Operate

Run the cluster as a service, not as a one-time install.

This section covers the full day 2 lifecycle of an OpenBao cluster: make it reliable, protect data before risky change, use cluster controls deliberately, and move from troubleshooting into recovery when normal operations are no longer enough.

Open the production checklistOpen recovery and restore

Use this section to

• close the gap between a working cluster and a supportable service
• put backups and upgrade planning in place before risky change
• use maintenance and pause controls deliberately instead of improvising
• move into recovery and restore when troubleshooting is no longer enough

Reliability & Change

1. 01

   Production checklist

   Use the checklist before you call an environment production-ready or supportable.

   Open
2. 02

   Configure backups

   Set up snapshot streaming, backup identity, and restore readiness before you need them.

   Open
3. 03

   Plan upgrades

   Use RollingUpdate or BlueGreen with a clear understanding of prerequisites, cutover, and retry behavior.

   Open

Cluster Controls

1. 01

   Run planned maintenance

   Use maintenance workflows for controlled disruption, scaling, and planned cluster interventions.

   Open
2. 02

   Pause reconciliation

   Temporarily stop operator-driven changes when you need manual intervention or a controlled investigation window.

   Open
3. 03

   Decommission a cluster

   Remove a cluster deliberately with the right deletion policy for data, PVCs, and external backups.

   Open

Troubleshooting & Recovery

1. 01

   Troubleshoot the cluster

   Use conditions, events, and common failure patterns to understand the problem before it becomes a wider incident.

   Open
2. 02

   Recovery and restore

   Use safe mode, no-leader, sealed-cluster, and restore workflows when normal operations are no longer enough.

   Open

Supporting context

Recovery & RestoreUse the incident runbooks when symptoms turn into an active recovery event.Operation lifecycle architectureRead the architecture deep dive when you need to understand locks, manager ownership, or serialized operations.