How to Upgrade from IGEL OS 11 to IGEL OS 12 Using a Distributed App Repository

You can upgrade your devices from IGEL OS 11 to IGEL OS 12 in an environment with low network bandwidth or limited Internet access by using the Distributed App Repository feature. Using distributed app repositories, you can distribute the update files required for upgrading from IGEL OS 11 to IGEL OS 12. This article explains how to use the feature for upgrading (migration) to IGEL OS 12.

This article provides details on the configuration steps specific to upgrading via a Distributed App Repository. For the steps that are the same for all upgrade methods, we reference the general upgrade guide. Before proceeding, review the general upgrade guide to understand the overall upgrade process.

Prerequisites / Requirements

• IGEL OS 12.7.2 or higher as the target version

• IGEL OS 11.11.100 or higher on the devices that are upgraded. For instructions on updating to a higher version of IGEL OS 11, see Firmware Update.

• Recommendations and prerequisites listed in Upgrading (Migration) from IGEL OS 11 to IGEL OS 12

• Prerequisites for configuring a WebDAV server are listed in How to Use Distributed App Repositories in IGEL UMS

The Distributed App Repository feature is offered as an enterprise feature in the IGEL OS Editions licensing model. For details, see IGEL OS Editions.

Preparing the Upgrade

Step 1: Configure the Distributed App Repository

→ To set up the Distributed App Repository and connect it to your IGEL environment, follow the steps in the Central Configuration in the UMS Web App section in How to Use Distributed App Repositories in IGEL UMS.

Set up the repository with the Priority value set to -1. This way, the app binaries will be synced to the repository, but devices will not see the repository yet, as described in the Assign Priorities to Distributed App Repositories section.

For migration purposes, it is crucial to configure the server to support file uploads larger than 1 GB, as the OS 12 base image contains large files.

Step 2: Create a Device Directory

→ In the UMS Web App, create a device directory for the upgrade process. You will use this directory later to collect devices that you want to upgrade and assign them the necessary configurations for the upgrade.

Step 3: Prepare the OS 12 Profiles Used for Upgrading

1. Import the IGEL OS 12 base system app and other OS 12 apps that you want to use on the upgraded devices to the UMS Web App. For details, see How to Import IGEL OS Apps from the IGEL App Portal.

2. Create an IGEL OS 12 profile for the Base System app and set the Distributed App Repository used for the upgrade to the highest priority.
   -> For detailed instructions, see the Configuration Through OS 12 Profiles section in How to Use Distributed App Repositories in IGEL UMS.

3. Add any other necessary configuration to the Base System profile.

4. Create IGEL OS 12 profiles for configuring sessions, like Citrix or Chromium, according to your needs.
   For detailed instructions, see the Creating New Profiles for IGEL OS 12 section under Upgrading (Migration) from IGEL OS 11 to IGEL OS 12.

5. Save the profiles and assign them to the device directory created for the upgrade.

Step 4: Prepare the OS 11 Profile Used for Upgrading

You need to make the Distributed App Repository server known to the IGEL OS 11 devices:

1. In the IGEL UMS Console, create a new IGEL OS 11 profile.

2. Go to System > Registry.

3. Find the update.external_binary_source% registry key and click Add instance to add a new repository connection.

4. Configure the same repository that you configured in the OS 12 profile using the following options:

• Priority - update.external_binary_source%.priority
  Set the priority to a high number. The priority determines the order in which the device tries to connect to download apps.

• Repository URL - update.external_binary_source%.url
  The URL of the repository.

• Certificate - update.external_binary_source%.certificate
  The certificate used for authentication to the repository server. (Only needed in case of HTTPS connection.)

• Username - update.external_binary_source%.username
  The username used for authentication to the repository server.

• Password - update.external_binary_source%.crypt_password
  The password used for authentication to the repository server.

5. Save the profile and assign it to the device directory created for the upgrade.

Step 5: Check Binaries in WebDAV Server

→ Ensure that the app binaries are synced to the WebDAV server. You can do this by checking the server directly either through WebDAV browsing or by using a script.

Upgrading the Devices

Before performing a full rollout, it is strongly advised to validate the upgrade process on a small group of devices. For this, see the Manual Upgrade section in Upgrading (Migration) from IGEL OS 11 to IGEL OS 12.

Upgrades are run through the UMS Console using the following workflow:

1. Verify the upgradeability of the OS 11 devices.

2. Move the devices to the designated upgrade directory in UMS.

3. Execute the upgrade process using the upgrade command.

You can also use a preconfigured scheduled job to automate the upgrade flow and upgrade the devices without manual interaction. You will find the detailed instructions in the Unattended Upgrade section in Upgrading (Migration) from IGEL OS 11 to IGEL OS 12.