Updating version of OpenZFS-on-Windows

[sskras]

This probably belongs more to a QnA / Discussions section (which I miss in this repo).

I have installed 2.1.6rc3:

saukrs@DESKTOP-O7JE7JE MSYS ~
$ sudo zfs version
zfswin-2.1.6rc3
zfs-kmod-zfswin-2.1.6rc3

What is the reliable way to update this thing to Eg. newest 2.2.0rc4 ?

Should I just download OpenZFSOnWindows-debug-2.2.0rc4.exe and run the installer?

[lundman]

I believe that should work, if it doesn't, I'll have to fix something :)

[sskras]

OK, I went without uninstalling the old version before that.

It asked me if would like to reboot just now. Is necessary to reboot the OS to activate the new driver?

[lundman]

Yeah maybe. Not sure, you can unload it if you export everything first, but to load a new one, Windows seems to want to reboot. Might be a trick to it, I am unsure.

[sskras]

Thanks for the insights.

I going to keep the issue open for a while. It would serve as a reminder to do some RnD about updates without reboot (I have no pools imported mounted at the moment).

But if you wish, feel free to close it.

[sskras]

Maybe this should be converted into a discussion? (To keep the list cleaner:)
https://docs.github.com/en/discussions/managing-discussions-for-your-community/moderating-discussions#converting-an-issue-to-a-discussion

[lundman]

If anyone wants to attempt this, an outline would be:

---

level 1:
Update zfsinstaller.exe, which is a separate minitool in this repo. It is not connected to ZFS at all, and more of a pure Windows tool. C++ ?

https://github.com/openzfsonwindows/openzfs/tree/windows/cmd/os/windows/zfsinstaller

• Execute zpool.exe export -a. Either by literally executing zpool.exe, or if preferred, link with libzpool.a and duplicate with it does internally:

	return (for_each_pool(argc, argv, B_TRUE, NULL,
		    ZFS_TYPE_POOL, B_FALSE, zpool_export_one, &cb));

If zpool.exe export -a fails, stop. print error.

Then let zfsinstaller.exe continue, it will issue UNLOAD to openzfs.sys and unload. Exit. There may need to be some tweaking with DefaultUninstall 128 in zfsinstaller.cpp. I seem to remember 128 means "requires reboot".

The next invocation of zfsinstaller install should install new drivers.

---

level 2

Do the same as in level 1, but remember the pools imported before zpool export -a, so we can re-import them if a new driver is successfully installed. Smooth like butter.

Ditch the cmdline console, use popups, ask "OK to export" and all that jazz.

But some of that can be part of the "I wish we had it" menubar icon UI "we are just about to implement" in similar vein to ZetaWatch.

[derritter88]

@lundman Thanks for sharing this information.

In general is it possible to do the update without exporting the pools as application would loose connection to the data stored on the pool.
Also it would be usefule to add those information about update process directly at the Github repo README.

[lundman]

You would either export the pools, do the upgrade, and in future avoid a reboot.
Or do the upgrade, and reboot to start using the new driver.
I don't see a way to do a live-core update without export/unmounting

[derritter88]

Rebooting after the driver update is totally fine for me.
I didn't get it earlier. I thought that you need to export the pool, update, reboot and import the pool again.