Kubernetes 1.6 is forecasted to make its debut sometime this week, according to a Mirantis OpenStack blog. The latest version is expected to include new scheduling features and networking capabilities, as well as new capabilities for DaemonSets, and the beta release of Kubernetes Federation.

DaemonSets allows users to make a specific set of requirements for nodes running on a particular set of containers and will ensure that any nodes that meet those requirements will run on those pods. Users also now have the option to update DaemonSets with a new image or other information.

A Kubernetes pod is a group of containers that are deployed together on the same host.

“You’re probably used to dealing with Kubernetes in terms of creating a Deployment or a ReplicationController and having it manage your pods, making certain that you always have a particular number of instances spread among the nodes that are available,” the blog post said. But DaemonSets look at things from the opposite perspective.

The beta version of Kubernetes Federation is designed to help users that have multiple large clusters, which is a collections of nodes. Federation allows users to create an infrastructure for the cluster that is most convenient to them — whether it be the one that is closest to them or has the most capacity.

Kubernetes 1.6 also provides multiple schedulers — each controlling a different set of pods that might belong in different places. This allows users to schedule deployments of multiple containers from a centralized place.

“For example, if you have a web application that talks to a database, you might want them on the same pod. If, on the other hand, you have a pod that needs to be highly available, you might want to spread different instances over different nodes as a safeguard against failure,” the blog said.

Kubernetes 1.6 also includes taints, which enables users to dedicate a node to a particular type of pod and specify how long that container should stay bound to that node. Users also can use Kubernetes to avoid scheduling pods that aren’t allowed to be tied to a particular node.

Kubernetes 1.6 also gives users additional control over DNS and allows them to set stubDomains, which define the name of the servers used for specific domains. This allows for increased security and control over who has access to certain domains.