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Boosting Arm64 Support in CNCF Projects with OCI Credits

3 min read CNCF BlogJun 15, 2026Reviewed for accuracy
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The rise of Arm64 architecture in cloud services presents a significant opportunity for CNCF projects. By improving support for Arm64, you can enhance performance and reduce costs. OCI credits from Oracle Cloud provide a pathway to utilize these resources, making it easier for maintainers to adopt this architecture in their workflows.

To get started with OCI credits, maintainers need to submit a CNCF Service Desk ticket detailing their intended use, the OCI services they plan to utilize, and a rough estimate of their usage. The CNCF Infra team assists in provisioning Arm64 instances of various sizes, which can be used as self-hosted GitHub Actions runners. This flexibility allows teams to tailor their CI/CD pipelines to leverage the benefits of Arm64.

However, there are important considerations to keep in mind. The CNCF Infra team imposes reasonable guardrails to ensure sustainability and fair access to these shared resources. Initially, they recommend limiting resource spending to under $5,000 USD per month, although exceptions can be made based on actual needs. Understanding these limitations will help you plan your project effectively and avoid unexpected costs.

Key takeaways

  • Submit a CNCF Service Desk ticket to access OCI credits for Arm64 resources.
  • Utilize OCI credits to provision Arm64 instances as self-hosted GitHub Actions runners.
  • Limit resource spending to under $5,000 USD/month initially to ensure sustainability.
  • Collaborate with the CNCF Infra team for optimal provisioning of resources.

Why it matters

Improving Arm64 support can lead to better performance and cost efficiency in cloud-native applications, making it crucial for modern infrastructure.

When NOT to use this

The official docs don't call out specific anti-patterns here. Use your judgment based on your scale and requirements.

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