[pinky07]

You can crypt the data before sending to the upgrade platform. Before it was an external script, and since Odoo 16 you can use the `oboo-bin obfuscate` command, before running the upgrade script.

See `./odoo-bin obfuscate --help` to check how to crypt your custom data and uncrypt after upgrade.

It's not perfect (crypt specific columns rather than full DB) but, unfortunatelly, to operate our upgrade service, we need access to the database. Upgrades are complex and requires testing, fine tuning scripts to your specific use cases, etc.

The other alternative is to not use our services, but do it yourself using upgrade scripts from the community: https://github.com/OCA/OpenUpgrade

[mavvvricks]

Small partner here who absolutely love Odoo for what it is and you can make it to be.

But - I can't wrap my head around why an on-prem customer cannot be allowed to run the upgrade scripts on-prem.

I have almost lost customers to it, and it's a super big headache delaying the upgrade process for both political and technical reasons.

Having tried to discuss the options and reasons with both Odoo support and employees at OXP has been an almost Kafkaesque experience.

Please explain to me like I am 5 years old.

[pinky07]

2 reasons:

1/ Upgrade are super complex: requires a service, not just a script

2/ We used it to monetize Odoo Enterprise

Upgrade: Even after 1000+ upgrades, we still run into issues regularly as every environment is different (set of modules, customizations, community apps, ...). So we need to test the database, and fix scripts when necessary. If we would just provide scripts, it would cost us a lot in support for issues... and a bad customer experience. At least, by having the control we can ensure a smooth customer experience; it just works - and you don't see everything we do behind. (most of the time)

Monetization: The open core business model is hard, when your goal is to do a maximum open source. Our main competitor being Odoo Community, we charge 5x less than competitors for a better software. (25€ vs 180€)

So, we had to pick a few apps and services to monetize Odoo Enterprise, like the accounting app, or the upgrade service.

Fortunetally, there is OpenUpgrade (scripts from the community) so that there is no lock-in on the upgrade. (you spend time with open-upgrade or go to Enterprise and we do it)