note-actions call-to-action"><a class=entry href=/v1.23/news/releases/1.7.x/announcing-1.7/upgrade-notes/><h5>BEFORE YOU UPGRADE</h5><p>Things to know and prepare before upgrading.</p></a><a class="update-notice entry" data-title='Update Notice' data-downloadhref=https://github.com/istio/istio/releases/tag/1.7.6 data-downloadbuttontext="DOWNLOAD 1.7.6" data-updateadvice="Before you download 1.7.6, you should know that there's a newer patch release with the latest bug fixes and perf improvements." data-updat