Step B: Prepare each node
Prepare the nodes during one or more maintenance windows. The number of windows depends on the number of nodes you can complete in one maintenance window.
Upgrade to the latest 3.25 minor version
To upgrade to version 3.26.1 or higher (version 2.26.x or higher for workers nodes), the software currently installed on the node must be version 3.25.5 or higher (or 2.25.5).
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If the Conductor nodes are currently on version 3.25.5 or higher (or 2.25.5 or higher), you don't have to upgrade to a higher patch.
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If the Conductor nodes are on one major version and the worker nodes are on a different major version, upgrade all nodes to the same major version. Normally, there is a rule that Conductor Live can be a lower major version than the workers. This rule doesn't apply when upgrading to 3.26.1 or higher. All the nodes in the cluster must be running version 3.25.5 (or 2.25.5) or higher.
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If the Conductor nodes are on a version below 3.25.5, upgrade to the current highest patch version.
To upgrade to 3.25.5 or higher (or 2.25.5), see the AWS Elemental Conductor Live Upgrade Guide.
Verify access to the BMC on the appliances
Make sure that you have access to the BMC on each appliance:
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On a Dell server, make sure that iDRAC is installed and that you can start it.
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On an SMC server, make sure that IPMI is installed and that you can install it.
You can install iDRAC or IPMI even when the node is active — when Elemental Live is running events or Conductor is controlling the cluster.
Update firmware
Both the BIOS firmware and the BMC firmware (IPMI for SuperMicro, iDRAC for Dell)
must be at the latest versions that have been qualified by AWS Elemental. They must be at
the latest versions before you can set the boot mode to UEFI, as part of upgrading each node. To obtain
these versions, go to the AWS Elemental Support Center
We recommend that you update the firmware on all your nodes at the same time. We also recommend that you perform this update during a maintenance window. If you need to upgrade to the latest 3.25.5 (2.26.x) version of the AWS Elemental software, you might want to perform both tasks during the same maintenance window.
After you install the firmware, you must reboot each node. For more information, see Updating firmware.
Make a note of node assignments
Before you upgrade any worker node, you must make a note of the channels that are assigned to this node. You will use this information to restart the channels, after you've completed the migration.
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On the web interface for the primary Conductor node, access the Channels screen.
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Filter the information on the screen to show one node. Then make a note of all the channels that are assigned to that node.
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Repeat for each node.
Make a note of router information
This information applies if the cluster includes nodes that connected to an SDI input using a router. After you upgrade, the cluster will still have information about the SDI inputs and about the router, but it will be missing the mapping from the inputs to the router.
In order to reconfigure the information accurately, make a note of the current configuration. For more information see the information about configuring routers in the Reference: Configure connectivity section of the AWS Elemental Conductor Live Configuration Guide.
Move custom files
You might have custom files in /opt/elemental_se/scripts on the node.
These are files that you created. They aren't part of the installation of the Conductor Live
or Elemental Live software, and they aren't backed up and restored.
Copy these files to storage off the node, so that you can copy the files back to the node after you've upgraded it.
