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# Migrate to the GitLab Agent for Kubernetes **(FREE)**
# Migrate to the GitLab agent for Kubernetes **(FREE)**
The first integration between GitLab and Kubernetes used cluster certificates
to connect the cluster to GitLab.
This method was [deprecated](https://about.gitlab.com/blog/2021/11/15/deprecating-the-cert-based-kubernetes-integration/)
in GitLab 14.5 in favor of the [GitLab Agent for Kubernetes](../../clusters/agent/index.md).
To connect your Kubernetes cluster with GitLab, you can use:
To make sure your clusters connected to GitLab do not break in the future,
we recommend you migrate to the GitLab Agent as soon as possible by following
[turned off by default in 15.0](../../../update/deprecations.md#certificate-based-integration-with-kubernetes)
and removed in GitLab 15.6.
If you are using the certificate-based integration, you should move to another workflow as soon as possible.
As a general rule, migrating clusters that rely on GitLab CI/CD can be
achieved using the [CI/CD Tunnel](../../clusters/agent/ci_cd_tunnel.md)
provided by the Agent.
As a general rule, to migrate clusters that rely on GitLab CI/CD,
you can use the [CI/CD workflow](../../clusters/agent/ci_cd_tunnel.md).
This workflow uses an agent to connect to your cluster. The agent:
- Is not exposed to the internet.
- Does not require full cluster-admin access to GitLab.
NOTE:
The GitLab Agent for Kubernetes does not intend to provide feature parity with the
certificate-based cluster integrations. As a result, the Agent doesn't support
all the features available to clusters connected through certificates.
The certificate-based integration was used for popular GitLab features like
GitLab Managed Apps, GitLab-managed clusters, and Auto DevOps.
Some features are currently available only when using certificate-based integration.
## Migrate cluster application deployments
### Migrate from GitLab-managed clusters
With GitLab-managed clusters, GitLab creates separate service accounts and namespaces
for every branch and deploys using these resources.
for every branch and deploys by using these resources.
To achieve a similar result with the GitLab Agent, you can use[impersonation](../../clusters/agent/ci_cd_tunnel.md#use-impersonation-to-restrict-project-and-group-access)
The GitLab agent uses[impersonation](../../clusters/agent/ci_cd_tunnel.md#use-impersonation-to-restrict-project-and-group-access)
strategies to deploy to your cluster with restricted account access. To do so:
1. Choose the impersonation strategy that suits your needs.
1. Use Kubernetes RBAC rules to manage impersonated account permissions in Kubernetes.
1. Use the `access_as` attribute in your Agent’s configuration file to define the impersonation.
1. Use the `access_as` attribute in your agent configuration file to define the impersonation.
### Migrate from Auto DevOps
To configure your Auto DevOps project to use the GitLab Agent:
To configure your Auto DevOps project to use the GitLab agent:
1. Follow the steps to [install an agent](../../clusters/agent/install/index.md)on your cluster.
1. Go to the project in which you use Auto DevOps.
1.From the sidebar, select **Settings > CI/CD** and expand **Variables**.
1. Follow the steps to [install an agent](../../clusters/agent/install/index.md)in your cluster.
1. Go to the project where you use Auto DevOps.
1.On the left sidebar, select **Settings > CI/CD** and expand **Variables**.
1. Select **Add new variable**.
1. Add `KUBE_CONTEXT` as the key, `path/to/agent/project:agent-name` as the value, and select the environment scope of your choice.
1. Select **Add variable**.
1. Repeat the process to add another variable, `KUBE_NAMESPACE`, setting the value for the Kubernetes namespace you want your deployments to target, and set the same environment scope from the previous step.
1.From the sidebar, select **Infrastructure > Kubernetes clusters**.
1.On the left sidebar, select **Infrastructure > Kubernetes clusters**.
1. From the certificate-based clusters section, open the cluster that serves the same environment scope.
1. Select the **Details** tab and disable the cluster.
1. To activate the changes, from the project's sidebar, select **CI/CD > Variables > Run pipeline**.
1. To activate the changes, on the left sidebar, select **CI/CD > Variables > Run pipeline**.
### Migrate generic deployments
When you use Kubernetes contexts to reach the cluster from GitLab, you can use the [CI/CD Tunnel](../../clusters/agent/ci_cd_tunnel.md)
directly. It injects the available contexts into your CI environment automatically:
For an example, [view this project](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-examples/ops/gitops-demo/hello-world-service).
1. Follow the steps to [install an agent](../../clusters/agent/install/index.md) on your cluster.
1. Go to the project in which you use Auto DevOps.
1. From the sidebar, select **Settings > CI/CD** and expand **Variables**.
1. Select **Add new variable**.
1. Add `KUBE_CONTEXT` as the key, `path/to/agent-configuration-project:your-agent-name` as the value, and select the environment scope of your choice.
1. Edit your `.gitlab-ci.yml` file and set the Kubernetes context to the `KUBE_CONTEXT` you defined in the previous step:
### Migrate generic deployments
```yaml
<your job name>:
script:
-kubectl config use-context $KUBE_CONTEXT
```
Follow the process for the [CI/CD workflow](../../clusters/agent/ci_cd_tunnel.md).
## Migrate from GitLab Managed Applications
## Migrate from GitLab Managed applications
Follow the process to [migrate from GitLab Managed Apps to the Cluster Management Project](../../clusters/migrating_from_gma_to_project_template.md).
Follow the process to [migrate from GitLab Managed Apps to the cluster management project](../../clusters/migrating_from_gma_to_project_template.md).
## Migrating a Cluster Management project
## Migrate a cluster management project
See [how to use a cluster management project with the GitLab Agent](../../clusters/management_project_template.md#use-the-agent-with-the-cluster-management-project-template).
See [how to use a cluster management project with the GitLab agent](../../clusters/management_project_template.md#use-the-agent-with-the-cluster-management-project-template).
## Migrate cluster monitoring features
Cluster monitoring features are not supported by the GitLab Agent for Kubernetes yet.
Cluster monitoring features are not yet supported by the GitLab agent for Kubernetes.
