Update Agents and plugins
The process for updating the Agent and its plugins differs depending on the configuration and deployment type. The differences include where the binaries are downloaded from, how the update is performed, and whether auto-update is available. In most cases and unless otherwise indicated, the Agent and plugin binaries are downloaded from the SolarWinds repository, based on The Update Framework (TUF). The following table outlines these differences.
| Deployment method | Agent binaries source | Plugin binaries source | Auto-update | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remote configuration | SolarWinds repository (based on TUF) | SolarWinds repository (based on TUF) | Auto-update is enabled by default for Agent and plugins. | |
| Remote configuration with auto-update disabled | SolarWinds repository (based on TUF) | SolarWinds repository (based on TUF) | It is possible to disable auto-update in SolarWinds Observability SaaS using the Auto Update toggle. | To update Agents with disabled auto-update, execute a force update by clicking the Upgrade button. |
Remote configuration with Disable auto update for all Agents turned on |
SolarWinds repository (based on TUF) | SolarWinds repository (based on TUF) | ||
| Local configuration | SolarWinds repository (based on TUF) | SolarWinds repository (based on TUF) | Auto-update is enabled by default for Agent and plugins. |
The auto-update toggle is not available in SolarWinds Observability SaaS for Agents using a local configuration file.
The Auto-update can only be set in the local configuration file. |
Local configuration without a local_config.yaml or with a broken local_config.yaml |
SolarWinds repository (based on TUF) | SolarWinds repository (based on TUF) | If the Agent is not configured correctly, it is not in an operational state and auto-update is disabled for the Agent and plugins. | |
Local configuration with version pinning
(options agent-version and plugin-versions must both be set in local_config.yaml) |
SolarWinds repository (based on TUF) | SolarWinds repository (based on TUF) |
The Agent and plugins can only be updated manually by setting versions options. In the case of Agent updates, It is only possible to upgrade to a more recent version number. When the |
|
| Containers - remote configuration | SolarWinds repository (based on TUF) |
Agents can only be updated manually (a new Agent docker images must be applied). Plugins: auto update is enabled and can be disabled on SolarWinds Observability SaaS via global or agent-specific flag. |
||
| Containers - local configuration | SolarWinds repository (based on TUF) |
Agents can only be updated manually (a new Agent docker images must be applied). Plugins: auto-update is enabled |
||
| Containers - local configuration with version pinning | SolarWinds repository (based on TUF) |
Agent: only manual update (a new Agent docker images must be applied) Plugins: auto-update is disabled and plugin-versions are installed manually. |
||
| Bundle (only local config) | Bundled Agent package | Bundled Agent package | Updated manually to a specific bundled Agent version. | |
| Bundle containers (only local config) | Updated manually to a specific bundled Agent version. |