CSCF Infrastructure Technology Group

Index

1. Introduction
2. CSCF Ubuntu LTS Deployment Lifecycle
1. Fall term before a new LTS distibution is released
2. First term (Spring) after a New LTS distribution is released
3. Second term (Fall) after a new LTS distribution is released
4. Third term (Winter) after a new LTS distribution is released
5. Fourth to Sixth terms after a new LTS distribution is released

Introduction

Currently LTS releases are in April so we start on the Spring/Summer term.

For each of CS-GENERAL and CS-TEACHING compute regions CSCF provides a DNS-round-robin cluster of general-use servers providing both the Current and previous LTS releases.

The Previous LTS release will have at least a redundant pair of virtual servers for each region.

Current LTS release servers is based on the maximum number of concurrent users monitored during an entire year.

CSCF Ubuntu LTS Deployment Lifecycle

Fall term before a new LTS distibution is released

Identify hardware that will be used for next LTS release dev systems. If needed, add cost of new LXC IAAS system to next Budget Proposal.

First term (Spring) after a New LTS distribution is released

• repurpose an oldest general-use server to be used as the new LTS release dev system.
• Infrastructure group updates PXE autoinstall system to support new release. This includes:
  • Network config changes are documented
  • Directory Services integration
  • Network File system mounting of home directories and automount of non-apt packaged software.
• Infrastructure group updates uwcs-* debian metapackages served from depot.cs for the new release.
• auto.package system is updated
• Infrastructure updates Salt for new distribution.
• Creates beta Services, diskless, workstation, geneal-use and laptop images for evaluation

Second term (Fall) after a new LTS distribution is released

• Infrastuture group continues tuning their proposed Standard images for:
  1. Services Servers
  2. Diskless Desktops
  3. Workstations
  4. General-Use Servers
  5. Laptop (Desktop image with power management and wifi tuning)
• Second hardware system or VMware virtual host(s) autodeployed as IAAS LXC server(s), providing dev environment(s) for TOP and RSG group.
• TOP and RSG groups start evaluating any custom work they support on second NEW dev environment(s). This is to include any vitual host providing services that are still running on the LXC IAAS system running the previous LTS
• TOP and RSG groups decide if their custom Previous release LXC services are being updated to Current Release or this New LTS release.
• If needed very early client testers can be given access to dev enviroments

Third term (Winter) after a new LTS distribution is released

• Infrastructure group will deploy a redundant pair of Pre-production general-use systems to the CS-GENERAL and CS-TEACHING regions.
  These systems to be access via DNS names "ubuntu`lsb_release -s -r | tr -d "."`. (examples for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS release: ubuntu2004.student.cs.uwaterloo.ca, ubuntu2004.cs.uwaterloo.ca)
• TOP and RSG groups start the update of their custom Previous release LXC services to run on the Current or New LXC IAAS servers.
• After exams have finish in third term, all Previous release Ubuntu general-use systems are upgraded to the New LTS release
• During last week of the third term, "linux.student.cs" and "linux.cs" production names are switched to direct to the New LTS general-use load balance service. This effectively makes the Previous production service obsolete, the Current production Ubuntu services becomes the Previous production Ubuntu services and the New Ubuntu services become the Current production Ubuntu services.
• Infrastructure group starts redeploying obsolete services hardware with new production Ubuntu image or decommissioning hardware if past it's evergreen lifespan.

Fourth through Sixth term after a new LTS distribution is released

• TOP and RSG groups finish the update of their custom Previous release LXC services to run on the Current or New LXC IAAS servers.
• Infrastructure group deploys new fiscal year server hardware purchases with new production Image.
• Infrastructure group finishes redeploying obsolete services hardware with new production Ubuntu image or decommissioning hardware if past it's evergreen lifespan.