March Online Meetup: Automating K3s Cluster Upgrades

Since Rancher is developing K3s to run at the edge and at scale, we had to change our assumptions about managing these clusters. A key assumption in a data center is that you have stable network connections. But this assumption is not true at the edge. In some cases, you may have spotty cellular service, or limited connectivity windows during the day.

Managing clusters, such as upgrading Kubernetes versions or patching an operating system, in these environments requires a different paradigm. To address this, Rancher Labs has been working on a key piece of technology called the System Upgrade Controller: in which an upgrade can be kicked off remotely and managed locally.

Join this meetup to take a technical deep dive of the new System Upgrade Controller. We will:

• See how the System Upgrade Controller can update a stand alone K3s cluster.
• Import a K3s cluster and upgrade it from Rancher.
• Look to the future in how Rancher is thinking about leveraging the System Upgrade Controller to automate node patching.

Details:

Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Time: 1:00 PM US Eastern Time