- Fix: don't use docker config cache if it's empty ([#92330](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/92330), [@andyzhangx](https://github.com/andyzhangx)) [SIG Cloud Provider]
- Fix: initial delay in mounting azure disk & file ([#93052](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/93052), [@andyzhangx](https://github.com/andyzhangx)) [SIG Cloud Provider and Storage]

* Set route_localnet on nodes & masters in GCE ([#55004](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/55004), [@ihmccreery](https://github.com/ihmccreery))
* Configurable liveness probe initial delays for etcd and kube-apiserver in GCE ([#57749](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/57749), [@wojtek-t](https://github.com/wojtek-t))

* Free up CPU and memory requested but unused by Metrics Server Pod Nanny. ([#57252](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/57252), [@kawych](https://github.com/kawych))
* Configurable liveness probe initial delays for etcd and kube-apiserver in GCE ([#57749](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/57749), [@wojtek-t](https://github.com/wojtek-t))

* GCE: Fixes ILB creation on automatic networks with manually created subnetworks. ([#57351](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/57351), [@nicksardo](https://github.com/nicksardo))
* Configurable liveness probe initial delays for etcd and kube-apiserver in GCE ([#57749](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/57749), [@wojtek-t](https://github.com/wojtek-t))

- Added a delay to node updates after kubelet startup. A random offset, based on the configured `nodeStatusReportFrequency`, helped distribute traffic and load from node status updates more evenly over time. The initial status update could occur up to 50% earlier or later than the regular schedule. ([#130919](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/130919), [@mengqiy](https://github.com/mengqiy))

- Fix instance not found issues when an Azure Node is recreated in a short time ([#93316](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/93316), [@feiskyer](https://github.com/feiskyer)) [SIG Cloud Provider]
- Fix: initial delay in mounting azure disk & file ([#93052](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/93052), [@andyzhangx](https://github.com/andyzhangx)) [SIG Cloud Provider and Storage]

- `kube-proxy`: Added an option/flag for configuring the `nf_conntrack_tcp_be_liberal` sysctl (in the kernel's netfilter conntrack subsystem).  When enabled, `kube-proxy` will not install the `DROP` rule for invalid conntrack states, which currently breaks users of asymmetric routing. ([#120354](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/120354), [@aroradaman](https://github.com/aroradaman))

### Feature

* Fix for Pod stuck in ContainerCreating with error "Volume is not yet attached according to node". ([#50806](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/50806), [@verult](https://github.com/verult))
* Fix initial exec terminal dimensions. ([#51126](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/51126), [@chen-anders](https://github.com/chen-anders))

## Urgent Upgrade Notes 

### (No, really, you MUST read this before you upgrade)

  for actions against a CRI endpoint. The kubeadm deb/rpm packages will continue to install the `cri-tools`
  package for one more release, but in you must adapt your scripts to install `crictl` manually from
  https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/cri-tools/releases or a different location.