Longhorn

Longhorn at a glance

Longhorn is a widely used open-source distributed block-storage system for Kubernetes (a CNCF project), providing persistent volumes with replication and snapshots. Longhorn ships regular releases plus security fixes; as the storage layer for stateful cluster workloads, careful updates are essential.

For admins Longhorn holds persistent data for the cluster, so upgrades are deliberate: check compatibility with your Kubernetes and Longhorn versions, follow the documented upgrade path (don't skip minor versions), and back up volumes first (Longhorn supports snapshots and backups to external storage — use them). The upgrade involves the manager and engine images rolling across nodes. Its UI and API belong on a protected network behind authentication. After upgrading, verify that volumes attach, replicas are healthy and workloads read/write correctly. Because it underpins stateful apps, a mishandled upgrade risks data availability — plan a window. Track the version and its support window; patchletter surfaces new Longhorn releases.