Foundation release to migrate and up-version the underlying MA Operating System to provide greater security, performance, support, and reliability in v19.00.00

Release Date: April 29, 2024

Controlled Release Notice:

V19.00 is an “In Place Update”, meaning the existing operating system is upgraded on the device. Due to the complexity of the Device42 v19.00 upgrade, 19.00 upgrade images are temporarily being restricted and are available for download only for pre-approved environments and customers. This is to provide upgrading customers with a higher degree of support options. To participate in the controlled release program, please contact Customer Support.

NOTICE: Cut Off Release Notice 18.14

Device42 v18.14 was an upgrade cut off release. We are taking this step to improve and modernize the foundational system packages. All customers will be required to upgrade to v18.14.00 to be able to apply later releases, including v19.00.00.

NOTICE: Cut Off Release Notice 19.00

Device42 v19.00 is an upgrade cut off release. Due to the size of the upgrade package, all customers will be required to upgrade to v19.00 to be able to apply later releases beyond v19.00.

Release Overview

The MA v19.00 includes a new version of the underlying operating system used by the Main Appliance. The new operating system replaces the expiring CentOS 7 operating system with a new Rocky Linux 8.9 version. This operating system is designed to be compatible with standard industry releases such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux distributions.

The upgrade process includes several steps, each requiring the server to reboot. The following outlines the general flow of what to expect.

Perform system checks and install prerequisites.
After rebooting, the migration to the new operating system will start on boot and output all progress to the console (no SSH access).
After rebooting again, the system will return to a standard login prompt and the upgrade process will continue to run in the background. Instructions will prompt on the console when it is safe to log back in and continue to monitor the system.
Final reboot, which will restart the fully upgraded system.

WARNING: This upgrade will take several hours to complete and requires a full database backup and hypervisor level snapshots of the main appliance and all remote collectors before proceeding. Please perform all backup and snapshot operations before proceeding!

Remember to follow the backup and snapshot instructions carefully to ensure a smooth upgrade process.

Main Features of 19.00.00

Upgrade Readiness Details

The release of version 18.14 of the Appliance Manager contained a section labeled “Upgrade Readiness Details” on the Update Software page. This feature allows users to view various status updates, some of which may indicate failures.

For the 19.00 upgrade, it is important to note that upgrades will not proceed unless the Main Appliance achieves a “PASS” status for all checks displayed on this Upgrade Readiness Details page. Similarly, individual Remote Collectors (RCs) will not be eligible for upgrades unless they also meet the requirement of having all checks in a “PASS” status. The overall readiness for upgrade will be displayed at the top of the Upgrade Software page.

Upgrade Readiness – Top of page

This section displays the overall readiness status for the upgrade. Even if there are failures noted in the Remote Collector (RC) section, you may still proceed with the upgrade since RC statuses are evaluated individually. The status will show as “Ready” if all the main checks pass for the Main Appliance (MA).

System Packages (Pass/Fail) – MA & RC

Our system monitors all the RPM packages required for proper system operation. This check involves comparing the currently installed packages against the registry files mentioned.

Database Integrity – MA

This section currently serves as a placeholder for future updates and will indicate a pass regardless of the actual status. As of version 18.14, the ability to detect missing database objects is not implemented. However, we plan to introduce database integrity analysis in upcoming releases.

Disk Space – MA & RC

For the 19.00.00 upgrade (Rocky upgrade), it is required that the Main Appliance (MA) has at least 40 GB of free disk space, and Remote Collectors (RCs) have at least 15 GB free. These requirements may be changed as releases dictate. Updates will not proceed if these disk space requirements are not met, so it is essential to either extend the disk space or perform cleanup as necessary

License Version Format – MA

We no longer support some outdated legacy licenses. If this check fails, a new license conforming to the latest standards should be obtained from support.

Connectivity – RC

This check simply indicates whether the Remote Collector (RC) is connected or not.

Overall – RC

The RC is evaluated based on disk space and package requirements being met.

(d42-32319) AES256, AES 192 encryption for SNMP v3 (blocked now)
(d42-33202, d42-22206) Check and Prevent upgrade if minimum system requirements are not met.
(d42-20363) Frequent messages during the upgrade process to let users know progress