projectcalico/calico

[Build] Use host process containers base image for node-windows

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#11,350 opened on Nov 8, 2025

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area/windowshelp wantedkind/enhancement

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Description

Expected Behavior

Since the windows node daemonset runs as a host process HPC base image can be used.

Current Behavior

Nanoserver is being used.

Possible Solution

As mentioned in this comment, containerd 1.6 has to be EOL'd before doing that change. As of August 23, 2025 it is EOL'd.

Steps to Reproduce (for bugs)

Not a bug

Context

Reduces image size a lot. Even the smallest windows base image is ~200MB off the top of my head.

Your Environment

  • Calico version v3.30.1
  • Calico dataplane (bpf, nftables, iptables, windows etc.) windows
  • Orchestrator version (e.g. kubernetes, openshift, etc.): kubernetes v1.31.5
  • Operating System and version: Windows ltsc2022
  • Link to your project (optional):

Contributor guide

Research direction
Replace the nanoserver base image with the host process container (HPC) base image in the Windows node daemonset build configuration. This change is currently feasible because containerd 1.6 has reached end of life, removing the dependency constraint. Focus on the relevant Makefile lines and verify the new image works with containerd versions that support HPC.
Tech stack
godocker
Domain
infrastructuredevops
Issue type
Chore
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
2
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
Half day
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
DockerWindows container knowledge
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
65