[Spce-user] CE Beta-testing for mr9.5 LTS: Debian 11 bullseye + A/B upgrade mode

Alex Lutay alutay at sipwise.com
Wed May 12 07:13:43 EDT 2021


Dear Community!

Sipwise has just recently released mr9.4.1 and we have
started preparation for mr9.5.1 (planned for July 2, 2021).

mr9.5.1 will be the next LTS. it will be based on Debian 11 (bullseye).

Debian 11 (bullseye) is not yet released, but it is approaching
and we are currently aligned. Sipwise is actively monitoring and
participating in Debian bullseye delivery in time.

Also, mr9.5 will have a new upgrade schema using the second partition 
(like Android A/B upgrade mode).
It will give the community a lot of benefits, including:
  * faster upgrades (as an upgrade is just a new installation on a new 
partition)
  * predictable upgrade results (no Debian packages upgrade logic involved)
  * ability to jump over releases (with some limitations on data 
compatibility)
  * ability to prepare upgrades during the day and perform a reboot over 
the night -> short maintenance window.
  * ability to have rollbacks (in the future). As the previous release 
is stored on partition A.

The price here is dependent on the "proper" partitioning schema.
The main partitions are:
  * A partition / (root partition with code/packages, 10GB)
  * B partition /ngcp-fallback (upgrade/fallback partition)
  * Data partition (where all data produced by NGCP is stored in 
compatible mode with A/B releases)
  * plus small EFI partition and a bit of unallocated space for
LVM snapshots (for the future, not in use now)

It is a default partitioning schema for all systems installed
using NGCP install CD since mr6.5. Most probably it is your case.

However, CE systems installed in Clouds OR installed via ngcp-installer 
using pre-installed Debian systems most probably have
different partitioning schema.

It is a thread to collect your requirements/limitations here and
deliver the community as smooth as a possible upgrade to mr9.5.

Please share your feedback here. Thank you!

P.S. Based on the discussion in the thread:
> https://lists.sipwise.com/pipermail/spce-user_lists.sipwise.com/2021-May/014629.html

P.P.S. Sipwise has Debian bullseye-based CE images and
can share them with early adopters to check as a part of Alpha/Beta 
testing stages.

-- 
Alex Lutay
Vice President Development
Sipwise GmbH | an ALE Company
Europaring F15 | 2345 Brunn am Gebirge

Office: +43 1 30120436
Email: alutay at sipwise.com
Website: https://www.sipwise.com

Particulars according Austrian Companies Code paragraph 14
"Sipwise GmbH“ - Europaring F15 – 2345 Brunn am Gebirge
FN:305595f, Commercial Court Wr. Neustadt, ATU64002206



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