cdot65/pan-os-upgrade

Add recommendation to jump to the latest preferred release within a PAN-OS train

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Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

When upgrading PAN-OS on firewalls using the pan-os-upgrade utility, users might not be aware of the latest preferred release within a specific PAN-OS train. This can lead to users upgrading to a release that is not the most stable or recommended version, potentially causing issues or missing out on important bug fixes and enhancements.

Describe the solution you'd like

Enhance the pan-os-upgrade utility to recommend jumping to the latest preferred release within a PAN-OS train before proceeding with the upgrade. The utility should:

  1. Utilize an API or knowledge base article to determine the latest preferred release for each PAN-OS train.
  2. Compare the user's target upgrade version with the latest preferred release.
  3. If the user is trying to upgrade to a release that is not the latest preferred release, display a warning message informing them about the latest preferred release and recommending to upgrade to that version first.
  4. Provide an option for the user to continue with their chosen version or automatically update the target version to the latest preferred release.

Describe alternatives you've considered

An alternative approach could be to always enforce upgrading to the latest preferred release without giving the user a choice. However, this might not be desirable in certain scenarios where users have specific requirements or constraints that prevent them from upgrading to the latest preferred release.

Additional context

Here are a few additional points to consider:

  • The latest preferred release information should be fetched dynamically from a reliable source to ensure the utility provides up-to-date recommendations.
  • The warning message should be clear and informative, explaining the benefits of upgrading to the latest preferred release and the potential risks of skipping it.
  • Consider adding a command-line flag or configuration option to allow users to disable this recommendation feature if needed.
  • Update the project's documentation to include information about this new feature and how it helps users make informed decisions when upgrading PAN-OS.

By implementing this feature, the pan-os-upgrade utility will help users stay aligned with the best practices for PAN-OS upgrades and reduce the chances of encountering issues related to upgrading to non-preferred releases.