Distro upgrades

[trickeydan]

We could update to 20.04 now that it has been out for a while.

We really need to update the 16.04 boxes too.

[drn05r]

My general rule is to wait on the next non-LTS version of Ubuntu (e.g. 20.10) to come out before upgrading to the latest LTS. 20.04 does not look as problematic as previous LTS. However, upgrading need not be rushed unless functionality is required from the LTS.

Ubuntu 16.04 -> 18.04 should be started ASAP save a last minute panic.

[TimStallard]

We'll need to hold off upgrading GW/GW2 for a while, as Ubuntu removed the python2 version of ifupdown2, and the ifupdown2 people haven't got python3 packages sorted out yet.

16.04 machines to sort:

• auth2
• www
• marconi
• vpn-test
• monitor
• admin-dev

That list may not be exhaustive, just things that came to mind. Once we've got the server attributes check we should at least have a proper and up to date list of versions in netbox :)

[trickeydan]

My general rule is to wait on the next non-LTS version of Ubuntu (e.g. 20.10) to come out before upgrading to the latest LTS. 20.04 does not look as problematic as previous LTS. However, upgrading need not be rushed unless functionality is required from the LTS.

I feel like we should document this somewhere.

Let's keep this ticket for primarily tracking 16.04 upgrades.

[TimStallard]

FWIW, something along those lines is enforced on the Ubuntu side - it won't allow you to upgrade from one LTS to the next until the .1 release is out (ie 20.04.1 in this case), unless you explicitly say you want to upgrade to a dev release.

[drn05r]

We now have all servers (including auth2 upgraded to 18.04). We should try to make progress on upgrading servers to 20.04, focusing on those that are most straightforward and least critical first. Some have already been done. I have put a risk score next to each server (1-3 scale for how critical the server is, 1-3 for how complex/liable to the break stuff the upgrade would likely be):

• auth2 (3 x 3 = 9)
• backup-b53-1 (2 x 1 = 2)
• backup-b32-1 (2 x 1 = 2)
• backup-test (0 x 1 = 0)
• buildroot (2 x 1 = 2)
• buildroot-dev (1 x 1 = 1)
• data1 (0 x 1 = 0)
• external-monitor (2 x 1 = 2)
• gw-b53-1 (3 x 3 = 9) - Replaced with new server running 22.04.
• gw-b32-1 (3 x 3 = 9) - Replaced with new server running 22.04.
• jumpbox (1 x 1 = 1)
• marconi (3 x 2 = 6)
• monitor (2 x 2 = 4) - Hopefully remove and just use monitor2 when all checks moved.
• monitor2 (2 x 2 = 4)
• netbox (2 x 1 = 2)
• tunnelbroker (2 x 2 = 4)
• vms-b32-1 (3 x 3 =9) - Plan to shift VMs to vms-b53-1, so wok can be replaced with lxd and upgrade OS at same time.
• vms-b53-1 (1 x 3 = 3)
• vpn (1 x 2 = 4)
• www (2 x 2 = 4) - Not enough space for /boot/. Rebuild as our own VM. This iSolutions VM has been renamed to dev and containers-2 VM on vms-b53-1 now hosts www.sown.org.uk.
• zepler-websdr (1 x 2 = 2)

[drn05r]

We probably should now sort out making sure VMs are upgraded to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. I have put a risk score next to each server (1-3 scale for how critical the server is, 1-3 for how complex/liable to the break stuff the upgrade would likely be):

• auth2 (3 x 3 = 9)
• backup-b32-1 (2 x 1 = 2)
• backup-b53-1 (2 x 1 = 2)
• buildroot (2 x 1 = 2)
• buildroot-dev (1 x 1 = 1)
• containers-1 (1 x 2 = 2) - New VM installed with Ubuntu 22.04
• containers-2 (2 x 2 = 4) - New VM installed with Ubuntu 22.04
• containers-3 (3 x 2 = 6) - New VM installed with Ubuntu 22.04
• data1 (0 x 1 = 0) - Not currently being used for anything
• external-monitor (2 x 1 = 2)
• gw-b53 (3 x 3 = 9) - New server installed with Ubuntu 22.04
• gw-b32 (3 x 3 = 9) - New server installed with Ubuntu 22.04
• login (2 x 1 = 2)
• login2 (2 x 1 = 2)
• marconi (0 x 1 = 0) - Not currently being used for anything.
• monitor2 (2 x 2 = 4)
• netbox (2 x 1 = 2)
• vms-b32-1 (1 x 2 = 2) - Still on 18.04 but all VMs migrated to vms-b53-1 so server can be reinstalled from scratch.
• vms-b53-1 (3 x 3 = 9)
• vpn (1 x 2 = 2)
• zepler-websdr (1 x 2 = 2)

[drn05r]

netbox upgraded to 22.04 and vms-b32-1 reinstalled with 22.04 but likely to be re-installed again when we have SSDs.