How to Safely Upgrade from Milvus 2.5.x to Milvus 2.6.x

This post details the architectural evolution from Milvus 2.5 to 2.6, specifically the introduction of a dedicated StreamingNode to separate real-time data processing from batch operations handled by QueryNode and DataNode. It outlines key new features in 2.6 such as RaBitQ quantization, BM25 full-text search, JSON path indexing, and tiered storage. A step-by-step upgrade path from 2.5.x to 2.6.x is provided, including the order of component upgrades (Streaming Node, MixCoord, Query Node, Data Node, Proxy) and notes on operational impacts like DDL unavailability.