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Version: 8.8 (unreleased)

Run the update

This page guides platform administrators through the execution phase of an update to Camunda 8.8 Self-Managed.
It assumes you have completed all steps in Prepare for update and that you have:

  • A tested backup and rollback plan
  • A confirmed maintenance window
  • A defined deployment method (Helm chart or Docker images)

For detailed command-line instructions, refer to the technical guides linked below.

Step 1 – Confirm prerequisites​

  • ✅ Test environment updated without errors
  • ✅ Backups validated
  • ✅ Required secrets exported (Operate, Tasklist, Identity, etc.)
  • ✅ Team responsibilities and runbooks shared

Step 2 – Choose your execution path​

Helm chart upgrade​

If you are using Kubernetes with the Camunda Helm chart, follow the dedicated update instructions:

Consult the Helm guide for upgrade options, secret handling, and migration job monitoring.

Docker images​

Ensure you download the latest images.
For offline environments, see Air-gapped installation.

For production deployments using Docker images:

Docker vs. Docker Compose

Docker images are supported for production use on Linux systems.
Camunda-provided Docker Compose files are intended for development environments only and should not be used in production.

For production environments, we recommend using Kubernetes or developing a custom deployment process using Infrastructure as Code tools (e.g., Terraform, Ansible, CloudFormation).

Step 3 – Run the update with Helm​

# Pull latest chart metadata
helm repo update

# Execute upgrade (values.yaml contains your secrets & overrides)
helm upgrade camunda-platform camunda/camunda-platform \
  --version 13.0.1 \
  --values upgrade-880-values.yaml \
  --namespace camunda

Step 4 – Validate platform health​

After a successful upgrade:

  • Confirm pod readiness and Helm release status.
  • Verify component versions via Operate.
  • Run your post-update validation suite.
    (Add link to validation steps if available.)

Step 5 – Perform post-update tasks​

  • Notify application teams that the platform is ready.
  • Monitor resource usage and error rates for 24–48 hours.
  • Document lessons learned and close the change ticket.

Next steps​

After completing the platform update:

  1. Monitor platform stability during the application rollout phase.
  2. Support development teams with any application deployment issues.
  3. Update monitoring and alerting to reflect Camunda 8.8 changes.
  4. Document lessons learned and refine internal procedures.
  5. Plan your next update cycle using a similar approach.
  6. Clean up backups in line with your retention policy.

Additional resources​