Upgrading the server

You can upgrade the IBM DevOps Deploy (Deploy) server to incorporate to a later version.

Upgrading the Deploy server is performed using the same methods as an initial installation. However, there are some considerations that must be taken into account during an upgrade. The following table lists some of the considerations you must read before performing an upgrade:

Consideration Description

Upgrade sequence

Consideration	Description
Upgrade sequence	For optimal performance and access to all features, you must always upgrade agents and agent relays whenever you upgrade your server. While each component—the server, agents, and agent relays—can be upgraded independently, using an older agent or relay with a newer server may result in missing functionalities. Therefore, it's crucial to keep all components up to date to ensure full system capability. You must upgrade in the following order: `server > agent > agent relay`
Plug-ins	When you upgrade the server, only plug-ins that are shipped with the product are upgraded to newer versions. The updated plug-ins are not necessarily compatible with an earlier version. When you upgrade, previous versions of the plug-ins are kept on the server. You cannot create processes with previous versions of plug-ins, but you can deploy snapshots that use the old versions of the plug-ins.
Directory user permissions	When you upgrade, the directory structure is recreated and ownership is assigned to the user who performed the upgrade. You may require to manage the permissions of these directories to prevent access issues. For example, if you upgrade as the root user, the server’s opt/tomcat directory and the deployserver.out log file may be owned by the root user. Consequently, if you start the server with another user or using a UNIX or Linux service that starts Deploy with the normal user, the server startup fails as the files are owned by root. To prevent this issue, you must upgrade using the same user account that was used for the initial installation. Alternatively, you can grant the necessary permissions to the appropriate user after the upgrade using the `chmod` and `chgrp` commands to ensure they can access and execute the required files and directory.

For optimal performance and access to all features, you must always upgrade agents and agent relays whenever you upgrade your server. While each component—the server, agents, and agent relays—can be upgraded independently, using an older agent or relay with a newer server may result in missing functionalities. Therefore, it's crucial to keep all components up to date to ensure full system capability.

You must upgrade in the following order:

server > agent > agent relay

Plug-ins When you upgrade the server, only plug-ins that are shipped with the product are upgraded to newer versions. The updated plug-ins are not necessarily compatible with an earlier version. When you upgrade, previous versions of the plug-ins are kept on the server. You cannot create processes with previous versions of plug-ins, but you can deploy snapshots that use the old versions of the plug-ins.

Directory user permissions

When you upgrade, the directory structure is recreated and ownership is assigned to the user who performed the upgrade. You may require to manage the permissions of these directories to prevent access issues. For example, if you upgrade as the root user, the server’s opt/tomcat directory and the deployserver.out log file may be owned by the root user. Consequently, if you start the server with another user or using a UNIX or Linux service that starts Deploy with the normal user, the server startup fails as the files are owned by root.

To prevent this issue, you must upgrade using the same user account that was used for the initial installation. Alternatively, you can grant the necessary permissions to the appropriate user after the upgrade using the chmod and chgrp commands to ensure they can access and execute the required files and directory.

Note: The upgrade process is a complete replacement of the server.