Overview

This document provides answers to frequently asked questions about the V4 agent deprecation.

Why is the existing agent being deprecated?

The existing agent is being deprecated and replaced by the new V5 agent to improve performance, enhance security, and support BrightGauge scalability. To enhance your experience, we are replacing the old agent with a new architecture that incorporates a heartbeat service for agent check-ins. The new agents also have an updated UI that allows for faster installs and facilitates setting up multiple agents.

When will the V4 agent officially be deprecated?

We will deprecate the V4 agent on Thursday, August 31st, 2023.

How do I upgrade to the new V5 agent? 

Full details on how to upgrade to the V5 agent can be found here:

• BrightGauge Agent v5 Upgrade Steps

Once the above upgrade is done, full details and step-by-step instructions can be found here:

• Installing the BrightGauge Agent

What are the benefits of the new agent?

The new BrightGauge agent v5 is a completely rewritten application with upgraded performance, enhanced security, and improved ease of use. The biggest changes on the v5 agent include: 

• A completely new syncing architecture that uses a heartbeat check-in and push methodology.
  • No inbound network connections, therefore there is no need for firewall configurations.
• Increased timeout ranges on connections and syncs.
  • Fewer timeout errors.
• New token-based authentication.
  • No dependency on a single user's credentials.
• New installation and management UI.
  • Quick installation.
  • Runs strictly as a service.
  • New UI within the Datasource configuration page allows you to easily keep track of all v5 agent instances that you have installed.

What are the server requirements for the V5 Agent? 

• 4GB RAM Dedicated Solely for Agent Consumption (8GB+ recommended)  Note: This is a free requirement as the agent temporarily stores data in RAM after receiving it from your SQL server and before passing it to BrightGauge.
• Windows Server^® 2012 R2 or later for servers (Windows^® 10 or later for workstations)
• Consistent uptime
• Outbound Network Traffic on Port 9332 (TLS) to the following two domains (and any of their subdomains):
  • *.brightgauge.co
    • agentclient.brightgauge.co
  • *.itsupport247.net
    • https://agent-data.service.itsupport247.net/agent
    • http://update2.itsupport247.net
    • http://cdn.itsupport247.net/*)

What are the specifics of ongoing support, upgrades, and services?

The V4 agent will continue to be supported, up until the deprecation date of August 31st, 2023. At this point, the V4 agent will be turned off and all partners will need to upgrade to the V5 agent.