What to consider before upgrading LKE cluster versions?

Is there anything that I should keep in mind before upgrading the version of Kubernetes my LKE cluster is using?

I would highly recommend reviewing the release notes and changelog for the new version of Kubernetes before upgrading your cluster. In particular I would suggest consulting the deprecated API guide as it documents when certain APIs will be removed.

Kubernetes releases: https://kubernetes.io/releases/
Kuberentes API deprecation migration guide: https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/using-api/deprecation-guide/

If you are currently relying on an apiVersion that will be removed in a future Kubernetes version, you'll want to consider updating your configurations before upgrading to minimize downtime.

You may also want to confirm with the vendor of any software you rely on that they support the version of Kubernetes that you are upgrading to. They will likely be the best source for specific configuration adjustments you may need to make.

It is also worth noting that the upgrade process will require a recycle of your worker nodes. This recycling will delete any ephemeral storage. If you are utilizing hostPath or local storage volumes, it is extremely important that you make a backup of this data before performing a cluster recycle. Failure to do so will likely result in data loss!

We suggest deploying a Persistent Volume Claim using Linode Block Storage and migrating any local storage data to this new volume to avoid data loss.

You'll also want to keep in mind that recycling your cluster’s nodes will give them new IP addresses, and that the newly-created nodes will not have any manually-added labels, taints, and annotations that existed on the previous node.

You'll want to review our guide on Upgrading Your LKE Cluster for additional details and in depth instructions for upgrading your LKE cluster.

-BD.