diff --git a/.github/workflows/archivematica-upgrade.yml b/.github/workflows/archivematica-upgrade.yml
index e4ddc54..c2b6b84 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/archivematica-upgrade.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/archivematica-upgrade.yml
@@ -71,10 +71,11 @@ jobs:
               -e "archivematica_src_configure_ss_url=http://archivematica:8000" \
               -vvv
       - name: "Debug"
-        if: ${{ failure() }}
+        if: ${{ always() }}
         working-directory: "${{ github.workspace }}/tests/archivematica-upgrade"
         run: |
           podman-compose exec -u root archivematica bash -c "journalctl -xeu mysql.service --no-pager"
+          podman-compose exec -u root archivematica bash -c "cat /etc/mysql/my.cnf"
       - name: "Get the Archivematica version"
         run: |
           curl \
diff --git a/playbooks/archivematica-jammy/vars-singlenode-1.16.yml b/playbooks/archivematica-jammy/vars-singlenode-1.16.yml
index 9527b04..8289427 100644
--- a/playbooks/archivematica-jammy/vars-singlenode-1.16.yml
+++ b/playbooks/archivematica-jammy/vars-singlenode-1.16.yml
@@ -5,46 +5,6 @@
 archivematica_src_am_version: "stable/1.16.x"
 archivematica_src_ss_version: "stable/0.22.x"
 
-archivematica_src_ss_db_name: "SS"
-archivematica_src_ss_db_user: "ss"
-archivematica_src_ss_db_password: "demo"
-archivematica_src_ss_db_host: "{{ archivematica_src_am_db_host }}"
-
-archivematica_src_configure_dashboard: "yes"
-archivematica_src_configure_ss: "yes"
-archivematica_src_configure_ss_user: "admin"
-archivematica_src_configure_ss_password: "archivematica"
-archivematica_src_configure_ss_api_key: "this_is_the_ss_api_key"
-archivematica_src_configure_ss_url: "http://192.168.168.198:8000"
-archivematica_src_configure_ss_email: "admin@example.com"
-archivematica_src_configure_am_user: "admin"
-archivematica_src_configure_am_password: "archivematica"
-archivematica_src_configure_am_email: "admin@example.com"
-archivematica_src_configure_am_api_key: "this_is_the_am_api_key"
-archivematica_src_configure_am_site_url: "http://192.168.168.198"
-
-nodejs_version: "22.x"
-
-# elasticsearch role
-
-elasticsearch_version: "6.5.4"
-elasticsearch_apt_java_package: "openjdk-8-jre-headless"
-elasticsearch_java_home: "/usr/lib/jvm/java-1.8.0-openjdk-amd64"
-elasticsearch_heap_size: "1g"
-elasticsearch_max_open_files: "65535"
-elasticsearch_timezone: "UTC"
-elasticsearch_node_max_local_storage_nodes: "1"
-elasticsearch_index_mapper_dynamic: "true"
-elasticsearch_memory_bootstrap_mlockall: "true"
-elasticsearch_install_java: "true"
-elasticsearch_thread_pools:
-  - "thread_pool.write.size: 2"
-  - "thread_pool.write.queue_size: 1000"
-elasticsearch_network_http_max_content_lengtht: 1024mb
-elasticsearch_discovery_zen_ping_multicast_enabled: "false"
-elasticsearch_max_locked_memory: "unlimited"
-elasticsearch_network_host: "127.0.0.1"
-
 # percona role
 
 mysql_version_major: "8"
@@ -52,25 +12,5 @@ mysql_version_minor: "0"
 mysql_character_set_server: "utf8mb4"
 mysql_collation_server: "utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci"
 
-mysql_databases:
-  - name: "{{ archivematica_src_am_db_name }}"
-    collation: "{{ archivematica_src_am_db_collation }}"
-    encoding: "{{ archivematica_src_am_db_encoding }}"
-  - name: "{{ archivematica_src_ss_db_name }}"
-    collation: "{{ archivematica_src_ss_db_collation }}"
-    encoding: "{{ archivematica_src_ss_db_encoding }}"
-
-mysql_users:
-  - name: "{{ archivematica_src_am_db_user }}"
-    pass: "{{ archivematica_src_am_db_password }}"
-    priv: "{{ archivematica_src_am_db_name }}.*:ALL,GRANT"
-    host: "{{ archivematica_src_am_db_host }}"
-  - name: "{{ archivematica_src_ss_db_user }}"
-    pass: "{{ archivematica_src_ss_db_password }}"
-    priv: "{{ archivematica_src_ss_db_name }}.*:ALL,GRANT"
-    host: "{{ archivematica_src_ss_db_host }}"
-
 mysql_root_password: "MYSQLROOTPASSWORD"
-
-archivematica_src_ss_environment:
-  SS_DB_URL: "mysql://{{ archivematica_src_ss_db_user }}:{{ archivematica_src_ss_db_password }}@{{ archivematica_src_ss_db_host }}:3306/{{ archivematica_src_ss_db_name }}"
+mysql_default_authentication_plugin: "mysql_native_password"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/archivematica-upgrade/playbook.yml b/tests/archivematica-upgrade/playbook.yml
index a20a84c..5b4d226 100644
--- a/tests/archivematica-upgrade/playbook.yml
+++ b/tests/archivematica-upgrade/playbook.yml
@@ -15,38 +15,93 @@
         - "fish"
       become: "yes"
 
-  roles:
-
-    - role: "artefactual.elasticsearch"
+  tasks:
+    - name: "Block"
       become: "yes"
-      tags:
-        - "elasticsearch"
-      when: "archivematica_src_search_enabled|bool"
+      block:
+      - name: "Install gnupg"
+        apt:
+          name: gnupg2
+          update_cache: yes
 
-    - role: "artefactual.percona"
-      become: "yes"
-      tags:
-        - "percona"
+      - name: "Install percona-release package"
+        apt:
+          deb: "https://repo.percona.com/apt/percona-release_latest.{{ ansible_distribution_release }}_all.deb"
 
-    - role: "artefactual.nginx"
-      become: "yes"
-      tags:
-        - "nginx"
+      - name: "Update apt cache"
+        apt:
+          update_cache: yes
 
-    - role: "artefactual.gearman"
-      become: "yes"
-      tags:
-        - "gearman"
+      # https://www.percona.com/doc/percona-server/LATEST/installation/apt_repo.html
+      - name: "Enable Percona repository (Percona version >= 8)"
+        command: "percona-release setup ps{{ mysql_version_major }}{{ mysql_version_minor }}"
+        when: mysql_version_major|int >= 8
+        changed_when: False     # TODO: check for task idempotency
 
-    - role: "artefactual.clamav"
-      become: "yes"
-      tags:
-        - "clamav"
+      - name: "Install python-is-python3 (Ubuntu >= Focal/20.04)"
+        apt:
+          name: "python-is-python3"
+        when:
+          - ansible_distribution_version is version_compare('20.04', '>=')
 
-    - role: "artefactual.archivematica-src"
-      become: "yes"
-      tags:
-        - "archivematica-src"
+      - debug:
+          msg: "ansible_python_interpreter major version: {{ ansible_python.version.major }}"
+
+      - name: "Install package dependencies for ansible MySQL modules (python 2)"
+        apt:
+          name: "python-mysqldb"
+        when:
+          - ansible_python.version.major == 2     # version is a number, do not quote
+
+      - name: "Install package dependencies for ansible MySQL modules (python 3)"
+        apt:
+          name: 
+            - "python3-pymysql"
+            - "python3-mysqldb"
+        when:
+          - ansible_python.version.major == 3     # version is a number, do not quote
+
+      - name: "Install | configure debconf for version 8.0 (Use Legacy Authentication Method)"
+        debconf:
+          name: 'percona-server-server'
+          question: 'percona-server-server/default-auth-override'
+          value: 'Use Legacy Authentication Method (Retain MySQL 5.x Compatibility)'
+          vtype: select
+        changed_when: false
+        when:
+          - mysql_version_major|int >= 8
+          - mysql_default_authentication_plugin is defined
+          - mysql_default_authentication_plugin == "mysql_native_password"
+
+      - name: "Install percona packages and dependencies on Ubuntu (Percona version >= 8)"
+        apt:
+          name:
+            - "percona-server-server={{ mysql_version_major }}.{{ mysql_version_minor }}*"
+            - "percona-server-client={{ mysql_version_major }}.{{ mysql_version_minor }}*"
+            - "percona-toolkit"
+          state: "present"
+        when: mysql_version_major|int >= 8
+
+      - name: "Update the my.cnf"
+        template: "src=foo.cnf.j2 dest=/etc/mysql/my.cnf owner=root mode=0644"
+
+      - name: "Adjust permissions of datadir"
+        file:
+          path: "/var/lib/mysql"
+          owner: "mysql"
+          group: "mysql"
+          mode: 0700
+          state: "directory"
+
+      - name: "Restart mysql to apply changes done in my.cnf file"
+        service:
+          name: "mysql"
+          state: "stopped"
+
+      - name: "Restart mysql to apply changes done in my.cnf file"
+        service:
+          name: "mysql"
+          state: "started"
 
   post_tasks:
 
diff --git a/tests/archivematica-upgrade/templates/foo.cnf.j2 b/tests/archivematica-upgrade/templates/foo.cnf.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec43aad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/archivematica-upgrade/templates/foo.cnf.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+#
+# The MySQL database server configuration file.
+#
+# For explanations see
+# http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/server-system-variables.html
+
+[client]
+port        = 3306
+socket      = /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock
+
+[mysqld_safe]
+socket      = /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock
+nice        = 0
+open-files-limit = 16384
+
+[mysqld]
+# * Basic Settings
+user        = mysql
+pid-file    = /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.pid
+socket      = /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock
+port        = 3306
+basedir     = /usr
+datadir     = /var/lib/mysql
+tmpdir      = /tmp
+disable_log_bin
+lc_messages_dir = /usr/share/mysql/
+bind-address = 127.0.0.1
+skip-external-locking
+default_authentication_plugin=mysql_native_password
+
+# * Fine Tuning
+key_buffer_size         = 16M
+max_allowed_packet      = 256M
+thread_stack            = 192K
+thread_cache_size       = 8
+myisam-recover-options  = BACKUP
+max_connections         = 500
+table_open_cache        = 64
+sort_buffer_size        = 256K
+
+# ** Query Cache Configuration, removed in MySQL >= 8.0
+
+# ** Logging and Replication
+log_error = /var/log/mysql/error.log
+log_error_verbosity = 1
+#general_log_file        = /var/log/mysql/mysql.log
+#general_log             = 1
+#
+#log_slow_queries   = /var/log/mysql/mysql-slow.log
+#long_query_time = 2
+#log-queries-not-using-indexes
+#
+# The following can be used as easy to replay backup logs or for replication.
+#server-id      = 1
+#log_bin            = /var/log/mysql/mysql-bin.log
+expire_logs_days    = 10
+max_binlog_size     = 100M
+#binlog_do_db       = include_database_name
+#binlog_ignore_db   = include_database_name
+
+# ** InnoDB
+# InnoDB is enabled by default with a 10MB datafile in /var/lib/mysql/.
+# Read the manual for more InnoDB related options. There are many!
+innodb_flush_log_at_trx_commit = 1
+innodb_buffer_pool_size = 256M
+innodb_lock_wait_timeout = 50
+innodb_log_buffer_size = 1M
+innodb_log_file_size = 64M
+innodb_file_per_table = 1
+
+
+# ** Security Features
+# Read the manual, too, if you want chroot!
+# chroot = /var/lib/mysql/
+
+character_set_server = utf8mb4
+collation_server = utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci
+character-set-client-handshake = FALSE
+
+[mysqldump]
+quick
+quote-names
+max_allowed_packet  = 128M
+
+[mysql]
+#no-auto-rehash # faster start of mysql but no tab completition
+
+[isamchk]
+key_buffer      = 16M
+
+#
+# * IMPORTANT: Additional settings that can override those from this file!
+#   The files must end with '.cnf', otherwise they'll be ignored.
+#
+!includedir /etc/mysql/conf.d/
\ No newline at end of file