l8k: Dry Run & Validation

PREREQUISITE: Read ../k8s-launch-kit-shared/SKILL.md for install paths, global flags, and output modes.

Preview what l8k would deploy without making cluster changes, or validate a configuration.

Usage

# Generate-only (no --deploy, no cluster changes)
l8k generate --user-config <CONFIG> --fabric <FABRIC> --deployment-type <TYPE> \
  --save-deployment-files <DIR>

# Dry-run with deploy flag (validates against live cluster but doesn't apply)
l8k generate --user-config <CONFIG> --fabric <FABRIC> --deployment-type <TYPE> \
  --save-deployment-files <DIR> --deploy --dry-run [--kubeconfig <PATH>]

Modes

Examples

# Preview generated files (no cluster needed)
l8k generate --user-config cluster-config.yaml \
  --fabric ethernet --deployment-type sriov \
  --save-deployment-files ./output

# Dry-run against live cluster
l8k generate --user-config cluster-config.yaml \
  --fabric ethernet --deployment-type sriov \
  --save-deployment-files ./output \
  --deploy --kubeconfig ~/.kube/config --dry-run

# Agent mode: get manifest list as JSON
l8k generate --user-config cluster-config.yaml \
  --fabric ethernet --deployment-type sriov \
  --save-deployment-files ./output \
  --deploy --dry-run --kubeconfig ~/.kube/config \
  --output json

# Schema discovery (list capabilities)
l8k schema

JSON Output (Dry-Run)

{
  "success": true,
  "phase": "generate",
  "profile": {"fabric": "ethernet", "deployment": "sriov"},
  "generatedFiles": ["output/network-operator/10-nicclusterpolicy.yaml", "output/.l8k/resolved-config.yaml"],
  "deployed": false,
  "dryRun": true
}

Tips

• Generate-only is the safest starting point — inspect the YAMLs before applying.
• Use l8k schema to programmatically discover available profiles and flags.
• Combine --dry-run --output json for CI validation gates.

See Also

• k8s-launch-kit-shared — Global flags and exit codes
• k8s-launch-kit-deploy — Apply after previewing

OpenShift

For OpenShift, use --flavor ocp; NV-IPAM IPPool validation may be deferred because its CRD appears only after live NCP reconciliation. A deferred check is not a pass.