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47 changes: 46 additions & 1 deletion modules/understanding-upgrade-channels.adoc
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -11,13 +11,23 @@

In {product-title} 4.1, Red Hat introduced the concept of channels for recommending the appropriate release versions for cluster upgrades. By controlling the pace of upgrades, these upgrade channels allow you to choose an upgrade strategy. Upgrade channels are tied to a minor version of {product-title}. For instance, {product-title} 4.7 upgrade channels will never include an upgrade to a 4.8 release. This strategy ensures that administrators explicitly decide to upgrade to the next minor version of {product-title}. Upgrade channels control only release selection and do not impact the version of the cluster that you install; the `openshift-install` binary file for a specific version of {product-title} always installs that version.

ifndef::openshift-origin[]
{product-title} {product-version} offers the following upgrade channels:

* `candidate-{product-version}`
* `fast-{product-version}`
* `stable-{product-version}`
* `eus-4.6` (only available when running 4.6)

endif::openshift-origin[]
ifdef::openshift-origin[]
{product-title} {product-version} offers the following upgrade channel:

* `stable-4`

endif::openshift-origin[]

ifndef::openshift-origin[]
[discrete]
== candidate-{product-version} channel

Expand All @@ -43,12 +53,25 @@ for more build information.
The `fast-{product-version}` channel is updated with new {product-version} versions as soon as Red Hat declares the given version as a general availability release. As such, these releases are fully supported, are production quality, and have performed well while available as a release candidate in the `candidate-{product-version}` channel from where they were promoted. Some time after a release appears in the `fast-{product-version}` channel, it is added to the `stable-{product-version}` channel. Releases never appear in the `stable-{product-version}` channel before they appear in the `fast-{product-version}` channel.

You can use the `fast-{product-version}` channel to upgrade from a previous minor version of {product-title}.
endif::openshift-origin[]

ifndef::openshift-origin[]
[discrete]
== stable-{product-version} channel

While the `fast-{product-version}` channel contains releases as soon as their errata are published, releases are added to the `stable-{product-version}` channel after a delay. During this delay, data is collected from Red Hat SRE teams, Red Hat support services, and pre-production and production environments that participate in connected customer program about the stability of the release. You can use the `stable-{product-version}` channel to upgrade from a previous minor version of {product-title}.
endif::openshift-origin[]
ifdef::openshift-origin[]
[discrete]
== stable-4 channel
Releases are added to the `stable-4` channel
after passing all tests.

You can use the `stable-4` channel to upgrade from a previous minor version of
{product-title}.
endif::openshift-origin[]

ifndef::openshift-origin[]
[discrete]
== eus-4.6 channel

Expand All @@ -59,11 +82,19 @@ Although there is no difference between stable-4.6 and eus-4.6 channels until {p
Additionally, you may only switch to the EUS channel when your cluster is running a supported version of {product-title} 4.6.

Finally, if you install a 4.6 version that is exclusive to EUS, you will similarly not be able to upgrade to a later minor version until upgrades are provided to 4.10.
endif::openshift-origin[]

[discrete]
== Upgrade version paths

{product-title} maintains an upgrade recommendation service that understands the version of {product-title} you have installed as well as the path to take within the channel you choose to get you to the next release. You can imagine seeing the following in the `fast-{product-version}` channel:
{product-title} maintains an upgrade recommendation service that understands the version of {product-title} you have installed as well as the path to take within the channel you choose to get you to the next release.

ifndef::openshift-origin[]
You can imagine seeing the following in the `fast-{product-version}` channel:
endif::openshift-origin[]
ifdef::openshift-origin[]
You can imagine seeing the following in the `stable-4` channel:
endif::openshift-origin[]

* {product-version}.0
* {product-version}.1
Expand All @@ -72,10 +103,21 @@ Finally, if you install a 4.6 version that is exclusive to EUS, you will similar

The service recommends only upgrades that have been tested and have no serious issues. It will not suggest updating to a version of {product-title} that contains known vulnerabilities. For example, if your cluster is on {product-version}.1 and {product-title} suggests {product-version}.4, then it is safe for you to update from {product-version}.1 to {product-version}.4. Do not rely on consecutive patch numbers. In this example, {product-version}.2 is not and never was available in the channel.

ifndef::openshift-origin[]
Update stability depends on your channel. The presence of an update recommendation in the `candidate-{product-version}` channel does not imply that the update is supported. It means that no serious issues have been found with the update yet, but there might not be significant traffic through the update to suggest stability. The presence of an update recommendation in the `fast-{product-version}` or `stable-{product-version}` channels is a declaration that the update is fully supported while it is in the channel. While releases will never be removed from a channel, update recommendations that exhibit serious issues will be removed from all channels. Updates initiated after the update recommendation has been removed might not be supported.

Red Hat will eventually provide supported update paths from any supported release in the `fast-{product-version}` or `stable-{product-version}` channels to the latest release in {product-version}.z, although there can be delays while safe paths away from troubled releases are constructed and verified.
endif::openshift-origin[]

ifdef::openshift-origin[]
The presence of an update recommendation in the `stable-4`
channel is a declaration that the update is fully supported while it is in the
channel. While releases will never be removed from the channel, update recommendations
that exhibit serious issues will be removed from the channel. Updates initiated
after the update recommendation has been removed might not be supported.
endif::openshift-origin[]

ifndef::openshift-origin[]
[discrete]
== Fast and stable channel use and strategies

Expand All @@ -88,7 +130,10 @@ Customers can improve this process by configuring pre-production systems on the

If you manage the container images for your {product-title} clusters yourself, you must consult the Red Hat errata that is associated with product releases and note any comments that impact upgrades. During upgrade, the user interface might warn you about switching between these versions, so you must ensure that you selected an appropriate version before you bypass those warnings.

ifndef::openshift-origin[]
[discrete]
== Switching between channels

Your cluster is still supported if you change from the `stable-{product-version}` channel to the `fast-{product-version}` channel. Although you can switch to the `candidate-{product-version}` channel at any time, some releases in that channel might be unsupported release candidates. You can switch from the `candidate-{product-version}` channel to the `fast-{product-version}` channel if your current release is a general availability release. You can always switch from the `fast-{product-version}` channel to the `stable-{product-version}` channel, although if the current release was recently promoted to `fast-{product-version}` there can be a delay of up to a day for the release to be promoted to `stable-{product-version}`. If you change to a channel that does not include your current release, an alert displays and no updates can be recommended, but you can safely change back to your original channel at any point.
endif::openshift-origin[]

10 changes: 10 additions & 0 deletions modules/update-upgrading-web.adoc
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -37,12 +37,17 @@ endif::within[]
ifdef::between[]
your current minor version,
endif::between[]
ifndef::openshift-origin[]
such as `stable-{product-version}`.
+
[IMPORTANT]
====
For production clusters, you must subscribe to a stable-* or fast-* channel.
====
endif::openshift-origin[]
ifdef::openshift-origin[]
such as `stable-4`.
endif::openshift-origin[]
** If the *Update Status* is not *Updates Available*, you cannot upgrade your cluster.
** *Select Channel* indicates the cluster version that your cluster is running or is updating to.

Expand All @@ -61,7 +66,12 @@ ifdef::between[]
+
--
** If updates are available, continue to perform updates in the current channel until you can no longer update.
ifndef::openshift-origin[]
** If no updates are available, change the *Channel* to the stable-* or fast-* channel for the next minor version, and update to the version that you want in that channel.
endif::openshift-origin[]
ifdef::openshift-origin[]
** If no updates are available, change the *Channel* to the stable-* channel for the next minor version, and update to the version that you want in that channel.
endif::openshift-origin[]
--
+
You might need to perform several intermediate updates until you reach the version that you want.
Expand Down