CLUSTER_CONFIG: Specifies the
admin cluster configuration
file or the user cluster configuration
file, depending on which cluster you are updating.That cluster configuration file includes a reference
to the vCenter credentials that you want to deploy to your cluster.
ADMIN_CLUSTER_KUBECONFIG: Specifies the
kubeconfig file of the admin cluster.
Example: kubeconfig
For updating credentials for the admin cluster, you must also include the
--admin-cluster flag.
--admin-cluster: Required flag if you are
deploying changes to the admin cluster. Exclude this flag when deploying
changes to a user cluster.
Result: The changed vCenter credentials are immediately validated against
the server and a confirmation is output to the terminal:
"vsphere credentials updated successfully". If the new credentials fail to
log in to the vCenter server, you can edit the username and password in
the credentials file and redeploy your changes.
validating new credentials against vcenter
restarted "deployment/clusterapi-controllers" in namespace "kube-system"
vsphere credentials updated successfully.
Update F5 BIG-IP credentials for an admin cluster or a user cluster
Update the F5 BIG-IP credentials in the F5 web interface.
On your admin workstation, use the following steps to update the F5 BIG-IP
credentials for an admin cluster or a user cluster.
Edit your F5 credentials file to change the credentials.
Update the F5 BIG-IP credentials for your cluster:
Update private registry credentials for an admin cluster or a user cluster (Preview)
You can update the private registry credentials and certificate (server update
is not supported) for a cluster. As you do the update, both the current and
new credentials must be able to connect to the private registry.
On your admin workstation, use the following steps to update the private
registry credentials for an admin cluster or a user cluster.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-29 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eThis guide outlines how to update vCenter, F5 BIG-IP, and private registry credentials for Google Distributed Cloud admin and user clusters.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eUpdating vCenter credentials involves modifying the credentials configuration file and using the \u003ccode\u003egkectl update credentials vsphere\u003c/code\u003e command, with an option for \u003ccode\u003e--admin-cluster\u003c/code\u003e when updating the admin cluster credentials.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eUpdating F5 BIG-IP credentials requires editing the F5 credentials file and running \u003ccode\u003egkectl update credentials f5bigip\u003c/code\u003e, which also has an \u003ccode\u003e--admin-cluster\u003c/code\u003e option.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eUpdating private registry credentials requires modifying the credentials configuration file and deploying them with the \u003ccode\u003egkectl update credentials privateregistry\u003c/code\u003e command.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eUpdating service accounts keys can be accomplished using the guide regarding service account key rotation.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Updating cluster credentials\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\nThis page shows how to update the vCenter and F5 BIG-IP credentials for the admin cluster or a user cluster for Google Distributed Cloud.\n\nUpdate vSphere credentials\n--------------------------\n\nThe vCenter credentials that you want to add to a cluster must already\nexist. [Learn about vCenter roles and user\nprivileges](https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/6.7/com.vmware.vsphere.security.doc/GUID-18071E9A-EED1-4968-8D51-E0B4F526FDA3.html).\n\nThe admin cluster and each user cluster are initially configured to use the\n[vCenter username and password](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.16/how-to/credentials-configuration-file)\nthat you used to create those clusters. The [admin cluster configuration file](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.16/how-to/admin-cluster-configuration-file#vcenter-credentials-fileref-path-field) contains a reference to a credentials file, as does each [user cluster configuration file](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.16/how-to/user-cluster-configuration-file#vcenter-credentials-fileref-path-field). These references can be different for each cluster.\n\nUse the following steps to update the vCenter credentials on a cluster:\n\n1. In the admin workstation, open your [credentials configuration\n file](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.16/how-to/credentials-configuration-file) in an editor.\n\n Update the `username` and `password` attributes in the credentials configuration file.\n2. Run the `gkectl update credentials vsphere`\n command to deploy the changes to a cluster:\n\n ```\n gkectl update credentials vsphere \\\n --config CLUSTER_CONFIG \\\n --kubeconfig CLUSTER_KUBECONFIG \\\n --admin-cluster\n ```\n\n Replace the following:\n - \u003cvar class=\"edit\" translate=\"no\"\u003eCLUSTER_CONFIG\u003c/var\u003e: Specifies the [admin cluster configuration\n file](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.16/how-to/admin-cluster-configuration-file) or the [user cluster configuration\n file](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.16/how-to/user-cluster-configuration-file), depending on which cluster you are updating.That cluster configuration file includes a reference to the vCenter credentials that you want to deploy to your cluster.\n - \u003cvar class=\"edit\" translate=\"no\"\u003eADMIN_CLUSTER_KUBECONFIG\u003c/var\u003e: Specifies the [`kubeconfig`](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.16/how-to/create-admin-cluster#create-admin-cluster) file of the admin cluster. Example: `kubeconfig`\n\n For updating credentials for the admin cluster, you must also include the\n `--admin-cluster` flag.\n - `--admin-cluster`: Required flag if you are deploying changes to the admin cluster. Exclude this flag when deploying changes to a user cluster.\n\n Result: The changed vCenter credentials are immediately validated against\n the server and a confirmation is output to the terminal:\n \"`vsphere credentials updated successfully`\". If the new credentials fail to\n log in to the vCenter server, you can edit the `username` and `password` in\n the credentials file and redeploy your changes.\n\n **Examples:**\n - User cluster example:\n\n ```\n gkectl update credentials vsphere \\\n --config USER_CLUSTER_CONFIG --kubeconfig ADMIN_CLUSTER_KUBECONFIG\n ```\n\n If successful, the result output indicates that the vSphere credentials have updated successfully.\n - Admin cluster example:\n\n ```\n gkectl update credentials vsphere \\\n --config ADMIN_CLUSTER_CONFIG --kubeconfig ADMIN_CLUSTER_KUBECONFIG \\\n --admin-cluster\n ```\n\n Result: \n\n ```\n validating new credentials against vcenter\n restarted \"deployment/clusterapi-controllers\" in namespace \"kube-system\"\n vsphere credentials updated successfully.\n ```\n\nUpdate F5 BIG-IP credentials for an admin cluster or a user cluster\n-------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nUpdate the F5 BIG-IP credentials in the F5 web interface.\n\nOn your admin workstation, use the following steps to update the F5 BIG-IP\ncredentials for an admin cluster or a user cluster.\n\n1. Edit your F5 credentials file to change the credentials.\n\n2. Update the F5 BIG-IP credentials for your cluster:\n\n ```\n gkectl update credentials f5bigip --config CLUSTER_CONFIG \\\n --kubeconfig ADMIN_CLUSTER_KUBECONFIG --admin-cluster\n ```\n\n| **Note:** The user cluster configuration file and the admin cluster configuration file reference the path to this credentials file. If you want to change the path of the credentials, update the corresponding cluster configuration file to change the file reference. Run the appropriate `gkectl update admin` or `gkectl update cluster` command to update this reference.\n\nUpdate private registry credentials for an admin cluster or a user cluster (*Preview*)\n--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nYou can update the private registry credentials and certificate (server update\nis **not** supported) for a cluster. As you do the update, both the current and\nnew credentials must be able to connect to the private registry.\n| **Note:** If your cluster is currently using Container Registry, you cannot update the cluster to use a private registry.\n\nOn your admin workstation, use the following steps to update the private\nregistry credentials for an admin cluster or a user cluster.\n\n1. Update your private registry credentials in the\n [credentials configuration file](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.16/how-to/credentials-configuration-file).\n\n2. Update the cluster to use the new private registry credentials:\n\n Admin cluster: \n\n ```\n gkectl update credentials privateregistry --config CLUSTER_CONFIG \\\n --kubeconfig ADMIN_CLUSTER_KUBECONFIG --admin-cluster\n ```\n\n User cluster: \n\n ```\n gkectl update credentials privateregistry --config CLUSTER_CONFIG \\\n --kubeconfig ADMIN_CLUSTER_KUBECONFIG\n ```\n\nUpdate other credentials\n------------------------\n\nTo update keys for your Identity and Access Management\n[service accounts](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.16/how-to/service-accounts), see\n[Rotate service account keys](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.16/how-to/rotating-service-account-keys)."]]
