- The `ServiceInternalTrafficPolicy` feature graduates to Beta and enable by default, which enables the `internalTrafficPolicy` field of Service by default. ([#103462](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/103462), [@andrewsykim](https://github.com/andrewsykim))

- PersistentVolumeLastPhaseTransitionTime feature is stable and enabled by default. ([#124969](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/124969), [@RomanBednar](https://github.com/RomanBednar)) [SIG API Machinery, Apps, Storage and Testing]

- The Image Locality priority function of the scheduler has been improved and is now enabled by default. With this feature enabled, nodes that have all or a partial set of images required for running a pod are preferred over other nodes, which improves pod start-up time.
- TaintNodeByCondition has been moved to Beta and is enabled by default.
- Scheduler throughput has been improved by ~50% in large clusters (>2000 nodes).

* kube-apiserver: the `Priority` admission plugin is now enabled by default when using `--enable-admission-plugins`. If using `--admission-control` to fully specify the set of admission plugins, the `Priority` admission plugin should be added if using the `PodPriority` feature, which is enabled by default in 1.11. ([#65739](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/65739), [@liggitt](https://github.com/liggitt))

* The following alpha API groups were unintentionally enabled by default in previous releases, and will no longer be enabled by default in v1.8: ([#47690](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/47690), [@caesarxuchao](https://github.com/caesarxuchao))
    * rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1alpha1
    * settings.k8s.io/v1alpha1

* The following alpha API groups were unintentionally enabled by default in previous releases, and will no longer be enabled by default in v1.8: ([#47690](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/47690), [@caesarxuchao](https://github.com/caesarxuchao))

    * rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1alpha1

    * settings.k8s.io/v1alpha1

- If you are running the cloud-controller-manager and you have the `pvlabel.kubernetes.io` alpha Initializer enabled, you must now enable PersistentVolume labeling using the `PersistentVolumeLabel` admission controller instead. You can do this by adding `PersistentVolumeLabel` in the `--enable-admission-plugins` kube-apiserver flag.  ([#73102](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/73102), [@andrewsykim](https://github.com/andrewsykim))

*   [alpha] Deletion of `PersistentVolumeClaim` objects that are in use by a pod no longer permitted (if alpha feature is enabled).
*   [alpha] Container Storage Interface
    *   New CSIVolumeSource enables Kubernetes to use external CSI drivers to provision, attach, and mount volumes.
*   [alpha] Raw block volumes

1.6 continues to support the alpha `scheduler.alpha.kubernetes.io/affinity` annotation on the Pod if you explicitly enable the alpha feature "AffinityInAnnotations", but it will be removed in a future release. When you upgrade to 1.6, if you have not enabled the alpha feature, then the scheduler will use the `affinity` field in PodSpec and will ignore the annotation. If you have enabled the alpha feature, then the scheduler will use the `affinity` field in PodSpec if it is present, and otherwise will...

The new `multiPoint` plugin field is intended to simplify most scheduler setups for administrators.
Plugins that are enabled via `multiPoint` will automatically be registered for each individual extension point that they implement.
For example, a plugin that implements Score and Filter extensions can be simultaneously enabled for both.