Update the Agent

The octoja Agent updates itself automatically — see each device's agent version, trigger an update manually, and fix agents that stay outdated.

Written By Stefan Steuer

Last updated 25 days ago

You do not roll out agent updates in octoja — neither for a single device nor for your whole fleet. The octoja Agent keeps itself up to date. This article explains how automatic updates work, where you see which version each device is running, and how to trigger an update manually when you do not want to wait.

How automatic updates work

  • About every 30 minutes, the agent asks your octoja instance whether a newer agent version is available for it.
  • New agent versions ship together with octoja platform updates. Your devices always receive the agent version that matches your octoja instance — there are no separate update channels to choose or manage.
  • The update is downloaded over HTTPS from the octoja CDN — the same source the installers come from — and every file is verified against its checksum before it is installed.
  • To finish the update, the agent service restarts briefly. The device itself does not reboot, and no one has to be logged in.
  • If anything goes wrong during the update, the agent switches back to the previous version automatically and tries again later.

See which version a device is running

WhereWhat you see
Device detail pageThe Agent Version field in the device details.
Inventory → HardwareThe Agent version column — hidden by default, enable it via the table's column menu to compare versions across your whole fleet.

Trigger an update manually

When a newer version is available for a device, its detail page shows the notice Agent update available with the current and the new version number. You can wait — the agent picks the update up on its own within about half an hour — or apply it right away:

  1. In octoja, go to Devices and open the device. The device must be online.
  2. In the Agent update available notice at the top of the page, click Update now. The button requires the Run Maintenance permission, granted via groups under Administration → Groups.

The agent starts the update within a few seconds and follows the same verified procedure as an automatic update. There is no fleet-wide update button — and none is needed, because every agent updates itself.

If an agent stays outdated

Some octoja features require a current agent; octoja then shows a message such as "This feature is not supported by the current agent version. Please update the agent." If a device keeps running an old version:

  1. Check that the device is online — an offline agent cannot update. The related articles below explain the device statuses.
  2. Open the device page and click Update now in the update notice.
  3. If the version still does not change, restart the agent services on the device — the deployment guide for your platform lists the service commands — and check the version again after half an hour.
  4. If the agent still does not update, contact support and include the device name and the version shown on the device page.