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When MacStadium is hosting your Orka environment, Orka upgrades require a scheduled maintenance window. Some Orka upgrades might require additional preparation on your side.

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Requesting an upgrade

  1. Check the release notes for the version that you want to upgrade to. Complete the suggested preparation, if any.
  2. Submit a ticket through the MacStadium portal.
  3. Schedule a time for the maintenance window that works for you through the link provided in the ticket.
  4. After the upgrade is complete, you might need to download and install a new Orka CLI version and/or restore any missing resources (based on the type of upgrade).

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Types of upgrades

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New Orka releases

This is the most common type of Orka upgrade. Orka releases bring new CLI and API versions with new features, improved functionality, and critical bug fixes.

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Preparing for the upgrade

Make sure that during the maintenance window there are no running workflows (for example, deploying a VM and running a build).
As part of this upgrade, you might need to download and install a new Orka CLI version.
Service Account tokens must be regenerated after this upgrade. Any automated workflows using service account tokens will fail until tokens are regenerated with orka3 serviceaccount token <name>.

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Patch version upgrades

Orka patch releases (for example, 3.5.0 → 3.5.2) deliver bug fixes and stability improvements between minor releases. Patch upgrades are zero-downtime: no preparation is required, and running VMs and workflows are not interrupted.
Adding nodes to your cluster requires the latest patch version. If your cluster is on an older patch version, node additions will fail. Request a patch upgrade before submitting a node add request.

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Virtualization and orchestration layer upgrades (Kubernetes, Docker, or Linux)

Occasionally, the Orka team upgrades the components of the virtualization and orchestration layer to a newer version. The version in Orka might run a few versions behind the latest and greatest release to ensure that the virtualization layer and orchestration layer are stable and bug-free.

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Preparing for the upgrade

  • Make sure that during the maintenance window there are no running workflows (for example, deploying a VM and running a build).
  • If this is a Kubernetes upgrade and you are working with the Kubernetes layer directly, make sure to address any deprecated APIs.
Service Account tokens must be regenerated after this upgrade. Any automated workflows using service account tokens will fail until tokens are regenerated with orka3 serviceaccount token <name>.