Lightbits v3.11.1: Introducing New Tech Previews and Robust Enhancements

We are excited to announce the release of Lightbits software-defined storage v3.11.1, with several new tech preview capabilities along with essential improvements in stability, usability, and security. This version is designed to make your experience even more seamless and productive, building on our long-standing commitment to provide reliable, efficient, and user-friendly software-defined storage.

Key Highlights of Lightbits v3.11.1

New Features and Tech Previews

This release introduces several new exciting tech preview capabilities. We are actively seeking feedback from our customers to help shape the final versions of these features:

• Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) Integration [Tech Preview]: Lightbits now supports ADFS for clusters, allowing authentication and API invocations using organizational ADFS/oAuth services. This feature simplifies integration for environments utilizing single sign-on (SSO), making it easier to incorporate Lightbits into existing enterprise systems. This feature can only be tested and evaluated on non-production systems.
• Software Encryption at Rest [Tech Preview]: We have introduced cluster-level encryption for data at rest using AES-XTS-256. It provides an additional layer of security by ensuring that any data removed from the cluster remains encrypted on the drive and cannot be read as plain text. This feature should only be tested and evaluated on non-production systems.
• Generative AI Assistant for lbcli [Tech Preview]: We’ve introduced an experimental AI assistant for lbcli using the new lbcli ask command. This assistant aims to simplify user queries and provide instant help, making cluster management more efficient and accessible. You can download the latest LB CLI client today and try this feature even before you upgrade to the latest release of 3.11.1.

• Photon Tech Preview Update: Our multi-cluster management UI, Photon, has been refreshed and is now available for technology preview. Photon now includes several usability and performance enhancements based on customer feedback. If you haven’t yet explored Photon, now is a great time to take it for a spin and share your insights with us.

User-Requested and General Improvements to Usability

In addition to the major highlights of this release, we are continuously addressing customer requests and enhancing usability to make Lightbits even more effective for day-to-day operations. These improvements simplify diagnostics, shutdown procedures, and metadata management.

• Log Collection Enhancements: The lbcli tool has been enhanced to allow fetching logs from all servers in the cluster with a single command, making it easier to gather diagnostics. We’ve also added more debug information to assist in troubleshooting.
• User-Defined Metadata for Volumes: We added the ability to add, edit, or remove user-defined metadata in the form of key=value labels to volumes, improving flexibility in managing and organizing metadata.
• Graceful Shutdown Improvements: A performance optimization was made to speed up graceful shutdown by limiting the use of cores for certain cleanup processes.
• Enhanced Monitoring: The rebuild percentage metric now accurately reflects physical usage of volumes. A new cluster-level rebuild indicator provides clear visibility into the rebuild process, completing when all volumes are fully synced.

Enhanced Stability for Cluster Operations

We strive to improve cluster stability and reliability. Enhancements in this version ensure smoother cluster operations, reduce downtime, and enhance resilience. In this version we improved cluster-manager resiliency during complex data migrations and prevented IP conflict issues to simplify server management.

Standard and Long-Term Support (LTS) versions

Lightbits offers two release streams: Standard and Long-Term Support (LTS), both suitable for production environments. The Standard release provides access to the newest features and capabilities, with the latest version being 3.11.1. For users who do not need the latest features, the LTS stream (currently at version 3.9.2) is recommended. An updated LTS version, 3.9.3, is scheduled for release soon, bringing additional improvements.

Looking Ahead

On top of the highlights mentioned above, we are continuously working to make Lightbits better, and your input is invaluable for us to do so. With v3.11.1, our focus has been on making the platform more robust, stable, and easier to manage – while introducing new tech previews that enhance security, usability, and integration. We encourage you to explore these updates, take advantage of the enhanced features, and share your experience and feedback.

Stay tuned for more updates, and do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or need assistance with your storage infrastructure. Also, don’t forget to join Lightbits Hub, our community hub on Slack, where users and developers share their experiences and expertise with Lightbits. We look forward to your feedback and continued collaboration.

You can find the full list and details of the 3.11.1 release here .