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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 Impish ships with OpenStack Xena by default. In this timeframe, the latest LTS is Ubuntu 20.04 (Focal). Xena packages (binary and source) are therefore backported to Focal via the Xena UCA release. In order for this to happen, individual Impish packages are backported according to this staged process:

impish -> xena-staging -> xena-proposed -> xena-updates

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

impish-proposed -> xena-staging -> xena-proposed -> impish-updates -> xena-updates

When Impish reaches end-of-life, Xena package updates will be uploaded directly to the Xena UCA (impish stage).

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 20.04 LTS

On 20.04, OpenStack Victoria and OpenStack Xena are supported for 18 months each, and OpenStack Wallaby for 36 months. When 22.04's default OpenStack version is released it will be added to the UCA with support for 3 years (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

Victoria

sudo add-apt-repository cloud-archive:victoria

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 3 years (i.e. until the end of the Ubuntu 18.04 LTS lifecycle).

Ussuri

sudo add-apt-repository cloud-archive:ussuri

Train

sudo add-apt-repository cloud-archive:train

Stein

sudo add-apt-repository cloud-archive:stein

Ubuntu 16.04 LTS

I On 16.04, OpenStack Newton and OpenStack Pike are supported for 18 months each, and OpenStack Ocata for 36 months. OpenStack Queens, 18.04's default OpenStack version, is supported in the UCA for 3 years (i.e. until the end of the Ubuntu 16.04 LTS lifecycle).

Queens

sudo add-apt-repository cloud-archive:queens

Ubuntu 14.04 LTS

On 14.04, OpenStack Juno and OpenStack Liberty are supported for 18 months each, and OpenStack Kilo for 36 months. OpenStack Mitaka, 16.04's default OpenStack version, is supported in the UCA for 3 years (i.e. until the end of the Ubuntu 14.04 LTS lifecycle).

Mitaka

sudo add-apt-repository cloud-archive:mitaka

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.