• Proposed Title of this Feature Request

Enable Permanent Opt-Out for Gateway API CRD and Controller Management

• What is the nature and description of the request?

The requester is seeking a mechanism to {}fully disable OpenShift's management of Gateway API Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs){}. Currently, an OpenShift validating admission policy (VAP) and webhook prevent the installation of certain Gateway API CRDs (specifically TCP and UDP routes) because they are not yet fully supported or bundled by the platform. 

The proposed solution is a "one-way path" configuration override{} that:

• Excises all Gateway API logic from the OpenShift platform. 

• Disables the validating admission policy and platform-managed Gateway API controllers. 

• Transfers full lifecycle ownership of Gateway API CRDs to the cluster administrator or third-party controllers. 

Why does the customer need this? (Business Requirements) : 

The requester requires this functionality to support a custom, Envoy-based ingress solution that must remain consistent across diverse environments. 

• Hybrid Environment Consistency:{} The requester manages clusters across various providers (both OpenShift and non-OpenShift) and needs a unified control plane and consistent API versions across all of them. 

• Support for Advanced Ingress Features: Their solution requires the use of TCP and UDP routes, which are currently blocked by platform-level webhooks. 

• Operational Control: They need to manage the CRD lifecycle independently to avoid version incompatibilities or "hidden" platform-managed changes during upgrades. 

• Production Deadlines: The requester is aiming for a production rollout by May 2026 and requires a supported path to avoid maintaining a long-term fork of platform components. 

List any affected packages or components.

• Cluster Ingress Operator: Currently manages the lifecycle of the CRDs and would need to be configured to ignore them or scale down. 

• Gateway API CRDs: Specifically `TCPRoute` and `UDPRoute`. 

• Validating Admission Policy (VAP) / Webhooks:{} The components currently blocking the installation of non-bundled CRDs. 

• OpenShift Gateway Controller:{} Would need to be disabled to avoid resource ownership conflicts.