Upgrading airgap server from Telco Cloud Automation (TCA) 2.1.x (patch build) to TCA 2.3.0 GA

Products

VMware VMware Telco Cloud Automation

Issue/Introduction

This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to upgrade an airgap server from Telco Cloud Automation (TCA) 2.1.x (patch build) to Telco Cloud Automation (TCA) 2.3.0 GA build in one go.

This is a one-shot upgrade, and there is no need to upgrade the airgap server when TCA is upgraded to 2.3.0 GA.

There are two methods available for upgrading the Airgap Server from 2.1.x (patch build) to TCA 2.3.0 GA. Any one of these can be followed while upgrading.

Upgrade Existing Airgap Server using incremental package upgrade.
Replace the existing Airgap Server with the newly built Airgap Server.

NOTE: This document will provide the additional changes that needs to be considered for one shot upgrade from TCA 2.1.x (patch build) to TCA 2.3.0 GA build. For complete procedure follow VMware Telco Cloud Automation Deployment Guide for incremental upgrade or setting up a new airgap server. Apply the additional changes as and when the particular step needs to be performed.

This is one shot upgrade only for airgap server. However, TCA and CaaS clusters should be upgraded sequentially as mentioned in release guide.

Symptoms:

This article provides detailed procedure to upgrade Airgap server from TCA 2.1.x (patch build) to TCA 2.3.0 GA.

Environment

VMware Telco Cloud Automation 2.1
VMware Telco Cloud Automation 2.3

Resolution

Method 1: Upgrade Existing Airgap Server to 2.3.0 GA using incremental package upgrade.

In this approach, we run the export operation in the airgap server deployed in the internet accessible environment, which generates a tar ball consisting of all the images, charts and photon repos under the folder /photon-reps/export-bundle and then copy this bundle to the airgap server in airgapped environment and upgrade it.

Follow the "Upload Incremental Upgrade Images Bundle to Airgap Server" section of "VMware Telco Cloud Automation Deployment Guide" for incremental bundle upgrade. The steps below covers the additional changes that are required to be done for one shot upgrade of the airgap server from TCA 2.1.x (patch build) to TCA 2.3.0 GA build.

Prerequisite: The tar ball generated for TCA 2.1.x (patch build) to TCA 2.3.0 GA will be of size ~110 GB. Make sure the available space on the /photon-reps disk has double the storage of the tar ball. If disk has insufficient storage extend the disk by running "resize" operation. More details on how to extend the disk is here: Resize the disk

Deploy and configure a new Photon OS VM as the new Airgap server in an internet accessible environment.
Download the TCA 2.3.0 GA airgap scripts tar file from customerconnect.vmware.com
The package name is VMware-Telco-Cloud-Automation-airgap-files-[release]-[build].tar.gz.

Extract the downloaded file.

tar -xvf VMware-Telco-Cloud-Automation-airgap-files-[release]-[build].tar.gz

Goto - airgap/scripts/vars and copy the setup-user-inputs.yml to user-inputs.yml and update the fqdn and products section as below:

products:
  - name: "tca"
    versions: "2.2.0-"
  - name: "photon"
    baseline: "2.1.0"

Run export operation.

root@photon-machine [ ~/airgap ]# scripts/bin/run.sh export

Once the tar ball is generated, copy the tar ball to the destination airgap server in airgapped environment and place it under /photon-reps/ folder.
Similar to step1 and step2, Download the TCA 2.3.0 GA airgap scripts tar file from customerconnect.vmware.com on the destination airgap server and extract it.

Goto - airgap/scripts/vars and copy the setup-user-inputs.yml to user-inputs.yml and update the fqdn of the airgap server.

Note: Make sure the /photon-reps partition has 220 GB or more storage.  If disk has insufficient storage extend the disk by running "resize" operation. More details on how to extend the disk is here: Resize the disk

Import the packages on the airgap server.

root@photon-machine [ ~/airgap ]# docker login [airgap-FQDN/registry]
root@photon-machine [ ~/airgap ]# scripts/bin/run.sh import
root@photon-machine [ ~/airgap ]# scripts/bin/run.sh upgrade

Method 2: Replace the existing airgap server with the newly built airgap server.

Upgrade airgap server by deploying a new airgap server in the internet accessible environment and then exporting it to airgapped environment and replacing it with the existing airgap server. For deployment and configuration of the new airgap server please follow the steps mentioned in "Configuring an Airgap Repository" from "VMware Telco Cloud Automation Deployment Guide. Additional steps required for one shot upgrade and replacing with the existing airgap server is covered below.

Deploy and configure a new Photon OS VM as the new Airgap server in an internet accessible environment.
Download the TCA 2.3.0 GA airgap scripts tar file from customerconnect.vmware.com.
The package name is VMware-Telco-Cloud-Automation-airgap-files-[release]-[build].tar.gz.

Extract the downloaded file.

tar -xvf VMware-Telco-Cloud-Automation-airgap-files-[release]-[build].tar.gz

Create a new directory on the VM and download the TCA 2.1.x (patch build) airgap scripts tar file.
Extract the tar file downloaded.
Goto airgap/bom/ folder and rename the file tca-airgap.yaml to tca-airgap-2.1.0-<current-build-number>.yaml

Copy all the files in the current bom folder to the bom folder of 2.3.0 GA build

mkdir <someName>
cd <someName>/
Copy VMware-Telco-Cloud-Automation-airgap-files-2.1.0-<current-build-number>.tar.gz from the running airgap server or from a jump box where it is already downloaded to the new airgap server
tar -xvf VMware-Telco-Cloud-Automation-airgap-files-2.1.0-<current-build-number>.tar.gz
cd airgap/bom
mv tca-airgap.yaml tca-airgap-2.1.0-<current-build-number>.yaml
cp * /root/airgap/bom/

Goto TCA 2.3.0 GA build's airgap folder and while preparing the user-inputs.yml, update the products section as below, along with other changes as mentioned in the deployment guide.
```
products:
  - name: "tca"
    versions: "2.1.0-"
```

Run the setup operation on the airgap server

root@photon-machine [ ~/airgap ]# scripts/bin/run.sh setup

Once step 9 is complete, export the OVF and deploy it as new airgap server in the production environment.
Copy the certificates used on the previous airgap server to the new airgap server and use the same certs during the deploy phase.

Note: In this approach using same fqdn and certificate is mandatory irrespective of whether the certificate is CA signed or self signed.
Power-off the old airgap server. Run the deploy phase of the airgap server. Use the same certificate and fqdn used on the previously used Airgap server.
Finally, execute the below command to configure the new airgap server.
```
./run.sh deploy
```