Insights Hub Update hosted Cloud Foundry application stack to cflinuxfs4

cflinuxfs3 is at end-of-life. Apps not migrated to cflinuxfs4 by April 30, 2024, will stop working May 1, 2024.  To avoid security exposure, please migrate your apps to use the cflinuxfs4 stack. Migrate early to allow ample time for any unexpected issues and avoid app interruption and downtime. If your app have not been updated in a long time, it is possible buildpacks have been updated. Another reason to migrate as soon as possible.

NOTE: Both production and developer CF orgs are affected

 

Prerequisites:

Working knowledge of Cloud Foundry use.

Cloud Foundry CLI installed.

CF org access and proper roles make changes.

 

How to check which application stack your app is using:

1. Sign in to your org and app space.
2. Use command cf app <your_app> and you will see the health and app status:

Showing health and status for app <your_app> in org <your_org> / space <your_space> as user@company.com...

name:              <your_app>
requested state:   started
routes:            your-app-route.apps.eu1.mindsphere.io
last uploaded:     Mon 24 Oct 14:32:07 PDT 2023
stack:             cflinuxfs3
buildpacks:
        name            version   detect output   buildpack name
        php_buildpack   4.4.64    php             php

...

If it lists stack: cflinuxfs4, your app is all set. No changes needed. If it says cflinuxfs3 like above, you need to update your app by April 30, 2024. Repeat these steps for every app in each of your org spaces.

 

Ways to update your app stack:

Supported Method 1:

1. Update and set stack: cflinuxfs4 in your manifest.yml file and cf push the changes.
2. Deploy changes to production environments also.
3. Repeat for all app spaces and apps with the cflinuxfs3 stack.
   Please contact Insights Hub technical support if you experience any issues with updating your app stack.

 

Unsupported Method 2:

1. There are plug-ins available for the Cloud Foundry CLI tool. One is called Stack Auditor that may help automate some of the steps involved. 
   Documentation and step-by-step instructions: https://docs.cloudfoundry.org/adminguide/stack-auditor.html
   Download link: https://github.com/cloudfoundry/stack-auditor
   Note there is no technical support for 3rd party applications/plug-ins. Please exercise caution.

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: How do I access Cloud Foundry to check my apps?

A: If you are a new user to Cloud Foundry, please see our guided documentation:
https://documentation.mindsphere.io/MindSphere/paas/howtos/howtos-space-management.html#add-a-new-user
https://documentation.mindsphere.io/MindSphere/howto/howto-cf-running-app.html

 

Q: How do I know which apps are affected?

A: To see a list of all apps in your current space, use command cf apps to show all apps in your current space and then use the commands mentioned above to check the app status and stack in use.

 

Q: We have 100s of apps in dev/prod org. Checking and updating one by one is time consuming. Is there a way to do multiple apps at once?

A: You can research unsupported method 2 above. Please note that this method relies on a 3rd party plug-in. You assume all associated risk using it in your org. Please exercise caution.

 

Q: We had a 3rd party build our app, but they no longer support it.

Q: We do not have the original source code to do a cf push

Q: Our original developer is no longer with the company. 

A:  If your app is deployed and hosted in Cloud Foundry, you can download a copy of the app, as well as the source code and generate a manifest file.

Method 1: cf download-droplet <your_app>

Method 2:

1. 1. Use cf app source-app --guid to get your app guid.
   2. Use cf curl /v2/apps/<guid_from_step1>/droplet/download --output <your_app>.tgz

Both methods should download a compressed file of your app to your current working directory.

Extract the file. You should have a file with TAR extension now.

Extract this TAR file and you will have various folders and in the app folder should be the source code of your application. 

 

 

For Reference:

https://documentation.mindsphere.io/MindSphere/howto/howto-develop-and-register-an-application.html
https://documentation.mindsphere.io/MindSphere/paas/howtos/howtos-space-management.html#add-a-new-user
https://documentation.mindsphere.io/MindSphere/howto/howto-cf-running-app.html