Kubernetes Upgrade

This document outlines the process for upgrading Kubernetes and its internal components. 

Note: This upgrade is independent of Labforward's product release cycle and should not have any functional impact.

Release Schedule

Labforward adheres to Kubernetes' official release schedule (Releases) with a three-month lag. 

Here are the upcoming Labforward Platform upgrades:

• November 2024: Kubernetes 1.31

• March 2025: Kubernetes 1.32

Supported Versions

See the list of currently supported Kubernetes versions. Please note that the functionality of the applications in any other version is not assured.

• Kubernetes 1.30
• Kubernetes 1.29
• Kubernetes 1.28
• Kubernetes 1.27

Upgrade Process

This process upgrades the Kubernetes cluster and all its add-ons. Find the list of all add-ons used by Labforward at the following : https://kurl.sh/labforward-customer-channel

The upgrade happens version by version. Each version takes five to ten minutes to update. For example, consider you are on version 1.27 and update to version 1.29. First, it will update 1.27 → 1.28, then 1.28 → 1.29. You will be prompted to accept each version update.

Find the upgrade instructions for each Labforward deployment model below.

On-Premise

The customer provides the infrastructure, and Labforward provides the Kubernetes cluster.

In the Kubernetes host, run:

curl -sSL https://kurl.sh/labforward-customer-channel  | sudo bash

Customer Cluster

The customer provides the Kubernetes cluster, and Labforward deploys the applications.

If you are managing your own Kubernetes cluster, deployed independently of the Labforward installer, it is the responsibility of the IT administrator to handle cluster updates using their preferred method.

In addition to the Kubernetes cluster, the IT admin must manually update the KOTS add-on, following the same agenda as the Kubernetes upgrades described in this document.

To update the KOTS add-on, run:

curl https://kots.io/install/v1.109.14 | bash

Then:

kubectl kots admin-console upgrade --namespace=labforward

Airgap

The customer provides the infrastructure, and Labforward provides the Kubernetes cluster in a no-internet environment.

To update it, download the Kubernetes bundle from the download portal:

Move it to the airgap Kubernetes host and extract its content:

tar -xf labforward-customer-channel.tar.gz

Next, run the install script:

cat install.sh | sudo bash -s airgap

If you lost access to the download portal, ask for new access via our customer success team at customersuccess@labforward.io.

Extra Upgrade Actions

This section outlines the pre-upgrade steps required beyond the upgrade command mentioned earlier. These actions are specific to Labforward resources and the respective Kubernetes upgrades:

• Kubernetes 1.29 to 1.30: No additional actions are necessary.
• Kubernetes 1.28 to 1.29: No additional actions are necessary.
• Kubernetes 1.27 to 1.28: No additional actions are necessary.
• Kubernetes 1.25 to 1.26: No additional actions are necessary.
• Kubernetes 1.24 to 1.25: No additional actions are necessary.
• Kubernetes 1.23 to 1.24: No additional actions are necessary.
• Kubernetes 1.22 to 1.23: No additional actions are necessary.

For a full changelog, refer to the Kubernetes documentation at Upgrading kubeadm clusters.