diff --git a/examples/operator/101_initial_cluster.yaml b/examples/operator/101_initial_cluster.yaml
index 0a375ec0403..557e07f4f81 100644
--- a/examples/operator/101_initial_cluster.yaml
+++ b/examples/operator/101_initial_cluster.yaml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ metadata:
 spec:
   images:
     vtctld: vitess/lite:v15.0.0-rc1
-    vtadmin: vitess/vtadmin:latest
+    vtadmin: vitess/vtadmin:v15.0.0-rc1
     vtgate: vitess/lite:v15.0.0-rc1
     vttablet: vitess/lite:v15.0.0-rc1
     vtbackup: vitess/lite:v15.0.0-rc1
@@ -72,15 +72,14 @@ spec:
     durabilityPolicy: none
     turndownPolicy: Immediate
     vitessOrchestrator:
-      configSecret:
-        name: example-cluster-config
-        key: orc_config.json
       resources:
         limits:
           memory: 128Mi
         requests:
           cpu: 100m
           memory: 128Mi
+      extraFlags:
+        recovery-period-block-duration: 5s
     partitionings:
     - equal:
         parts: 1
@@ -242,12 +241,3 @@ stringData:
       subjects: ["*"]
       clusters:
         - "local"
-  orc_config.json: |
-    {
-      "Debug": true,
-      "MySQLTopologyUser": "orc_client_user",
-      "MySQLTopologyPassword": "orc_client_user_password",
-      "MySQLReplicaUser": "vt_repl",
-      "MySQLReplicaPassword": "",
-      "RecoveryPeriodBlockSeconds": 5
-    }
diff --git a/examples/operator/201_customer_tablets.yaml b/examples/operator/201_customer_tablets.yaml
index b5c2761ed66..e28270fb603 100644
--- a/examples/operator/201_customer_tablets.yaml
+++ b/examples/operator/201_customer_tablets.yaml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ metadata:
 spec:
   images:
     vtctld: vitess/lite:v15.0.0-rc1
-    vtadmin: vitess/vtadmin:latest
+    vtadmin: vitess/vtadmin:v15.0.0-rc1
     vtgate: vitess/lite:v15.0.0-rc1
     vttablet: vitess/lite:v15.0.0-rc1
     vtbackup: vitess/lite:v15.0.0-rc1
@@ -68,15 +68,14 @@ spec:
     durabilityPolicy: none
     turndownPolicy: Immediate
     vitessOrchestrator:
-      configSecret:
-        name: example-cluster-config
-        key: orc_config.json
       resources:
         limits:
           memory: 128Mi
         requests:
           cpu: 100m
           memory: 128Mi
+      extraFlags:
+        recovery-period-block-duration: 5s
     partitionings:
     - equal:
         parts: 1
diff --git a/examples/operator/302_new_shards.yaml b/examples/operator/302_new_shards.yaml
index 84fb9e6610f..a3b055c28fa 100644
--- a/examples/operator/302_new_shards.yaml
+++ b/examples/operator/302_new_shards.yaml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ metadata:
 spec:
   images:
     vtctld: vitess/lite:v15.0.0-rc1
-    vtadmin: vitess/vtadmin:latest
+    vtadmin: vitess/vtadmin:v15.0.0-rc1
     vtgate: vitess/lite:v15.0.0-rc1
     vttablet: vitess/lite:v15.0.0-rc1
     vtbackup: vitess/lite:v15.0.0-rc1
@@ -68,15 +68,14 @@ spec:
     durabilityPolicy: none
     turndownPolicy: Immediate
     vitessOrchestrator:
-      configSecret:
-        name: example-cluster-config
-        key: orc_config.json
       resources:
         limits:
           memory: 128Mi
         requests:
           cpu: 100m
           memory: 128Mi
+      extraFlags:
+        recovery-period-block-duration: 5s
     partitionings:
     - equal:
         parts: 1
diff --git a/examples/operator/306_down_shard_0.yaml b/examples/operator/306_down_shard_0.yaml
index 6d49bc6ab92..c3f3bb856dc 100644
--- a/examples/operator/306_down_shard_0.yaml
+++ b/examples/operator/306_down_shard_0.yaml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ metadata:
 spec:
   images:
     vtctld: vitess/lite:v15.0.0-rc1
-    vtadmin: vitess/vtadmin:latest
+    vtadmin: vitess/vtadmin:v15.0.0-rc1
     vtgate: vitess/lite:v15.0.0-rc1
     vttablet: vitess/lite:v15.0.0-rc1
     vtbackup: vitess/lite:v15.0.0-rc1
@@ -68,15 +68,14 @@ spec:
     durabilityPolicy: none
     turndownPolicy: Immediate
     vitessOrchestrator:
-      configSecret:
-        name: example-cluster-config
-        key: orc_config.json
       resources:
         limits:
           memory: 128Mi
         requests:
           cpu: 100m
           memory: 128Mi
+      extraFlags:
+        recovery-period-block-duration: 5s
     partitionings:
     - equal:
         parts: 1
diff --git a/examples/operator/operator.yaml b/examples/operator/operator.yaml
index a3bda99723c..70c23d5a863 100644
--- a/examples/operator/operator.yaml
+++ b/examples/operator/operator.yaml
@@ -2450,6 +2450,7 @@ spec:
                               properties:
                                 parts:
                                   format: int32
+                                  maximum: 65536
                                   minimum: 1
                                   type: integer
                                 shardTemplate:
@@ -2801,17 +2802,6 @@ spec:
                             additionalProperties:
                               type: string
                             type: object
-                          configSecret:
-                            properties:
-                              key:
-                                type: string
-                              name:
-                                type: string
-                              volumeName:
-                                type: string
-                            required:
-                              - key
-                            type: object
                           extraEnv:
                             items:
                               properties:
@@ -2936,8 +2926,6 @@ spec:
                             x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
                           tolerations:
                             x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
-                        required:
-                          - configSecret
                         type: object
                     required:
                       - name
@@ -4002,6 +3990,7 @@ spec:
                         properties:
                           parts:
                             format: int32
+                            maximum: 65536
                             minimum: 1
                             type: integer
                           shardTemplate:
@@ -4387,17 +4376,6 @@ spec:
                       additionalProperties:
                         type: string
                       type: object
-                    configSecret:
-                      properties:
-                        key:
-                          type: string
-                        name:
-                          type: string
-                        volumeName:
-                          type: string
-                      required:
-                        - key
-                      type: object
                     extraEnv:
                       items:
                         properties:
@@ -4522,8 +4500,6 @@ spec:
                       x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
                     tolerations:
                       x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
-                  required:
-                    - configSecret
                   type: object
                 zoneMap:
                   additionalProperties:
@@ -5258,17 +5234,6 @@ spec:
                       additionalProperties:
                         type: string
                       type: object
-                    configSecret:
-                      properties:
-                        key:
-                          type: string
-                        name:
-                          type: string
-                        volumeName:
-                          type: string
-                      required:
-                        - key
-                      type: object
                     extraEnv:
                       items:
                         properties:
@@ -5393,8 +5358,6 @@ spec:
                       x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
                     tolerations:
                       x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
-                  required:
-                    - configSecret
                   type: object
                 zoneMap:
                   additionalProperties: