OpenStack Operations Guide

Chapter 18. Upgrades

With the exception of Object Storage, upgrading from one version of OpenStack to another can take a great deal of effort. Until the situation improves, this chapter provides some guidance on the operational aspects that you should consider for performing an upgrade based on detailed steps for a basic architecture.

Pre-Upgrade Testing Environment

Probably the most important step of all is the pre-upgrade testing. Especially if you are upgrading immediately after release of a new version, undiscovered bugs might hinder your progress. Some deployers prefer to wait until the first point release is announced. However, if you have a significant deployment, you might follow the development and testing of the release, thereby ensuring that bugs for your use cases are fixed.

Each OpenStack cloud is different, and as a result, even with what may seem a near-identical architecture to this guide, you must still test upgrades between versions in your environment. For this, you need an approximate clone of your environment.

However, that is not to say that it needs to be the same size or use identical hardware as the production environment—few of us have that luxury. It is important to consider the hardware and scale of the cloud you are upgrading, but here are some tips to avoid that incredible cost:

Use your own cloud

The simplest place to start testing the next version of OpenStack is by setting up a new environment inside your own cloud. This may seem odd—especially the double ...