Upgrade Proxmox and Ceph.

Plan the version change around ongoing operations.

Is your cluster several versions behind, or does your team need support with the next upgrade? We check dependencies, plan the update sequence and carry out the work with your IT team.

Discuss a cluster upgrade

Technician checking a server rack with a laptop

BEFORE THE FIRST CHANGE

The version alone
does not determine the effort.

Cluster health, spare resources and dependencies determine how the upgrade can be carried out. We also work on environments we did not build.

01 · STARTING POINT

Assess the estate and its condition.

Record Proxmox and Ceph versions, hardware, storage, networking and backup. Assess cluster health, quorum and spare capacity. Investigate existing faults before upgrading.

02 · DEPENDENCIES

Define the upgrade path.

Check supported intermediate versions and the sequence for Proxmox, Ceph and connected tools. Include vendor instructions and known limitations.

03 · SAFEGUARDS

Clarify interruptions and fallback options.

Check backups and recovery. Agree maintenance windows, approvals and stop criteria. Some steps may require rebuilding rather than a simple downgrade.

CONTROLLED IMPLEMENTATION

One checked step
at a time.

Move workloads.

Check capacityDrain the node

We prepare each node for maintenance. Whether VMs can be live-migrated is checked for the specific environment.

Perform the upgrade.

ApprovalVersion upgrade

We follow the agreed sequence, monitoring cluster health, storage and running services throughout.

Check the result.

VerificationNext step

The next change follows only after the planned checks. Your team receives version records, test results and outstanding tasks.

No blanket promise of zero downtime. Live migration, redundancy and spare capacity can limit interruptions. Local device dependencies, applications or cluster condition may require maintenance windows.

PROJECT EXPERIENCE · ACM AIR CHARTER

Version upgrade
during flight operations.

76 VMs. Three nodes.

At ACM, we upgraded Proxmox VE from 7 through 8 to 9 and Ceph from 16 through 17 and 18 to 19. Work was performed node by node without a maintenance window. Cluster health and compatibility were checked between steps.

ACM operates the upgraded environment itself. The upgrade path and test results are documented. This project outcome is not a blanket guarantee for other environments.

Starting point and implementation at ACM

SCOPE AND PREREQUISITES

What matters
before the upgrade.

Can several major versions be skipped?

We derive the upgrade path from your starting version and vendor guidance. Multiple major upgrades may require separate intermediate steps and checks. A case study is not a general upgrade guide.

What matters in a combined Proxmox and Ceph upgrade?

Versions must remain compatible throughout the transition, so Proxmox and Ceph are not planned independently. Cluster health, redundancy, data placement and spare capacity must also be suitable before each step.

Do we have to hand over operations afterwards?

No. The upgrade can be commissioned as a standalone project. Your team can continue operating the environment. Regular maintenance and support can be agreed separately.

What information is needed for an initial assessment?

Versions, node and VM counts, storage design, known faults and available maintenance windows. Credentials and full configuration exports should not be included in the first enquiry.

Vendor guidance for a specific upgrade: Proxmox VE: upgrading from 8 to 9. Your project follows the guidance for the versions actually in use.

YOUR NEXT UPGRADE

Where does your cluster stand?

Discuss the current state and timeline with our experts. We establish the assessment needed and which tasks your team wants to handle.

Request an upgrade assessment
Ongoing support and patch management