---
title: Known limitations
description: Until version 7.14.0 and ECK version 2.10.0, Elastic Agent and Fleet Server were required to run as root. As of Elastic Stack version 7.14.0 and ECK version...
url: https://www.elastic.co/docs/deploy-manage/deploy/cloud-on-k8s/known-limitations
products:
  - Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes
  - Elastic Documentation
applies_to:
  - Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes: Generally available
---

# Known limitations
## Running as root (ECK < 2.10.0 and Agent < 7.14.0)

Until version 7.14.0 and ECK version 2.10.0, Elastic Agent and Fleet Server were required to run as root.
As of Elastic Stack version 7.14.0 and ECK version 2.10.0 it is also possible to run Elastic Agent and Fleet as a non-root user. See [Storing local state in host path volume](/docs/deploy-manage/deploy/cloud-on-k8s/configuration-examples-standalone#k8s_storing_local_state_in_host_path_volume) for instructions.

## Elastic Agent running in the same namespace as the Elastic Stack.

Until ECK version 2.11.0, Elastic Agent and Fleet Server were required to run within the same Namespace as Elasticsearch.
As of ECK version 2.11.0, Elastic Agent, Fleet Server and Elasticsearch can all be deployed in different Namespaces.

## Running Endpoint Security integration

Running Endpoint Security [integration](https://www.elastic.co/docs/solutions/security/configure-elastic-defend/install-elastic-defend) is not yet supported in containerized environments, like Kubernetes. This is not an ECK limitation, but the limitation of the integration itself. Note that you can use ECK to deploy Elasticsearch, Kibana and Fleet Server, and add Endpoint Security integration to your policies if Elastic Agents running those policies are deployed in non-containerized environments.

## Fleet Server initialization fails on minikube when CNI is disabled

When deployed with ECK, the Fleet Server Pod makes an HTTP call to itself during Fleet initialization using its Service. Since a [Pod cannot reach itself through its Service on minikube](https://github.com/kubernetes/minikube/issues/1568) when CNI is disabled, the call hangs until the connection times out and the Pod enters a crash loop.
Solution: enable CNI when starting minikube: `minikube start --cni=true`.

## Storing local state in host path volume

Elastic Agent managed by ECK stores local state in a host path volume by default. This ensures that Integrations run by the agent can continue their work without duplicating work that has already been done after the Pod has been recreated for example because of a Pod configuration change. Multiple replicas of an agent, for example Fleet Servers, can not be deployed on the same underlying Kubernetes node as they would try to use the same host path. Consider the following options for managing local state storage:
- If local state storage in `hostPath` volumes is not desired this can be turned off by configuring an `emptyDir` volume instead.
- <applies-to>Elastic Stack: Generally available since 8.16</applies-to> If local state storage is still desired but running the Agent container as root is not allowed, then you can give the Agent container the `CHOWN` and `SETPCAP` capabilities. At startup, Elastic Agent changes the owner of its state directory to its own user and group.
- If you use an Elastic Agent version before 8.16 or cannot grant additional capabilities to the Agent container, you can use a `DaemonSet` to adjust the permissions of the Agent local state on each node before Elastic Agent starts. This `DaemonSet` must run as root (`runAsUser: 0`) and might also require `privileged: true`. Also note the Kibana changes required to trust the Elasticsearch CA when running in fleet mode.

Full configuration examples exist in  [Running as a non-root user](/docs/deploy-manage/deploy/cloud-on-k8s/configuration-fleet#k8s-elastic-agent-running-as-a-non-root-user).

## Rolling updates and multiple replicas with host path volumes

Two Elastic Agent Pods on the same Kubernetes node cannot use the same host path at the same time. The second Pod stops with the error `failed to get app lock: another elastic-agent is already running`. This happens in two cases:
- You deploy Elastic Agent as a `Deployment` with more than one replica, and Kubernetes schedules two replicas on the same node.
- You update a `Deployment` that has one replica, for example to change resources. By default, a `Deployment` uses the `RollingUpdate` strategy. The strategy starts the new Pod before it stops the old Pod. If both Pods run on the same node, the new Pod fails until the old Pod stops.

To avoid the error, use one of these options:
1. Deploy Elastic Agent as a `DaemonSet`. A `DaemonSet` runs one Pod on each node.
2. For a `Deployment` with one replica, set the update strategy to `Recreate` so that Kubernetes stops the old Pod before starting the new one. The Elastic Agent is not available during the update.
   ```yaml
   apiVersion: agent.k8s.elastic.co/v1alpha1
   kind: Agent
   metadata:
     name: elastic-agent
   spec:
     deployment:
       replicas: 1
       strategy:
         type: Recreate
   ...
   ```
3. For a `Deployment` with more than one replica, add a `podAntiAffinity` rule to prevent two replicas from running on the same node. Make sure that the cluster has more available nodes than replicas. Otherwise, a Pod stays in the `Pending` state.
   ```yaml
   apiVersion: agent.k8s.elastic.co/v1alpha1
   kind: Agent
   metadata:
     name: elastic-agent
   spec:
     deployment:
       replicas: 2
       podTemplate:
         spec:
           affinity:
             podAntiAffinity:
               requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution:
               - labelSelector:
                   matchLabels:
                     agent.k8s.elastic.co/name: elastic-agent 
                 topologyKey: kubernetes.io/hostname
   ...
   ```
4. Use an `emptyDir` volume instead of the host path volume. Elastic Agent then does not keep its local state when a Pod restarts. This option is not recommended. Refer to [Storing local state in host path volume](#k8s_storing_local_state_in_host_path_volume_2).