Reversible Vast.ai Client and Template Upgrade

Overview

Treat the provider client and workload template as separate compatibility boundaries. Pin and test the managed CLI or PyPI package, preserve the vastai_sdk compatibility shim during migration, and canary template changes before a rolling update.

Prerequisites

• Current CLI/SDK version, install channel, import usage, commands, templates, and dependent automation
• Target version and release evidence plus contract tests for critical commands and response adapters
• Rollback client version, prior template hash, and an acceptance deadline

Instructions

Step 1: Freeze the current contract

Record versions, install location, key precedence, imports, command help, structured outputs, and immutable template/model identities.

Step 2: Upgrade in isolation

For the managed CLI, use its version-aware update mechanism and retain the prior version. For Python, pin the target vastai package in a disposable environment.

Step 3: Test client compatibility

Run auth, offer search, instance read, response normalization, and expected-denial tests without creating paid resources unless the plan requires a canary.

Step 4: Migrate SDK imports deliberately

Move from vastai_sdk to vastai while the documented compatibility shim remains; test high-level and sync/async client boundaries actually used.

Step 5: Canary workload changes

Create a separate endpoint or disposable instance from the target template, prove output and recovery, then trigger a controlled rolling update if Serverless.

Step 6: Accept or revert

Compare contract and SLO evidence. Restore the prior client pin or template reference on failure and verify the rollback path.

Authentication

Confirm the upgraded client still reads the intended XDG or environment credential and preserves least privilege. Never test upgrades with an unscoped production key by default.

Tool Discipline

Use Read and Grep to inspect manifests, configuration, provider output, and existing tests before proposing a mutation. Use Write or Edit only for the approved plan, implementation, test, or redacted receipt; do not create, update, destroy, or fund Vast.ai resources without explicit operator approval.

Output

• Before/after client and template contract inventory
• Compatibility, canary, SLO, and expected-denial results
• Acceptance or rollback receipt with retained prior versions

Return install channel, old/new versions, import boundary, old/new template hashes, tests, decision, and rollback verification.

Examples

A service moves from the vastai_sdk shim to vastai in staging, pins the package, validates its response adapter, canaries a new template, then performs a monitored Serverless rolling update with the prior hash retained.

Error Handling

Resources

• First-party source notes
• Official CLI README
• Official SDK skill
• Zero-downtime worker update