduces risk, and keeps your Kubernetes infrastructure operational. Here’s how that applies to Keycloak upgrades:

• Speed Up and De-Risk Upgrades: Manually upgrading Keycloak is time-consuming. Chkk accelerates the process and makes it safer by generating a detailed Upgrade Plan for each cluster. This plan spans all components—control plane, node versions, add-ons, and dependencies—and flags required changes, including recommended add-on versions or deprecated APIs. Instead of piecing together requirements from various release notes, teams receive a clear and actionable upgrade path. Chkk’s automation can cut upgrade preparation time by 3-5x, reducing weeks of planning to just days.
• Eliminate Redundant Effort: Many organizations squander countless hours on repetitive upgrade planning and research. By unifying upgrade workflows across teams, Chkk prevents duplication of effort and ensures that insights and processes don’t need to be reinvented with every release. This consolidation of efforts can save thousands of hours.
• Delegate, Parallelize, and Standardize Workflows: Chkk makes it easy to break out upgrade tasks among team members, all while maintaining standardized workflows that reduce confusion and boost efficiency. Engineers spend less time context-switching, and institutional knowledge is retained and shared effectively. During staff turnover or organizational changes, having a historical record of upgrade best practices prevents delays.
• Enhance Operational Safety: Kubernetes upgrades introduce inherent risk, but Chkk helps you detect and fix potential problems before they cause disruptions. With automated risk detection, your team can prevent hundreds of potential breakages annually—for every hundred clusters—saving significant break-fix effort. By focusing on proactive measures, you can innovate rather than constantly firefighting.

Simplify Upgrades for Keycloak and 100s of Other Kubernetes Add-ons

Try Chkk Upgrade Copilot to experience how these extended capabilities can simplify your upgrade processes for Keycloak and 100s of other Kubernetes Add-ons, Application Services, and Open Source Projects. We look forward to helping you achieve seamless, secure, and efficient operations. 

Click below to start for free or book a demo to learn more.