VCF 9.0 positions VKS clusters as Kubernetes-native environments where platform teams install and manage
"standard packages" and add-ons. In VCF Automation's VKS overview, VMware states that a set of packages is automatically included with a VKS cluster, includingkapp-controllerandsecret-gen controller. These components are part of theCarveltoolchain used for packaging and deploying applications/configuration in a Kubernetes-friendly, declarative way.
In addition, the VCF 9.0 CLI "package" workflows explicitly supportytt overlaysduring package installation
/updates (for example, --ytt-overlay-file and --ytt-overlays), which are configuration mechanisms associated with Carvel-based packaging workflows.
Helmis the other widely used Kubernetes package manager for installing and configuring applications through charts and values, and is commonly used by DevOps teams on Kubernetes clusters such as VKS for app deployment and configuration management. By contrast, Fluent Bit is a log shipper, Multus is a CNI multiplexer, and Grafana is a visualization tool-none are package management tools.