CODEWITHSUNDEEP
azureazure-service-fabric
sharptooth
sharptooth

Reputation: 170509

How are OS configuration changes controlled when using Service Fabric?

When using Azure web/worker roles users can specify osVersion to explicitly set "Guest OS image" version. This ensures that when Microsoft issues new critical updates they are first shown up on a newer "OS image" which users can explicitly specify and test their service on.

How is the same achieved with Azure Service Fabric? Suppose I deployed my service into Azure Service Fabric and it's been running for a month, then Microsoft issues updates for the OS on the server where the service is running - how are they applied such that I can test them first to ensure they don't break the service?

Upvotes: 2

Views: 321

Answers (4)

chacko-AMZN
chacko-AMZN

Reputation: 430

Automatic Image based patching like cloud services in service fabric.

Today you do not have that option. The image based patching capability is work in progress. I posted a road map to get there on the team blog : https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/azureservicefabric/2017/01/09/os-patching-for-vms-running-service-fabric/ Try out the script and report any issues you hit. Looking forward to your feedback.

Upvotes: 1

Gut Pile
Gut Pile

Reputation: 9

Lots of parts of Service Fabric are huge rolling dumpster fires backwards. Whole new hosts of problems have been introduced that the IIS/WAS/WCF team have already solved that need to be developed for once again. The concept of releasing a PAAS platform while requiring OS patch management is laughable. To add insult to injury there is no migration path from "classic cloud PAAS" to this stuff. WEEEE I get to write my very own service host. Something that was provided out of the box for a decade by WAS. Not all of us were scared by the ability to control all aspects of service host communication options via configuration. Now we get to use code so a tweak channel configuration requires a full patch/release cycle!

Upvotes: 0

chacko-AMZN
chacko-AMZN

Reputation: 430

Brett is correct. SF cluster is based on Azure VMSS and the expectation is that the customer is responsible to patch the OS. https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/articles/service-fabric-cluster-upgrade/

We have heard from majority of the SF customers that this is not at all desirable and that they do not want to be responsible for OS patching.

The feature to enable an OPT-IN automatic OS patching is indeed a very high priority within Azure Compute team. The exact details on how best to offer this is still in design, however the intent is to have this functionality enabled before the end of the year.

Although that is the right long term solution, to mitigate this issue in the short term, SF team is working on a set of steps that will enable the customers to opt into having the their VMs patched using WU in a safe manner. Once the steps are tested out, we will blog about it and will publish a document detailing the steps. Expect that in the next couple of months.

Upvotes: 4

BrettRobi
BrettRobi

Reputation: 3921

As I understand it you are currently responsible for managing patching on SF cluster nodes yourself. Apparently moving this to be a SF managed feature is planned but I have no idea how far down the road it might be.

I personally would make this a high priority. Having used Cloud Services for many years I have come to rely on never having to patch my VM's manually. SF is a large backwards step in this particular area.

It'd be great to hear from an Azure PM on this...

Upvotes: 3

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