Every PortaSwitch installation has a specific version of the software called a Maintenance Release (MR) and is identified by a number, e.g., MR120. PortaOne issues a new MR every 7 weeks. Each new release adds new features and improves existing functionality.
Each MR is followed by a series of builds, numbered in sequence (for example, MR120-1, MR120-2, and MR120-3), released at shorter intervals than the MRs. A build fixes bugs found in the current MR and adds minor improvements.
An update procedure allows you to get a newer MR (e.g., from MR120 to MR125) or a newer build of the same MR (e.g., from MR125-1 to MR125-5).
Updating your PortaSwitch installation allows you to:
- Use new features and improvements introduced in later releases.
- Stay compliant with regulations.
- Move to one of the latest releases to receive bug fixes and security updates.
Update flow
Updating your PortaSwitch installation generally involves the following steps, performed by PortaOne Support:
- Discuss the reasons for updating the system and the target release.
- Schedule the update dates with you, based on your off-peak hours and available slots in PortaOne’s update calendar.
- Prepare your installation for the update, review:
- critical services
- server access
- custom modifications
- release notes for changes that may affect your setup
- Verify that basic functionality works correctly on the updated version, check system monitoring, and confirm the update is complete.
How it works
Each PortaSwitch server has three partitions:
- One stores the application data: the database, logs, and .csv files.
- Two others each hold a full copy of the server's software: the operating system, third-party components, and the PortaSwitch application code.
At any time, one of the two software partitions is active. The server boots from the active partition, and the PortaSwitch code located on that partition runs.
When PortaOne Support starts an update, the inactive partition is cleared, and the new release is installed there. The server continues to run on the old partition during this step, so the update does not interrupt services. Once the new release is installed, a configuration agent updates local files (e.g., network settings and enabled features) based on the configuration stored on the Configuration server.
At the scheduled time, the server reboots and starts from the new partition. This restart results in downtime: the time needed to reboot.
If an issue occurs after the restart, PortaOne Support can roll back the system to the previous release. Rollback reboots the server back to the old partition, which still has the previous release installed and unchanged, so no re-installation is needed.
Next time you decide to update to a newer release, the current unused partition is wiped clean, and the new version of the code is installed into it. Then the process described above repeats.
PortaSwitch relies on data accumulated during normal operation (such as customer balances and transactions) to decide how to provide services. When the system is updated to a new release, this data must also be updated to match the new release's database structure. There are two types of data updates:
- Non-blocking updates run while the system is still operating on the old release, before the restart. For example, adding new tables or records to the database.
- Blocking updates stop active services, so PortaOne Support performs such updates during a scheduled maintenance window. For example, adding a column to a table blocks other queries to that table until the change is complete. Services restart once the database update finishes.
Update options
PortaSwitch supports different update types depending on your installation. Installations without a redundant (secondary) site use a standard, single-site update: all servers are updated at once, and any steps that require downtime are performed during the scheduled maintenance window.
To minimize downtime, PortaOne offers a zero-downtime update (ZDU). This update can be performed on geo-redundant installations with a main site and one or more secondary sites. While one site is being updated, another site continues to provide services, so the update procedure does not interrupt availability.
To cover a long release jump (e.g., from MR113 to MR125) in a single procedure, PortaOne offers Dual Version. For this type of update, a new version is installed separately, and customers are migrated gradually, in batches, from the old release to the new one.
A single-site update or a ZDU can only update your installation to the nearest long-term support (LTS) release, that is, any PortaSwitch MR ending in 0 or 5. For example, if you want to update your PortaSwitch installation from MR113 to MR125, several update procedures are required: first from MR113 to MR115, then from MR115 to MR120, and finally from MR120 to MR125.
Dual Version lets you cover a long release jump in a single procedure, without having to update through each LTS release. The update is performed using a two-system setup, where the system running the current release (source, e.g., MR113) and the system running the target release (target, e.g., MR125) operate in parallel, and customers are migrated in batches over time.
