- Updated `kubeadm` to use the `InitialCorruptCheck=true` etcd feature gate instead of the deprecated `--experimental-initial-corrupt-check` flag. Also replaced the use of `--experimental-watch-progress-notify-interval` with its graduated counterpart `--watch-progress-notify-interval`. ([#132838](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/132838), [@AwesomePatrol](https://github.com/AwesomePatrol))

Node-local DNS cache feature is available in Alpha. This feature deploys a lightweight DNS caching Daemonset that avoids the conntrack and converts queries from UDP to more reliable TCP.
PodReady++ feature now has `kubectl` CLI support.

Progress was made towards finalizing the IPv6 dual stack support KEP and support for topological routing of services.

### SIG Node

This is the first Kubernetes release for this SIG! In v1.12, SIG Cloud Provider focused on building the processes and infrastructure to better support existing and new cloud providers. Some of these initiatives (many of which are still in progress) are:

- Reporting E2E conformance test results to TestGrid from every cloud provider (in collaboration with SIG Testing & SIG Release)

- ` JobTrackingWithFinalizers` enabled by default. This feature allows to keep track of the Job progress without relying on Pods staying in the apiserver.
   ([#110948](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/110948), [@alculquicondor](https://github.com/alculquicondor))
- `CSIMigrationAWS` upgraded to GA and locked to true.

* kubeadm alpha certs command now skip missing files ([#85092](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/85092), [@fabriziopandini](https://github.com/fabriziopandini))

### Deployment
* **[beta]** Deployments that cannot make progress in rolling out the newest version will now indicate via the API they are blocked ([docs](https://kubernetes.io/docs/user-guide/deployments/#deployment-status))

### Federation

- Kubelet.exe on Windows now checks that the process running as administrator and the executing user account is listed in the built-in administrators group.  This is the equivalent to checking the process is running as uid 0. ([#96616](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/96616), [@perithompson](https://github.com/perithompson)) [SIG Node and Windows]

- Added progress tracking for volume permission and ownership changes. ([#130398](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/130398), [@gnufied](https://github.com/gnufied)) [SIG Node and Storage]

* Fixes spurious 0-length API responses. ([#72856](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/72856), [@liggitt](https://github.com/liggitt))
* Do not detach volume if mount in progress ([#71145](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/71145), [@gnufied](https://github.com/gnufied))

* Disable proxy to loopback and linklocal ([#71980](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/71980), [@micahhausler](https://github.com/micahhausler))
* Do not detach volume if mount in progress ([#71145](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/71145), [@gnufied](https://github.com/gnufied))