Red Hat released OpenShift 4.22 on June 9, 2026, and it builds on the foundation laid by OpenShift 4.21, which went generally available in February 2026. If you manage containerized workloads, plan cluster upgrades, or are evaluating Red Hat’s hybrid cloud platform, this release deserves your attention. In this guide, we break down what changed in OpenShift 4.22, why it matters, and how your team can build the skills to use it effectively.
What Is OpenShift 4.22?
OpenShift 4.22 is the latest minor release of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform, Red Hat’s enterprise Kubernetes distribution. Like every OpenShift release, it follows roughly four months after the previous version. So, OpenShift 4.22 continues a steady, predictable release cadence that enterprises rely on for planning upgrades and training.
Because OpenShift tracks upstream Kubernetes closely, each release ships with a matched, tested version of Kubernetes and the CRI-O container runtime. Following the pattern set by 4.19 (Kubernetes 1.32), 4.20 (Kubernetes 1.33), and 4.21 (Kubernetes 1.34), OpenShift 4.22 is expected to ship with Kubernetes 1.35 and a matching CRI-O 1.35 runtime. This keeps the platform aligned with the latest upstream security fixes and API changes.
Key New Features in OpenShift 4.22
Red Hat’s official release notes for OpenShift 4.22 organize changes across several areas, including AI applications, authentication and authorization, extensions (OLM v1), installation and updates, networking, storage, scalability, and the web console. Here are the highlights worth knowing.
Stronger Image Supply Chain Security
OpenShift 4.22 expands ClusterImagePolicy, the feature that lets administrators enforce signature verification on container images. With this release, ClusterImagePolicy now protects every layer of a container image rather than just the top-level image. For organizations under compliance pressure or running regulated workloads, this closes a meaningful gap in supply chain security.
IBM Power and IBM Z Enhancements
OpenShift 4.22 brings several improvements for teams running on IBM infrastructure:
- Installer Provisioned Infrastructure for IBM PowerVC is now generally available, making it production-ready for simplified provisioning on IBM PowerVC.
- Installer Provisioned Infrastructure for IBM PowerVS has an improved release process, including warnings about RSA-only SSH keys and a hardened cluster destroy flow.
- IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE also receive dedicated updates in this release, reflecting Red Hat’s continued investment in enterprise and mainframe-adjacent hybrid cloud deployments.
Early Access to RHEL 10
OpenShift 4.22 introduces a RHEL 10 preview, giving early adopters a way to test the next major version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux within their OpenShift clusters before committing to a full migration. This is a useful sandbox for platform teams planning their RHEL roadmap alongside their Kubernetes roadmap.
Continued Investment in Post-Quantum Cryptography
OpenShift 4.22’s release notes include dedicated guidance on post-quantum cryptography (PQC) compliance, building on the PQC groundwork introduced in earlier releases such as OpenShift Service Mesh’s support for ML-KEM algorithms. As quantum computing threats move from theoretical to practical planning concerns, this is a signal that Red Hat is preparing OpenShift for a post-quantum world ahead of regulatory mandates.
Broader Platform Themes
Beyond the specific items above, OpenShift 4.22 continues themes that have defined recent OpenShift releases:
- AI workload support across the platform, building on prior investments like Kueue-based job queuing and KubeFlow Trainer integration for OpenShift AI.
- OLM v1 extensions, as Red Hat continues to mature its next-generation Operator Lifecycle Manager.
- Scalability and performance refinements for large, multi-cluster, and telco-grade deployments.
- Web console and CLI (oc) usability improvements that streamline day-to-day cluster administration.
For the full technical breakdown, Red Hat publishes detailed release notes covering every component, from the Machine Config Operator to the Insights Operator.
Why OpenShift 4.22 Matters for Enterprises
Every OpenShift release matters less for any single feature and more for what it signals: Red Hat is steadily hardening security, deepening AI and hybrid cloud support, and reducing operational overhead for platform teams. OpenShift 4.22 fits that pattern in three concrete ways.
First, the ClusterImagePolicy enhancement matters for any organization that has to prove software supply chain integrity to auditors, regulators, or enterprise customers. Layer-by-layer image verification is a meaningful step beyond top-level signature checks.
Second, the IBM Power and IBM Z updates matter for enterprises running mixed infrastructure, particularly in banking, telecom, and government sectors where Power and mainframe-adjacent systems remain common alongside cloud-native, multi-tenant workloads.
Third, the RHEL 10 preview gives infrastructure teams a low-risk way to start planning ahead. Instead of waiting for a forced migration window, you can experiment with RHEL 10 inside your existing OpenShift environment.
How to Upgrade to OpenShift 4.22
If you are already running OpenShift 4.21, Red Hat designs OpenShift upgrades to be incremental and minimally disruptive. At a high level, the process looks like this:
- Review the official OpenShift 4.22 release notes for deprecated and removed features that might affect your workloads.
- Check Operator compatibility, since some Operators may need their own version bump before or after the cluster upgrade.
- Run
oc adm upgradeto move your cluster from 4.21 to 4.22 through the appropriate update channel. - Validate cluster health and workload behavior post-upgrade before rolling changes out cluster-wide.
As always, test upgrades in a non-production cluster first, and budget time for Operator and application validation.
The Skills Gap Behind Every OpenShift Release
Here is the part many enterprises underestimate: a new OpenShift release is only as valuable as the team’s ability to use it. Features like ClusterImagePolicy, OLM v1 extensions, and PQC readiness require administrators who actually understand the underlying Kubernetes and Red Hat ecosystem, not just the marketing highlights.
This is exactly the gap that structured, Red Hat-authorized training closes. Whether your team needs to get comfortable with day-to-day cluster administration (RHCSA), advanced system administration (RHCE), or container platform administration on OpenShift specifically, hands-on training turns a release announcement into real operational capability.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was OpenShift 4.22 released? Red Hat made OpenShift 4.22 generally available on June 9, 2026.
What Kubernetes version does OpenShift 4.22 use? Following OpenShift’s established versioning pattern, OpenShift 4.22 is expected to align with Kubernetes 1.35 and CRI-O 1.35. Always confirm exact component versions against Red Hat’s official release notes before planning a production upgrade.
Is OpenShift 4.22 a long-term support (EUS) release? Red Hat designates even-numbered minor releases (4.20, 4.22, 4.24, and so on) as Extended Update Support (EUS) releases, which carry a longer support window than odd-numbered releases.
Do I need to upgrade to OpenShift 4.22 immediately? Not necessarily. Review the release notes for features relevant to your environment, test the upgrade path in a non-production cluster, and plan your migration window based on your organization’s risk tolerance and support lifecycle requirements.
Ready to Build Real OpenShift Skills?
Reading about a new OpenShift release is one thing. Being able to deploy, secure, and troubleshoot it in production is another. If your team is planning to work with OpenShift 4.22 and wants structured, Red Hat-authorized training to get there, our counsellors can help you find the right path, whether that is RHCSA, RHCE, or OpenShift-focused training.