Orka v1.3.0

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Orka Release Notes

v1.3.0
June 11, 2020
New features | Improvements | Bug fixes

How to upgrade

Download CLI | API Docs

We’re continually working to provide you with new features, tools, and plugins, and improve your overall Orka experience. For the latest and greatest, be sure to update your CLI to 1.3.0 after your environment has been updated. Here’s an overview of what changes with version 1.3.0.

New features

Orka 1.3.0 introduces the following new features.

2018 Mac mini-based environments

Orka 1.3.0 adds a third hardware offering to the Orka family - 2018 Mac mini clusters. The default node configuration is 6-Core i7 3.2 GHz, 64GB RAM, 1 TB SSD.

The 2018 Mac mini hardware offering brings the fastest-available CPU frequency and SSD bandwidth and modern architecture. With fewer concurrent VMs fighting over resources per host, the Mac mini delivers even better performance than the Mac Pro clusters (when filled to the maximum). For more information, contact us.

TLS-enabled custom Orka domains

You can now use a custom domain (such as company.orka.app) to access your Orka environment instead of the default Orka endpoints (10.221.188.100 or 10.10.10.100).

Custom Orka domains provide superior security. They are TLS-enabled and require access via HTTPS.

To switch to a custom Orka domain:

1. Contact the MacStadium team and request a custom domain for your cluster.
2. After the domain is configured:
   • For the Orka API, change your API requests to target https://<orka-custom-domain>.
   • For the Orka CLI, run orka config and change the URL setting to https://<orka-custom-domain>.

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What's your Orka endpoint?

You can get the IP for your Orka endpoint from your IP Plan. It's the .100 address for your Private-1 network. Usually, 10.221.188.100 or 10.10.10.100. You need to use http with the IP.

To get the custom domain for your Orka cluster, if enabled:

1. Log into your MacStadium account.
2. Go to Subscriptions (from the top right corner) and select your Orka cluster.
3. In the Subscription & Plan details, find your custom domain at the bottom. If you don't see a custom domain field, it's not enabled for your environment yet.
   You need to use https with your custom domain.

Note that you can use both http://<orka-IP> and https://<orka-custom-domain> in your workflows.

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Which VPN client are you using?

If you're using OpenConnect to access your Orka cluster via VPN, you need to add a DNS server to your network configuration.

If you're using Cisco AnyConnect on macOS or Linux, you're already set and you don't need to make any changes. If you're using Cisco AnyConnect on Windows, you need to add a DNS server.

Kubernetes 1.16-based virtualization and orchestration layer

The virtualization and orchestration layer of Orka is now updated to Kubernetes 1.16. If you're working with the Kubernetes layer directly, make sure to review the deprecated Kubernetes APIs and resolve any pending issues before requesting an upgrade of your environment.

Improvements

Orka 1.3.0 introduces the following improvements.

Improved node dedication

You can now dedicate multiple nodes to the same user group at once.

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IMPORTANT

The request type and the endpoint for dedicating a node have changed. You also need to pass one or more node names in the body of the request.

• To dedicate a node, use POST /resources/nodes/groups/<user-group>.
• To remove node dedication, use POST /resources/nodes/groups/$ungrouped.

For more information, see Node Dedication.

Bug fixes

Orka 1.3.0 introduces the following bug fixes.

• VM list operations (orka vm list, GET /resources/vm/list, and GET /resources/vm/list/all) now work as expected when one or more nodes are in a NOT READY state.
• VM scaling (orka vm scale and PATCH /resources/vm/scale) now preserves the VNC setting across all replicas.
• VM deployments (orka vm create, orka vm deploy, and POST /resources/vm/deploy) now return a proper error when an ungrouped user tries to deploy to a dedicated node.
• VM deployments that bypass interactive mode in the Orka CLI (orka vm deploy -v NAME -y) now attach ISOs from the config as expected.
• Orka environments now handle long logs as expected.
• (From Mac mini Beta) You can now install Mojave from ISO as expected.
• (From Mac mini Beta) Improved performance of VNC connections.

How to upgrade

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Scheduled maintenance window required

Orka 1.3.0 is both a new Orka release and a virtualization and orchestration layer upgrade. For more information, see Orka Upgrades.

This release requires a maintenance window of 1 hour.

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Before you request an upgrade

• If you're working with the Kubernetes layer directly, make sure to review the Kubernetes APIs deprecated in 1.16 and resolve any pending issues.
• If you want to switch to using HTTPS and a custom domain to access Orka, contact the MacStadium team.

1. Submit a ticket through the MacStadium portal.
2. Suggest a time for the maintenance window that works for you.
   The suggested time(s) must be Monday through Thursday, 5am to 6pm PST (8am to 9pm EST).