As neededUpgrade

Major PVE upgrade readiness checklist

17 items ·13 critical ·2 warn ·2 info

Major PVE upgrade readiness checklist

Run this in the days leading up to a major version upgrade (e.g. PVE 9.x to 10.x). The goal is to surface and address every risk before the upgrade window opens.

When to run

Two weeks before a planned major upgrade
Re-run one week before if anything changed
Do not start the upgrade without completing every critical item

Why this is critical

Major upgrades can break things in subtle ways: cluster config format changes, API changes, deprecated features, kernel module changes. The cost of a missed compatibility check is much higher than the cost of the 1-2 hours this checklist takes.

Critical13 items

Release notes for target version read in full
Upgrade path documented (from current version to target)
Breaking changes identified and impact assessed
Full PBS backup of every VM taken within 24 hours of upgrade
Offsite backup verified (last successful sync confirmed)

/etc/pve, /etc/network/interfaces, and cluster config backed up

tar czf /root/pre-upgrade-$(date +%F).tar.gz /etc/pve /etc/network/interfaces

Maintenance window scheduled with stakeholders
Rollback plan documented (downgrade procedure, data restore)
Upgrade tested in lab or staging environment first
Node-by-node upgrade order documented (which node first)
Third-party software compatibility verified (PBS, monitoring, etc.)
Monitoring and alerting active during the upgrade window
Post-upgrade validation plan documented (what to verify)

Warning2 items

Plan for disabling HA during upgrade on each node
Hardware firmware compatibility verified

Info2 items

Rollback ticket drafted with criteria
Support contract or community support channel identified