Geo updates should have guardrails for version specific changes

Problem to solve

Geo upgrades are not easy to perform for users and are error prone. In some cases, Geo upgrades also contain version specific steps which need to be performed in addition to regular upgrade steps. This has lead to additional problems in the past both for customers and team members who did not remember to perform these extra steps.

Intended users

  • Systems administrators

Further details

  • Upgrades for Geo should be simple (see epic) and users should not need to remember additional steps.

Proposal

  • Clarify documentation for Geo updates to ensure that users understand the importance of version-specific steps
  • Add guardrails to the upgrade process to ensure that users cannot accidentaly update without following these additional steps
  • Minimise the need for additional manual steps.

Permissions and Security

Documentation

https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/administration/geo/replication/updating_the_geo_nodes.html#version-specific-update-steps

Testing

If changing rake tasks or omnibus installations, this needs to be tested extensively.

What does success look like, and how can we measure that?

  • Users cannot perform Geo upgrades without also performing the required additional version specific steps

What is the type of buyer?

  • Premium
  • Ultimate

Links / references

Edited Sep 06, 2019 by Fabian Zimmer
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