15.4 Updating the Appliance

CloudAccess provides an update channel for keeping your appliances current with the latest security fixes, bug fixes, and patch updates. Updates work only if you have registered each node in the cluster. For more information, see Registering the Appliance.

When an update is available for one or more nodes in the cluster, the CloudAccess Admin page displays a flag icon in the upper right corner of the window. You can also configure the appliance to send an email notification when an update is available. When you click the flag icon, you can see the version of the pending update, instructions on how to apply the update, and the Release Notes associated with the update.

The flag icon for the update channel appears only if you are logged in to the Admin page with an administrator account. Other consoles do not display the flag icon.

CloudAccess automatically checks the update channel for updates once daily at 11:23:23 p.m. and downloads any available update. You can also manually check for updates any time by clicking Tools > Check for updates on the Admin page. You can download and install an update as soon as the flag appears on the Admin page, or you can wait for CloudAccess to download the update that night, to minimize network impact due to possible size of an update.

WARNING:We recommend that you download and install an update in two separate steps. If you download and update in the same step and the download is interrupted or incomplete, the update fails. The appliance might become unresponsive or seem to be in a restart loop. If this occurs, download the update, then go back to the snapshot and try again to apply the update.

Always keeping your appliance up to date is a best practice. However, updates are cumulative, so if you miss an update you can just install the next one when it is available.

IMPORTANT:If you apply an update to one node, you must apply the update to all the other nodes in the cluster. Update one node at a time. Ensure that the update was successful and the node is still working properly before you begin updating the next node. Do not perform any other administrative tasks that require an Apply command, and do not switch the master node, until all nodes have been successfully updated to the same version of CloudAccess.

This process allows you to run in a mixed environment while you update each node. After you have applied all available channel updates, the flag icon goes away.

To apply an update:

  1. Take a snapshot of each node in the cluster to create a backup.

  2. Click the desired node, then click Apply update.

    CloudAccess displays status messages during the installation of the update and the rebooting of the node.

  3. After the update completes and the node restarts, click About on the node to verify the updated version.

  4. Verify the health of the updated node and all of the nodes in the cluster. Ensure that all icons are green.

    For more information, see Displaying Health.

  5. Repeat Step 2 through Step 4 for each node in the cluster.

  6. When you are sure that all of the nodes in the cluster are working as expected, delete the snapshot.