Ordinary new scheduling stops at a cordoned node; existing Pods run. Drain uses budget-aware eviction when supported and waits for termination.

Cordon and drain coordinate node maintenance

Cordon changes scheduling eligibility; drain coordinates eviction and waits for Pod termination. Neither command guarantees that work survives maintenance. Application shutdown, replacement capacity, storage and disruption budgets determine that outcome. Treat a drained node as an observed state with documented exceptions, rather than a promise inferred from one command name. ...

February 3, 2028 · 4 min · XB Field Notes