Probe Update

Overview

Probe binaries are published alongside each Core release. Every Core version expects a matching Probe version. When a Probe connects, the Core tells it the expected version and whether automatic Probe updates are enabled.

A Probe can be updated in three ways:

• Automatic updates - the Probe requests the new binary when it connects and auto updates are enabled.
• From the Web GUI - open a Probe's detail page and click Reinstall / Update.
• From the Probe host - run the update helper or systemd unit on the Probe machine.

Automatic updates

When Auto Probe Updates is enabled in Core Settings, every Probe that connects compares its own version with the Core's expected version. If they differ, the Probe waits a random delay (up to 5 minutes) and then downloads the matching binary directly from the Core API. After the download is verified, the Probe replaces its own binary and restarts. On Linux the systemd Restart=always policy starts the new version.

You can disable automatic updates and update Probes manually using one of the methods below.

Update from the Web GUI

1. Go to Probes and click on the Probe you want to update.
2. Click Reinstall / Update in the Probe details page.
3. Confirm the prompt. The Core sends a reinstall command to the Probe.
4. The Probe downloads the current binary from the Core, replaces itself, and restarts.

This method works even when automatic Probe updates are disabled.

Update via the REST API

You can trigger a Probe update from any host that can reach the Core API, using a REST API bearer token (see REST API):

curl -s -k -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  "https://<core-host>/api/probes/<probe-uuid>/reinstall"

The response is {"ok":true} when the command is sent. The Probe must be connected; it downloads and installs the binary immediately, after a short 0–5 second jitter.

Update from the Probe host

The Linux Probe installer deploys two helpers for programmatic updates:

• /opt/linknesis/probe/update-probe.sh
• /etc/systemd/system/linknesis-probe-update.service

Run the helper script as root:

sudo /opt/linknesis/probe/update-probe.sh

Or use the systemd one-shot service:

sudo systemctl start linknesis-probe-update

Both stop the running Probe service, run the Probe binary with the --update flag, and start the service again. The --update flag forces the Probe to request the current binary from the Core regardless of the automatic-update setting.

Update a fleet

To update many Linux Probes at once, run the systemd command over SSH. For example, with a list of Probe hosts in probes.txt:

for host in $(cat probes.txt); do
  echo "Updating $host ..."
  ssh -o ConnectTimeout=10 "$host" 'sudo systemctl start linknesis-probe-update' || echo "FAILED: $host"
done

Alternatively, use the API method from a central script that loops over Probe UUIDs returned by GET /api/probes.

Windows Probes

Windows Probes can be updated from the Web GUI (Reinstall / Update) or via the REST API. The Probe downloads the new binary, replaces the running executable through a PowerShell helper, and restarts the Task Scheduler task.

Troubleshooting

• Probe does not update: check that the Probe is connected and that the Core can serve the binary on the API port (default 4480). Look at journalctl -u linknesis-probe -f on the Probe host.
• Version still shows old after update: wait for the Probe to reconnect; the GUI shows the reported version after the next hello message.
• API method fails: verify the JWT token and that the Probe UUID is correct.