Upgrading a Database
Upgrades and maintenance patches are scheduled as needed on databases to provide a reliable service with the latest features.
This page walks you through support, timeframes, and maintenance jobs for database upgrades in Couchbase Capella. Use the procedures on this page to view and reschedule upgrade maintenance jobs for your clusters. For an overview of clusters, see Databases Overview.
Couchbase Server Version Support
You can deploy and upgrade databases to new Couchbase Server versions as they become available on Capella. This typically includes the following releases:
| Release | Introduces |
|---|---|
Major |
Major new features and functionality. |
Minor |
Some new features or improvements. |
Patch |
Essential fixes and improvements. |
The versions offered in Capella are supported until they reach the end of maintenance on Capella. This support typically aligns with the full maintenance lifespan of the major or minor version provided by Couchbase. See Couchbase Server Version Maintenance Support.
To provide secure and reliable service, databases are deployed on the latest available patch version. You can expect to be upgraded to the latest patch version shortly after it becomes available on Capella.
In addition to Couchbase Server upgrades, Capella may schedule routine maintenance upgrades which do not upgrade the Couchbase Server version, but apply essential updates to the systems your cluster runs on.
When maintenance or an upgrade is scheduled, you can choose to upgrade your database at any time before the scheduled date. When the scheduled time is reached, the database is automatically upgraded. The notice that Capella aims to provide varies depending on the nature of the upgrade. See Database Upgrade Timeframes.
Couchbase Server Version Maintenance Support
Couchbase versions, release dates, and end of maintenance on Capella is as follows:
| Version | Release Date | End of Hosted Maintenance |
|---|---|---|
Couchbase Server 7.1 |
November 29, 2022 |
TBA—No earlier than January 2024 |
Couchbase Server 7.0 |
July 30, 2021 |
January 2023 |
Database Upgrade Timeframes
Within our best practice, we typically provide the notice period described below for the upgrade or maintenance types shown in the following table:
| Upgrade or Maintenance Type | Description | Notice Period |
|---|---|---|
Critical Upgrade |
An upgrade done in response to an urgent bug, vulnerability, or other issue impacting database health or performance. |
None. |
Routine Maintenance or Couchbase Server Patch |
A new Couchbase Server patch version or routine image upgrades. |
3 weeks. |
Couchbase Server Minor Release |
A new Couchbase Server minor version release. |
From launch on Capella to end of support on Capella. |
Couchbase Server Major Release |
A new Couchbase Server major release version. |
From launch on Capella to end of support on Capella. |
| A shorter than best practice period might apply depending on particular circumstances. |
Maintenance Jobs
Maintenance job statuses are pending, running, and completed.
All upgrades and maintenance patches have a target start time. Capella aims to start the maintenance of your database at this time. However, maintenance jobs are sometimes delayed when a database cannot be upgraded. For example, when a database is reconfiguring.
For each individual maintenance job, you can:
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View its type, status, and scheduled time to upgrade.
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Review its overview and what’s new.
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Reschedule it to upgrade at a different time.
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Create a support ticket.
When a maintenance job is scheduled, email notifications are sent to:
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Organization Owners where one or more clusters in their organization is scheduled for maintenance.
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Project Owners and Project managers where at least one cluster on a project they have access to is scheduled for maintenance.
You can review all scheduled maintenance jobs on the Activity tab that have run on the cluster. For more information, see Activity Log.
You can reschedule the target start time for an individual maintenance job or choose to run the maintenance job immediately. However, maintenance jobs cannot be deferred indefinitely because each maintenance job has a latest possible upgrade date.
When a maintenance job runs, the database is moved to a redeploying state while nodes are rebalanced to apply the maintenance changes.
Maintenance redeployments are not time-bound, and the time taken varies depending on the size of the database, volume of data, and load.
Couchbase Capella databases are designed to remain available throughout the upgrade.
Database reconfiguration options are not available during an upgrade, though data tools remain accessible in the Capella UI.
View Individual Maintenance Job
You can view scheduled maintenance upgrade jobs for your databases:
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On the Databases page, find and click the name of the database you’re working with.
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Click the Settings tab.
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In the navigation pane, click Maintenance.
Figure 1. Database maintenance screen
Reschedule an Individual Maintenance Job
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On the database’s Maintenance page (see Figure 1), click More Options (⋮) on a job in the Maintenance Jobs list.
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Click Reschedule.
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Select one of the following:
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Run as per current schedule.
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Choose a different schedule.
Click the date picker and set the preferred date and start time.
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Run Now.
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Click Update Schedule.
Set a Preferred Time for all Maintenance Jobs
You can set a preferred time and day of the week for future maintenance jobs to be scheduled. This does not reschedule maintenance jobs that are already scheduled on the Maintenance tab.
When an upgrade or maintenance becomes available, Capella attempts to schedule the maintenance at your preferred time and day of the week. The preferred time is not a guarantee. If it is not possible to schedule the maintenance at your preferred time, the cluster is scheduled at any time within the maintenance window.
To set a preferred maintenance day and time for all upcoming jobs:
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On the Databases page, find and click the name of the database you’re working with.
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Click the Settings tab.
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In the navigation pane, click Maintenance.
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Click Set Time.
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Select Enable a preferred start time for database maintenance.
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In the Day of the Week list, select the day you want scheduled maintenance to occur.
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In the Time field, enter the time you want scheduled maintenance to occur.
This time is local to you, and you enter it using the HH:mm format. For example:
14:30. -
Click on Save.