PowerScale: OneFS: Upgrade path recommendations for clusters using SMB on pre-9.5 code to 9.5 and later.
Summary: OneFS 9.5 and above includes significant security enhancements that could potentially impact a Server Message Block (SMB) workflow. Clusters not yet on version 9.5 should follow the designated upgrade path in this article. This is to avoid issues that may result from these enhancements in code between versions of OneFS. ...
Symptoms
Dell Technologies as observed that in rare circumstances, clusters upgrading from pre-9.5 to post-9.5 code have experienced problems relating to SMB workflows. Issues after upgrades may manifest as data unavailability, most often due to code enhancements pertaining to authentication.
Cause
OneFS 9.5 and later versions include significant security enhancements in the code that, when following certain upgrade paths, carry greater risk of issues for SMB workflows.
Resolution
Dell Technologies recommends that clusters that are not yet on OneFS 9.5 or later follow the upgrade path below.
This upgrade path has been determined to be the safest path for any upgrade coming from pre-9.5 to post-9.5 code.
Upgrade Path:
- If the cluster is not on OneFS 9.4 or later, it should be upgraded to 9.4 first.
- If the cluster is on OneFS 9.4 but not 9.5 or later, it should then be upgraded to 9.10.1.5 or later, if it remains in the 9.10.1.x family at that patch level or later (For example, 9.10.1.6, 9.10.1.8, so on).
- If the cluster is on OneFS 9.10.1.5 or later, it may then be upgraded to the wanted target code. This is ideally OneFS 9.13 or later.
As an example, a cluster on OneFS 9.2.1 with a target code of 9.13 would take the following upgrade path:
- OneFS 9.2.1 > OneFS 9.4
- OneFS 9.4 > OneFS 9.10.1.5
- OneFS 9.10.1.5 > 9.13
The upgrade paths listed in the PowerScale OneFS Upgrade Planning and Process Guide indicate that going from 9.2.1.x > 9.5 > 9.13 is supported. This does not account for the rare upgrade issues that could impact SMB workflows. To minimize risk, it is recommended to follow the upgrade path in this article for SMB workflow clusters that are not on OneFS 9.5 or later.
If you have already upgraded to impacted code and suspect you may be experiencing issues due to it, refer to KB PowerScale: Users Fail to Access SMB Share Due to Password Failure After Upgrade.