Migration of the bwCloud-OS Infrastructure - Timeline

Migration of the bwCloud-OS Infrastructure from Generation 2 (Gen2) to Generation 3 (Gen3) – Information & Deadlines

The bwCloud-OS is scheduled to be migrated to the new Gen3 infrastructure platform starting in May 2026. With this notice, we inform you about the process, the required actions, and binding deadlines related to the transition from Gen2 to Gen3. In preparation, all institutions and during the transition phase all end users themselves must take active steps.

To use the service, your institution must have signed the usage declaration for the bwCloud-OS state service by 31 August 2026. A list of the institutions currently participating will be published on our website shortly.

At a glance:

• Key-user test phase bwCloud-OS (Gen3): March / April 2026
• Launch of bwCloud-OS (Gen3): May 2026
• Parallel operation bwCloud-OS (Gen2/Gen3): May – August 2026
• End of Life (EOL) bwCloud-OS (Gen2): 31 August 2026
• IPv4 network migration of bwCloud-OS (Gen3): September 2026

1. Activation of the new infrastructure (Gen3) Key-user test phase: planned for March / April 2026
   If you are interested in participating in the test phase as a key-user, please contact the operations team via a support ticket (including a project description as outlined in the FAQ:
   https://wiki.bwcloud-os.de/index.php/Projects_and_Quota#How_can_I_request_a_new_(group)_project).
   The number of key-users is limited. Therefore, participation as a key-user cannot be guaranteed.
2. Transition phase – planned from May 2026 to August 2026
   From the start of the transition phase, users and projects will be registered exclusively on the Gen3 infrastructure. Existing projects on Gen2 may continue to operate until the end of August 2026. Migration from Gen2 to Gen3 is the responsibility of the end users. A period of four months is available for end users to migrate existing application data. Before the start of the migration phase, we will provide a detailed migration guide in our wiki at
   https://wiki.bwcloud-os.de/index.php/Cloud_Migration_Guide, describing the technical procedures and recommended best practices.
3. Decommissioning of the Gen2 infrastructure – 31 August 2026 (mandatory)
   At the end of 31 August 2026, the Gen2 infrastructure will be fully decommissioned. Please note: all remaining projects, including VMs and application data, will be deleted without further notice. Systems that have not been migrated to Gen3 by this date will be permanently unavailable.
4. Network and IP address changes
   After the transition phase, IPv4 addresses in Gen3 will be reassigned on a one-time basis. This change will affect all VMs with a publicly reachable IPv4 address. Details on how individual VMs are affected and the level of user interaction required will be communicated by the respective infrastructure sites during the transition phase. IPv6 addresses will remain unchanged. Due to the scarcity of IPv4 addresses, bwCloud-OS will, in the future, provide VMs with a publicly reachable IPv6 address only as part of the standard configuration (outbound IPv4 internet connectivity will be ensured). A publicly reachable IPv4 address can be added as an option but will incur additional costs in the future following prior announcement.
5. Cost liability for usage on Gen3
   With the commissioning of the Gen3 infrastructure, all services provided on Gen3 will be subject to the applicable Gen3 cost regulations. Costs will be calculated on a daily basis according to the respective active VM configuration and charged to the home institution. Continued use of VMs on Gen2 will not incur additional costs. Details on the calculation basis can be found in the bwCloud-OS User Wiki: https://wiki.bwcloud-os.de/index.php/Booking_Units

We kindly ask you to treat the above dates as mandatory and to plan the necessary steps for migrating your systems at an early stage. Should you have any questions, your respective infrastructure sites and the bwCloud-OS administrative office will be happy to assist you.

Yours sincerely,
bwCloud-OS Administrative Office