Deploy Gardener on Google Cloud C4A (Arm-based Axion VMs)
Introduction
Get started with Gardener on Google Axion C4A (Arm Neoverse-V2)
Create a Google Axion C4A Arm virtual machine for Gardener
Install Gardener on your Arm-based SUSE VM
Verify Gardener cluster health and functionality
Benchmark Gardener cluster security with kube-bench
Next Steps

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About this Learning Path

Skill level:  Introductory
Reading time:  50 min
Last updated:  11 Sep 2026
Skill level:
  Introductory
Reading time:
  50 min
Last updated:
  11 Sep 2026
Author:Pareena Verma, Arm
Arm IP:Neoverse
Tags: Containers and Virtualization Google Axion Linux Gardener Kubernetes Docker KinD Helm kube-bench
Author:
  • Pareena Verma, Arm
Arm IP:
Neoverse
Tags:
Containers and Virtualization Google Axion Linux Gardener Kubernetes Docker KinD Helm kube-bench

Who is this for?

This is an introductory topic for software developers deploying and optimizing Gardener workloads on Linux Arm64 environments, specifically using Google Cloud C4A virtual machines (VMs) powered by Axion processors.

What will you learn?

Upon completion of this Learning Path, you will be able to:

  • Provision an Arm-based SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) virtual machine on Google Cloud (C4A with Axion processors).
  • Install and configure Gardener on a SUSE Arm64 (C4A) instance.
  • Deploy Garden, Seed, and Shoot clusters locally using Kubernetes in Docker (KinD).
  • Validate Gardener functionality by deploying workloads into a Shoot cluster.
  • Perform baseline security benchmarking of Gardener-managed Kubernetes clusters using kube-bench on Arm64.

Prerequisites

Before starting, you will need the following:

Summary

AI-assisted

This summary was drafted with an approved AI-assisted workflow and reviewed by Arm contributors before publication. Human technical review remains part of the process so the final page reflects engineering rigor, accuracy, and Arm editorial standards.

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You’ll deploy Gardener Local on an Arm-based Google Cloud C4A VM running SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. First, you’ll install KinD and the required tools, bootstrap Garden, Seed, and Shoot clusters, and validate them with kubectl. Then, you’ll deploy a workload and run kube-bench to record a baseline against CIS Kubernetes benchmarks.

Frequently asked questions

AI-assisted

These FAQs were drafted with an approved AI-assisted workflow and reviewed by Arm contributors before publication. Human technical review remains part of the process so the final page reflects engineering rigor, accuracy, and Arm editorial standards.

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Which C4A VM size should I use?
Use the c4a-standard-4 machine type with 4 vCPUs and 16 GB of memory. It provides sufficient resources to run Gardener Local with Garden, Seed, and Shoot clusters.
Where do Gardener’s Garden, Seed, and Shoot clusters run?
The clusters run locally using Kubernetes in Docker (KinD) on the Arm64-based SUSE VM. This keeps all Gardener components on the single C4A host for evaluation.
How do I point kubectl to the right cluster context?
Export KUBECONFIG to the generated kubeconfig, for example: $PWD/example/gardener-local/kind/local/kubeconfig. After exporting, kubectl commands should connect to the intended cluster without authentication errors.
How do I know the clusters are healthy before deploying workloads?
Proceed when Garden and Shoot report Ready and the environment indicates healthy status for the KinD-based clusters. If readiness is pending, wait for controllers to finish reconciling.
What should I expect from running kube-bench?
kube-bench evaluates your cluster against CIS Kubernetes benchmarks and reports findings mapped to those controls. Use the results as a baseline to track configuration changes over time on the Arm64 environment.
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