Your intuition is correct. Generally, I would not have an intern deploy major version upgrade -- or do anything in prod at all, really -- without: 1. proven fa

Your intuition is correct. Generally, I would not have an intern deploy major version upgrade -- or do anything in prod at all, really -- without: 1. proven familiarity with the process, 2. thorough instructions, and 3. an on-call that is available and familiar with the intern's specific push. That said: maybe these upgrades are always straight forward. Maybe your boss plans to be available in case something goes wrong (despite not being on site). Maybe he's treating this as a sort of final interview for your internship before suggesting a full-time offer. Maybe there's a safety net underneath you that your boss knows about but you don't, since operating with poise under pressure is an important thing to test for in an IT candidate. I suggest you proceed with poise. Prior to the upgrade, ensure that you have documentation about the process, any other necessary information, etc. It is your job to make sure you have what you need! Also make sure that you have a point of contact who will be on-call during the upgrade process (this should be your boss). During the upgrade, immediately escalate any issues to that on-call. Finally, prior to your boss leaving, let him know that you are happy to take on this task but want to make sure that there's a full time employee ready in the wings in case something goes wrong because you do not have a long history with this product and because the product is so mission-critical to the company.