Exploring the Latest Updates: Atmosphere 4.5.1, 4.6.0, and 4.6.1

These releases showcase ongoing efforts to boost performance, reliability, and functionality. With iSCSI LUN enhancements, critical Cert-Manager fixes, and improved networking configurations, users can expect a more seamless and efficient experience. Stay tuned for more updates as capabilities continue to evolve and expand.

Staying ahead in the cloud ecosystem means continuous innovation and improvement, so we are proud to announce a new batch of Atmosphere releases: 4.5.1, 4.6.0, and 4.6.1.  
 
They bring a host of new features, critical fixes, and performance enhancements designed to elevate functionality and reliability. Version 4.5.1 reactivates the Keystone auth token cache with upstream Ceph fixes, improves database operations, and resolves issues with Magnum clusters and OAuth2 Proxy configurations. Version 4.6.0 focuses on networking advancements with Neutron plugins for dynamic routing and Ironic support, alongside fixes for Cinder and volume creation. Version 4.6.1 addresses Cloudflare API compatibility with a Cert-Manager upgrade, improves iSCSI LUN performance, and delivers key bug fixes for increased system reliability. 

Whether it's optimizing performance, expanding functionality, or resolving critical issues, we are committed to delivering cutting-edge solutions. Below, we will explore in more detail what each update brings to the table. 

Atmosphere 4.5.1

Version 4.5.1 focuses on performance, stability, and functionality improvements.
Key updates include reactivating the Keystone auth token cache with the latest Ceph fixes, upgrades to Percona XtraDB Cluster for enhanced database performance, and critical bug fixes for Magnum clusters, Manila, and OAuth2 Proxy configurations. These changes ensure smoother operations and improved efficiency across the platform.

New Features

• Keystone Auth Token Cache Reactivation 
  The Keystone auth token cache, previously deactivated due to a Ceph bug (#64094), has been reactivated. The issue has been resolved upstream in Ceph 18.2.7, making it safe to use the cache again.
• Percona XtraDB Cluster Update
  Upgraded the Percona XtraDB Cluster operator from 1.14.0 to 1.16.1 and the Percona XtraDB Cluster from 8.0.36-28.1 to 8.0.41-32.1, offering performance improvements and bug fixes.

Upgrade Notes

• MySQL Configuration Update
  The max_allowed_packet setting has been increased from 4M to 16M to support larger queries. With MySQL 8.x now defaulting to 64M, this configuration is no longer explicitly set.

Bug Fixes

• Cluster API Driver for OpenStack
  Added a custom build of the Cluster API driver, resolving issues that blocked upgrades of Magnum clusters created with specific network or subnet configurations.
• Manila Enhancements
• • Now uses Nova micro-version 2.60 by default, enabling support for attaching multiple volumes to an instance.
  • Connects to internal Nova and Glance endpoints instead of public ones, improving performance and reducing reliance on external network paths.
• OAuth2 Proxy Configuration
  Fixed OAuth2 Proxy to enable API access using valid JWT tokens without requiring interactive login. This allows programmatic access to services like Alertmanager API.
• Percona XtraDB Cluster Stability Improvements
• • Increased liveness probe timeouts with timeoutSeconds set to 60 and failureThreshold to 100, preventing unnecessary restarts during prolonged operations.
  • Changed the MySQL exporter sidecar’s liveness check to a readiness check, ensuring the sidecar waits indefinitely for the main containers during long SST operations, improving overall cluster stability
• QEMU Certificate Renewal
  Resolved an issue where QEMU VNC and API TLS certificates failed to renew, preventing VM console access via the dashboard and causing live migration failures.
• Barbican KEK Rewrap Fix
  Improved database transaction handling by adding nested transactions when a DB session already starts its root transaction.

Other Notes

• Database Documentation
  Added detailed documentation for database backup and restore procedures.

The most important change in this release is the reactivation of the Keystone auth token cache, made possible by the upstream resolution of a critical Ceph bug in version 18.2.7. This change has a significant impact on performance and efficiency by reducing the overhead of frequent token validation requests, which are central to identity management in OpenStack-based clouds. 

While other updates, such as the Magnum cluster upgrade fixes and the Percona XtraDB Cluster improvements, address specific issues, the reactivation of the auth token cache enhances the overall responsiveness and scalability of the system, benefiting a broader range of cloud operations. 

Atmosphere 4.6.0

Version 4.6.0 brings enhanced networking with new Neutron plugins for dynamic routing and Ironic support, enabling advanced use cases like BGP agents and bare metal provisioning. Additionally, critical fixes address Cinder configuration issues and volume creation errors to ensure smoother operations.

New Features

• Neutron Plugin Additions
  Introduced Neutron plugins for neutron-dynamic-routing and networking-generic-switch. These modules enable support for:
• • Neutron BGP agents for dynamic route advertisement.
  • Ironic networking for bare metal provisioning.

Bug Fixes

• Cinder Configuration Issue
  Resolved an issue where the [cinder]/auth_type configuration value was unset, causing the entire Cinder section to be omitted from the configuration file. It is now set to password, ensuring the full rendering of the Cinder section for OpenStack Nova.
• Cinder Volume Creation Regression
  Fixed a regression in Cinder volume creation, which failed with the error FailedToDropPrivileges. Since the update to Cinder 24.0.0, the Cinder-Ceph container now requires additional capabilities for operations such as:
• • Booting from volume.
  • Creating a volume from an image.

The most important change in this release is the addition of Neutron plugins for neutron-dynamic-routing and networking-generic-switch. These enhancements enable support for advanced networking features like Neutron BGP agents and Ironic networking, which are critical for users managing complex networking use cases, such as dynamic route advertisement and bare metal provisioning.

While the bug fixes address important issues like Cinder volume creation and configuration rendering, the new plugins expand core networking capabilities, offering significant functional improvements for cloud environments.

Atmosphere 4.6.1

Version 4.6.1 delivers key updates, including optimized iSCSI LUN performance for Pure Storage devices, ensuring more efficient resource utilization. Key updates also include a critical Cert-Manager upgrade, addressing compatibility issues with Cloudflare's API to maintain seamless certificate management workflows. Alongside these improvements, bug fixes ensure smoother networking operations and enhanced system stability.

New Features

• Optimized iSCSI LUN Performance for Pure Storage
  Added udev rules to enhance iSCSI LUN performance for Pure Storage devices:
• • Set the I/O scheduler to none for improved throughput.
  • Disabled entropy collection to reduce CPU usage.
  • Directed I/O completions to the originating CPU to balance load.
  • Increased the HBA timeout to 60 seconds for more reliable I/O operations.

Upgrade Notes

• Cert-Manager Update
  Upgraded Cert-Manager from v1.12.10 to v1.12.17 to resolve a breaking change in Cloudflare's API. This fix restores functionality for ACME DNS-01 challenges using Cloudflare.

Bug Fixes

• Networking-Generic-Switch Type Error Fix
  Resolved type errors in networking-generic-switch by enabling automatic conversion of numeric configuration values (e.g., port numbers and timeout values) from strings to their correct types (int or float). This prevents ConnectHandler failures when connecting to network devices.

The most important change in this release is the upgrade of Cert-Manager from v1.12.10 to v1.12.17 to address a breaking change in Cloudflare's API. This change is critical because it ensures the reliability and functionality of ACME DNS-01 challenges when using Cloudflare for certificate management. Without this fix, users relying on automated certificate issuance and renewal could experience disruptions, affecting their ability to maintain secure connections.

While the new udev rules for Pure Storage devices and the bug fixes improve performance and reliability, addressing a breaking API change has a more immediate and widespread impact on operational continuity, especially for environments that depend on seamless certificate lifecycle management.

These updates reflect a continued commitment to improving performance, reliability, and functionality across the platform. From enhanced iSCSI LUN optimizations and critical Cert-Manager fixes to resolving key issues in networking configurations, this release ensures a smoother and more efficient experience for users.

Stay tuned for future updates as we continue to refine and expand capabilities to meet evolving needs. You can keep up with the progress of Atmosphere by following us here.

If you require support or are interested in trying Atmosphere, reach out to us! Our team is prepared to assist you in harnessing the power of these new features and ensuring that your cloud infrastructure remains at the forefront of innovation and reliability. Contact us today to explore how these updates can enhance your cloud experience and drive your business forward.