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The Ubuntu Cloud Archive

Canonical’s Ubuntu Cloud Archive (UCA) gives users the ability to install backported OpenStack versions on Ubuntu LTS releases.

The Ubuntu and OpenStack projects publish new releases every six months at approximately the same time. Each Ubuntu release therefore includes a new OpenStack version by default. It is this OpenStack version that is backported to the latest LTS via the UCA. The Ubuntu OpenStack release cycle graphic represents this scheme visually over time.

SRU process

The SRU process for OpenStack and the UCA is used during the development of a new UCA release and when backporting any updated dependencies and bug/security fixes to an existing UCA release.

For example, in terms of a new UCA release, Ubuntu Lunar ships with OpenStack 2023.1 Antelope by default. In this timeframe, the latest LTS is Ubuntu 22.04 (Jammy). Antelope packages (binary and source) are therefore backported to Jammy via the Antelope UCA release. In order for this to happen, individual Lunar packages are backported according to this staged process:

lunar -> antelope-staging -> antelope-proposed -> antelope-updates

When backporting fixes to an existing UCA release the original Ubuntu release must also get the update:

lunar-proposed -> antelope-staging -> antelope-proposed

When Lunar reaches end-of-life, Antelope package updates will be uploaded directly to the Antelope UCA.

This process can be monitored live with the Ubuntu Cloud Archive Tracker. It includes package versions for each of the above stages and for all UCA releases. The first column in the tracker is Ubuntu and represents the first stage in the above two scenarios.

Using the UCA

The release schedule of OpenStack and Ubuntu are generally synchronised: a new OpenStack release becomes available in the UCA every six months and coincides with each release of Ubuntu. As OpenStack releases are added to the UCA and as releases fall out of support this section will be updated.

A UCA OpenStack release is enabled on a host with the add-apt-repository command (it is recommended to run sudo apt update both before and after).

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

On 22.04, OpenStack Zed is supported for 18 months, OpenStack Antelope for 36 months, and OpenStack Bobcat (non-SLURP) is supported for 9 months. When 24.04's default OpenStack version (Caracal) is released it will be added to the UCA with support for 36 months (i.e. until the end of the Ubuntu 22.04 LTS lifecycle).

2023.2 Bobcat

sudo add-apt-repository cloud-archive:bobcat

2023.1 Antelope

sudo add-apt-repository cloud-archive:antelope

Zed

sudo add-apt-repository cloud-archive:zed

Ubuntu 20.04 LTS

On 20.04, OpenStack Victoria and OpenStack Xena are supported for 18 months each, and OpenStack Wallaby for 36 months. 22.04's default OpenStack version (Yoga) is supported in the UCA for 36 months (i.e. until the end of the Ubuntu 20.04 LTS lifecycle).

Yoga

sudo add-apt-repository cloud-archive:yoga

Xena

sudo add-apt-repository cloud-archive:xena

Wallaby

sudo add-apt-repository cloud-archive:wallaby

Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

On 18.04, OpenStack Rocky and OpenStack Train are supported for 18 months each, and OpenStack Stein for 36 months. OpenStack Ussuri, 20.04's default OpenStack version, is supported in the UCA for 36 months (i.e. until the end of the Ubuntu 18.04 LTS lifecycle).

Ussuri

sudo add-apt-repository cloud-archive:ussuri

Ceph and the UCA

The below table shows the relationship between UCA release, Ceph release, Ubuntu LTS release, and Ubuntu default archive ("distro").

Reporting a bug

To report bugs against packages from the UCA, please use the ubuntu-bug tool.

For example:

ubuntu-bug nova-compute

This will ensure that bugs are raised against the cloud-archive project on Launchpad.