Node Affinity - CI/CD Glossary Definition

Node affinity steers pods toward nodes with matching labels, as a strict rule or a preference.

Node affinity is a scheduling rule that attracts pods to nodes matching specified labels, either as a hard requirement or a soft preference.

Node affinity places workloads on the right hardware, such as GPU nodes or a specific zone. It shapes where a rollout lands.

Required vs preferred

A required rule blocks scheduling unless a matching node exists; a preferred rule only biases placement, so overly strict affinity can leave pods Pending.

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