Learn MicroCloud - MicroCloud 3.2 & the Latest Features

#Introduction

Episode 16 equipped you with a troubleshooting toolkit — now it's time to stand on the tower and read the MicroCloud release map. Canonical runs two release tracks at once: a fast-moving feature track and a stability-oriented LTS track. Both were updated on 24 April 2026: MicroCloud 3.2 and MicroCloud 2.1.3 LTS. Episode 17 maps both — which one for the lab, which one for production, and what the official upgrade path is.

An analogy: the feature track is a race circuit — fast, innovative, sometimes with a new corner. The LTS track is a highway — stable, maintained, and tested thousands of times. You wouldn't drive a logistics truck on the circuit, nor use a race car to travel between cities.

#MicroCloud Release Tracks

MicroCloud follows Canonical's familiar release model:

Feature releases (3.x): new features every few months, supported for a short term. This is where innovation lives — and where breaking changes can happen.
LTS (2.x): designed for production, receiving backported fixes for years without major changes. First LTS: 2.1.0 (15 November 2024).

MicroCloud release map

2.1.0 LTS ──► 2.1.1 ──► 2.1.2 ──► 2.1.3 LTS   (jalur produksi, stabil)
3.0 ──► 3.1 ──► 3.2                                (jalur feature, cepat)

#MicroCloud 3.2 (24 April 2026)

#LXD 6.8 Compatibility

MicroCloud 3.2 ships compatible with LXD 6.8 — the latest feature release from the LXD project. That means when you use MicroCloud 3.2, the installed lxd snap is version 6.8 with the latest LXD features:

Full support for the new storage and network features from LXD 6.8.
API and behavior consistency with the latest LXD ecosystem.
Access to performance and bug fixes from upstream LXD.

Verify the versions running on your nodes:

Check all component versions

microcloud version
sudo snap list microcloud lxd microceph microovn
microcloud status

#Features and Fixes in 3.2

As a feature release, 3.2 carries fixes and improvements from across all components:

Stability improvements and bug fixes in the microcloud orchestrator (init, join, remove).
Synchronization with LXD 6.8 — the latest storage and network behavior from LXD.
Fixes in the accompanying MicroCeph and MicroOVN integrations.
Improved UX during init/join — clearer prompts and better edge-case handling.

#Why 3.x Isn't Yet for Upgrading from 2 LTS

This is an important decision: MicroCloud 3.x isn't yet recommended for upgrading from 2 LTS. The main reasons:

3.x is a feature track with a fast release cadence — major changes can still occur.
Long-term support and compatibility guarantees aren't like the LTS track yet.
Upgrading from 2.x to 3.x isn't yet officially supported as an in-place upgrade path; the recommended path stays on track 2.

Important

If your cluster runs 2.1.x LTS and is in production, don't upgrade to 3.2 just because it's "newer". Feature releases are for lab exploration; production stays on LTS until Canonical announces an official upgrade path to a 3.x LTS.

#MicroCloud 2.1.3 LTS

#The Fourth LTS Release on Track 2

2.1.3 LTS (24 April 2026) is the fourth LTS release on track 2 (after 2.1.0, 2.1.1, 2.1.2). Its character: no big new features, but a set of fixes backported for production stability:

Bug fixes from the 3.2 track that are relevant and safe to backport.
Security and stability fixes (join, storage, networking).
The same experience for users: the API and CLI remain compatible with 2.1.x.

#For Production

The applicable rule is clear:

2.1.3 LTS for production — that's the long-term supported path.
3.x for labs and evaluation — trying the latest features without production risk.
Single-node and 3-node HA are both fully supported on track 2.

#Official Upgrade Path

For those already on 2.1.0/2.1.1/2.1.2, the official upgrade path is simple:

Upgrade to 2.1.3 LTS (track 2)

sudo snap refresh microcloud
sudo snap refresh lxd microceph microovn

snap refresh with the stable channel (track 2) brings you to 2.1.3 without data loss. A safe production procedure:

Back up first (episode 10): snapshot and export important instances.
Update one node, verify the cluster is healthy, then continue.
Monitor microcloud status and ceph -s after each node is refreshed.

Tip

Read the official release notes at documentation.ubuntu.com/microcloud before upgrading — check whether any behavior changes affect your configuration. Upgrading without reading the release notes is the best way to create an unnecessary incident.

#Choosing the Right Track

Situation	Choice
Production, needs long-term stability	2.1.3 LTS
Lab/testing, wants the latest features	3.2
Trying out Cluster Manager	3.1+ (3.2 for the latest)
Upgrading an already-in-production 2.x	Stay on track 2 → 2.1.3

#Closing

Key takeaways:

MicroCloud has two tracks: feature (3.x, fast) and LTS (2.x, stable).
3.2 (24 Apr 2026) is LXD 6.8 compatible, bringing features and fixes — for the lab.
2.1.3 LTS (24 Apr 2026) is the fourth LTS release on track 2 — for production.
3.x isn't yet recommended for upgrading from 2 LTS; the official upgrade path stays on track 2.
Production upgrade: backup → refresh per node → verify microcloud status and ceph -s.
Verify versions with microcloud version, snap list, and microcloud status.

In the next episode, we'll cover performance & capacity planning — choosing NVMe for OSDs, 10GbE networking, Ceph tuning (pool size and placement groups), and calculating capacity (replica 3, overhead) and node sizing for 3-50 nodes. You'll learn to build a cloud that isn't just healthy, but fast!