K1000 Agents with a lower version number than server can cause compatibility and performance related (4281029)

Whenever you upgrade the server, it is a best practice to upgrade the agents to the version indicated by the release notes as soon as possible in order to obtain the best results from your K1000. You can automatically upgrade agents from the previous version to the current version using the automatic update feature described in this article.

When K1000 Appliance has a higher version number than the agent, for example, 6.3.x agent checking into a 7.0.x server, you may experience performance issues, and features and functionality may stop working.

K1000 Appliance Release Notes indicate the version of the agent that is compatible with the version of the server you are using. In general, the server is compatible with agents that have the same major and minor version only, for example K1000 Appliance v7.0.x requires Agent version 6.4 SP3 (at the minimum). Using agents with a higher version number than the server is not supported.

The ability to upgrade agents automatically is built into your K1000 Appliance. As of appliance version 5.4, the K1000 Agent bundle is downloaded along with your server upgrade to your K1000 appliance. In previous versions, you manually download the agent upgrade bundle and upload it to the server. To get agent bundles for 5.4 and up,  go to https://support.quest.com/download-product-select. Specific instructions for upgrading are included in the release notes.

To verify the current agent versions and identify machines:

1. Click Inventory | Software and search for KACE Agent.
2. Review the list of versions and the computers that displays.

To download the age | Server Maintenance and then click Edit Mode.

1. Click Check for New Agent Bundles.

If a newer version is available it is automatically downloaded to your appliance.

To configure automatic upgrades of agents:

1. Click Settings | Provisioning | Update Agent Settings.
2. Upload or update the agent bundle:
   • Scroll to the bottom of the page.
   • Click Edit Mode and then Browse, select the package you want to upload.
   • Click Open.
3. Configure the server to automatically upgrade agents as follows:
   • Click Edit Mode at the top of the page.
   • Click Enable, when the server is upgraded the automatic upgrades are disabled.
   • Check Deploy to all machines. Optionally you can un-check Deploy to All Machines and select a machine label to limit the automatic upgrade.
     Note: If you un-check this option without selecting a label to target, then automatic upgrades are essentially disabled.

Making sure your agents are up to date will ensure that your K1000 appliance runs smoothly and all your computers maintain their patches, updates, and managed tasks.