Managing versions and upgrades by using the Platform UI

The Platform UI simplifies the upgrade of operators and instances by ensuring they are within the optimal ranges for the installed IBM Cloud Pak for Integration version. It is designed to support users through the upgrade experience and optimize the compatibility of instances.

The Overview tab on the "Versions and upgrades" page in the Platform UI provides an overview of the current versions of OpenShift and all installed operators and instances, and (if applicable) the optimal range of versions. To access, click the Navigation Menu icon in the top left corner, then click Administration > Versions and upgrades.

You must be an administrator to perform upgrades with the upgrade interface.

Generating an upgrade plan

You need to upgrade the Platform UI before you can use it to generate an upgrade plan for the rest of your upgrade process (including the upgrade of instances). If you have not already done so, generate an upgrade plan by following the steps in "Generating an upgrade plan by using the CLI" in Upgrading from 2023.4 or Upgrading from 2022.2. Continue to follow the steps in that plan until the Platform UI is upgraded. Then you can proceed with the steps in this section.

When the Platform UI is upgraded, use the following steps to generate a plan for upgrading the rest of your installation of Cloud Pak for Integration to 16.1.0:

  1. Log in to the Platform UI.

  2. In the navigation menu, click Administration, then click Versions and upgrades.

  3. Click the Upgrade planning tab.

  4. Select the appropriate target version for Cloud Pak for Integration.

  5. Click the Refresh button.

    The Platform UI runs a check of your existing Cloud Pak for Integration installation and compares the current installed versions of components with those that are part of the target version. Once the check has completed, you get a sequence of steps that are required in order to upgrade the Cloud Pak for Integration installation.

    Steps that are already complete are marked with a green checkmark icon. Click the header for each step to get more information.

    Steps that are not yet complete are marked with a gray checkmark icon and additional information for that step is provided. The additional information may include links to relevant pages in the OpenShift web console or the UI where you can upgrade an instance. For example:

    • Clicking the OpenShift URL link to upgrade an operator opens the Subscription page for the operator that you selected in the OpenShift web console.

    • Clicking the Change version link to upgrade an instance opens a panel from which you can select the version that you want.

Tip: The upgrade plan does not update itself automatically when changes are made. Once you have completed one or more of the upgrade steps, or tasks within a step, click the Refresh button again to update the upgrade plan.

Managing operator and instance versions

The Overview tab on the "Versions and upgrades" page contains tiles for each installed operator and for OpenShift. Each tile shows the version of the operator, whether that version is optimal for Cloud Pak for Integration 16.1.0 or upgrades are available, and if applicable, the number of deployed instances that the operator manages.

  1. Log in to the Platform UI.

  2. In the navigation menu, click Administration, then click Versions and upgrades. The "Versions and upgrades" page opens with the Overview tab active. This tab contains tiles for all the Cloud Pak for Integration operators that are installed, and OpenShift.

  3. If an operator tile indicates that upgrades are available, upgrade the operator to ensure optimal performance and compatibility. Click the tile for an operator (for example, IBM API Connect).

    • A notification at the beginning of the page describes the optimal range for that operator, which corresponds to the installed version of Cloud Pak for Integration. If applicable, you also get a table listing the instances that the operator manages.

    • If the operator has a dependency that needs upgrading, you get a second notification. For example, API Connect requires the administrator to upgrade the DataPower operator. An Upgrade button within this notification opens a new window that takes you directly to the Subscription page for the dependency's operator.

    • If the operator version is too high or the operator is not installed, you get a warning notification that explains the issue and provides possible actions to take.

    • Click the Upgrade button on the page to open the Subscription page for the selected operator in the OpenShift web console. Follow the procedure in Upgrading operators by using the OpenShift web console to upgrade the operator to the version that you want. Use the information about the ideal range that was returned by the upgrade plan (from the first notification that was mentioned in the previous step) when you are asked to select the operator channel.

  4. When the operator upgrade is complete, go back to the Platform UI and click the Overview tab again. Click the refresh icon on the table of instances. This updates the state of the operator.

Now that the operator is upgraded, upgrade the instances that the operator manages by completing the steps in the next section.

Upgrading instances on the "Versions and upgrades" page

Prerequisite: You cannot upgrade an instance through this interface until its corresponding operator is installed successfully and within the recommended range.

Tip: If you want to upgrade instances independently of the operator version that you plan to use, use the procedure in the following section, Upgrading instances independently of the operator version.

  1. Log in to the Platform UI.

  2. In the navigation menu, click Administration, then click Versions and upgrades.

  3. Click the Overview tab.

  4. Click the operator that you want to use. You get a table of instances that are available for upgrade.

    • Each listed instance has a notification that describes the required actions that are needed for upgrade.

    • In the Optimal range column, if an instance is within the range that is specified, there is a green checkmark. If not, you get information about the range the instance needs to be within to be aligned with the installed version of the Platform UI.

  5. To upgrade an instance, click the Change version button in the "Instance version" column for the instance. A pane opens from which you can select the version that you want (aligned with the notification from the previous step) from the dropdown menu. If a new license is required (instead of the existing license), you get the license name with an Accept toggle so you can accept the new license.

  6. Click Change version to patch the instance with the new version (and the new license, if required). Once successful, the page automatically reloads and reflects the selected changes.

  7. Repeat the process for each instance in the table.

Upgrading instances independently of the operator version

Use the Instances page (instead of the "Versions and upgrades" page in the previous section) when you want to upgrade instances independently of the operator version that you plan to use. For example, you might want only to apply a fix pack to an instance from an older release of Cloud Pak for Integration).

  1. Log in to the Platform UI.

  2. Find the instance to upgrade, click to open the overflow menu (three-dot icon) for that instance, and click Change version.

  3. If you are asked to select a new license when upgrading to a new version, select the license and click Accept.

  4. Select the upgrade version and click Change version.