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The safe patch sequence is: identify the deployment and current Base Software Version, read the exact target release notes, take a fresh backup, schedule for possible session interruption, install packages in their dependency order, and verify both the appliance record and a real remote session. The steps differ for cloud, standalone on-premises, restricted-network, and clustered or failover deployments.

Start by identifying the appliance and its update model

Before downloading or installing anything, establish which BeyondTrust service and topology you are operating. Remote Support (RS) and Privileged Remote Access (PRA) can be delivered from BeyondTrust cloud infrastructure or from appliances in your environment. An on-premises site can be standalone or use multiple appliances in a failover or clustered arrangement. Those choices determine who performs the update, how packages are obtained, and how you protect active sessions.

Deployment Who manages the appliance update Connectivity path Main operational concern
Remote Support or PRA cloud BeyondTrust manages the cloud service; your administrators manage client readiness and any enabled update settings. Cloud maintenance controls and the service’s update channel. Communicate the maintenance window and confirm representative consoles and clients are compatible afterward.
Standalone on-premises appliance Your organization owns the appliance update, backup, and network setup. Online update service or manual installation for a restricted network. A software update can disconnect logged-in representatives and active sessions.
Failover or clustered on-premises deployment Your organization performs an ordered, multi-appliance change. Packages must be available to each appliance; synchronization is required after the work. Drain traffic, finish active sessions where possible, and expect downtime during failover work.

Record the baseline version

On a B Series Appliance, sign in to the /appliance web interface and open Status > Basics. Record the value shown for Base Software Version, along with the appliance name and whether it is RS or PRA. The base version is the starting point used to determine upgrade eligibility and sequence. If the correct path from your current version to the target release is not clear, contact BeyondTrust Support before installing a package.

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Use BeyondTrust’s terminology correctly

  • A patch fixes the current software version.
  • An upgrade moves the appliance to a new product version.
  • Update is the label used in the /appliance interface for both kinds of software change.

This distinction matters when you assess downtime and prerequisites. A critical patch may follow different automatic-install rules from a scheduled version upgrade.

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Read the target release notes before touching the appliance

Open the release notes for the exact RS or PRA version you intend to install. Check every prerequisite, not just the product-version headline.

  • Base Software: Confirm that your recorded Base Software Version can move to the target release and note any intermediate base package.
  • Product version: Verify whether the release is for Remote Support, Privileged Remote Access, or both.
  • ECM and Integration Client: Check whether these components have their own compatible versions or installation requirements.
  • Certificates and authentication: Review certificate, identity-provider, and authentication changes before the maintenance window.
  • Representative and other clients: Note which console or client versions must be upgraded after the appliance.
  • Network requirements: Confirm that the appliance can reach the update service, or prepare the manual path for a restricted network.

Important PRA version constraints

The PRA 26.1.1 release notes state that the release requires Base Software 8.2.0 and supports upgrades from PRA 25.3.1 or later. They also identify PRA 26.1.1 as the final release supporting RADIUS. If your deployment still uses RADIUS, migrate that authentication before moving to PRA 26.2.1; do not treat the appliance package installation as a substitute for the authentication migration.

PRA 26.2.1 release notes state that critical updates that install without downtime are applied automatically. An appliance that cannot communicate with the update server displays a notification. An automatic critical update does not remove the need to plan normal version upgrades, back up the appliance, or verify client operation.

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Understand update tracks and automatic upgrades

A BeyondTrust pre-release notice dated September 15, 2026 describes optional automatic version upgrades for Remote Support and PRA cloud and on-premises deployments when automatic updates are enabled. Maintenance windows and the Fast Track, Standard Track, and Enterprise Track channels govern those upgrades. Critical patches follow separate rules. Record which channel and automatic-update setting applies to your site so an apparently unexpected change can be matched to the configured policy.

Prepare the change window

Take a fresh backup immediately before installation

Download a new appliance backup immediately before installing the update. Keep it with your change record and confirm that you know how to reach BeyondTrust Support if the documented upgrade path fails. In a multi-appliance procedure, the backup is taken before installing the BeyondTrust updates and before failing over or changing another appliance. Do not rely on an old backup simply because one exists.

Plan for users and active sessions

Software updates can disconnect logged-in representatives and active remote sessions. Choose a non-peak maintenance window, notify support staff, and stop starting new work shortly before the change. For failover work, drain traffic from the appliance being taken offline and wait for active connections to end whenever the operational situation permits. The multi-appliance guide warns that failover causes downtime, so publish a maintenance notice rather than promising uninterrupted service.

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Stage the prerequisites

  • Record the current Base Software Version from /appliance > Status > Basics.
  • Save the target release notes and the approved change sequence.
  • Download and retain the fresh backup.
  • Confirm an administrator can sign in to /appliance and reach Updates.
  • Identify the owners of representative consoles, integrations, authentication, and certificates.
  • For an offline site, prepare the Appliance Download Key process and approved removable storage.
  • For a cluster or failover pair, list every appliance, its traffic role, current sessions, and the order in which it will be handled.

Patch an online standalone appliance

Use this procedure when the appliance can communicate with the BeyondTrust update service and is not being changed as part of a multi-appliance sequence.

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  1. Open the update page. Sign in to the /appliance interface and select Updates.
  2. Check for packages. Click Check for updates. If the service finds nothing applicable, the page reports No updates available. Confirm that the result is consistent with the release notes and your recorded base version before closing the change.
  3. Review the displayed packages. Read the package names and versions. Install them in the dependency order shown by the appliance. Base packages commonly precede dependent BeyondTrust product packages.
  4. Resolve prerequisites before forcing progress. If a package is greyed out, install the prerequisite identified by the page first. Do not attempt to bypass a disabled package by downloading an unrelated version.
  5. Install during the approved window. Start the package installation and monitor it until the interface reports completion or an error. Keep administrators and users informed if the expected session impact changes.
  6. Leave time for verification. Do not close the change as soon as the progress indicator ends. Complete the administrative and functional checks described below.

If the page says no updates are available

First compare the recorded Base Software Version and product edition with the target release notes. Then check whether the appliance is already current, whether the target package is intended for a different product, and whether the appliance can reach the update service. If the release notes specify an intermediate package or the eligibility sequence remains unclear, stop and contact BeyondTrust Support rather than installing a guessed package.

Use the manual path on a restricted network

An appliance that cannot access the update service can still be updated through manual installation. This path uses a temporary download key and removable storage; it is not the same as clicking Check for updates on an online appliance.

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  1. Generate the key. In the appliance’s update workflow, generate an Appliance Download Key.
  2. Use a non-restricted system. Submit that key from a system that can reach the BeyondTrust download service and download the packages required by the target release and your base-version sequence.
  3. Transfer the packages safely. Copy the downloaded files to approved removable storage, such as an organizationally controlled USB flash drive. Follow your security and malware-scanning policy before the media enters the management network.
  4. Move the files to the management system. Transfer the packages to the system from which you administer the restricted appliance. Preserve the original filenames and keep the download record with the change documentation.
  5. Open manual installation. In /appliance, select Updates > Manual Installation.
  6. Install the packages. Choose the staged package files and select Update Software. If several packages are required, use the dependency order specified by the appliance and release notes, with Base Software packages before dependent product packages where indicated.
  7. Verify locally. Because the appliance may not be able to report update-service connectivity, rely on the installation result, Installed Patches, appliance status, updated clients, and a test session. Document the connectivity limitation rather than marking that check as passed.

Patch a failover or clustered deployment without losing control of sessions

Multi-appliance work is a traffic-management exercise as well as a software installation. The goal is to keep one usable path available where the topology permits, while acknowledging that failover itself can cause downtime.

  1. Map the deployment. Identify the backup appliance, traffic-serving appliances, cluster membership, and any active connections. Confirm the intended order against the applicable multi-appliance procedure.
  2. Distribute packages without installing them. Make the required update files available to the appliances first. Staging all packages prevents a node from being taken offline before its replacement package is ready.
  3. Drain selected traffic nodes. Disable acceptance of new connections on the appliance or appliances being taken out of service. Tell users not to start new sessions on those nodes.
  4. Wait for active connections to finish. Monitor the node until existing sessions have ended or an incident commander approves the required interruption. Do not assume that disabling new connections immediately terminates current work.
  5. Upgrade the backup and traffic nodes in sequence. Install the updates according to the documented order for the deployment. Keep track of which node has completed and which node is carrying traffic; do not change another appliance merely because the first package appears to have started.
  6. Restore connection acceptance. After the updated node is healthy and the procedure permits it, re-enable acceptance of new connections. Apply the same drain-and-upgrade discipline to each remaining node.
  7. Synchronize cluster state. Use Sync Now after the node work to restore the intended cluster state. Confirm that synchronization completes before declaring the deployment ready.
  8. Run the full verification. Check every appliance’s installed-patch record, status, client compatibility, and a real remote session. Record any downtime and the exact nodes affected.

If the topology does not provide a second usable path, schedule explicit downtime. The documented procedure warns that failover causes downtime; do not describe a failover upgrade as zero-downtime merely because individual critical patches can install without downtime.

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Verify the result before closing the change

Verification has two parts: prove what was installed, and prove that users can still perform the work the appliance provides.

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Administrative verification

  • Confirm completion: The update process must finish without an error message.
  • Inspect Installed Patches: Open the appliance’s Updates > Installed Patches page. Record each patch or update name, version, and install time. This page provides the audit evidence for what was applied and when.
  • Check appliance status: Review the status pages for a healthy appliance and the expected product and base versions.
  • Check update-service connectivity: For an online appliance, confirm that it can communicate with the update service. For a restricted appliance, document that manual installation was used and that update-service communication is intentionally unavailable.
  • Check every node: In a failover or cluster deployment, verify each appliance rather than checking only the node currently handling traffic.
  • Confirm synchronization: After multi-appliance work, use Sync Now as required and verify that the cluster reports the expected shared state.

Functional verification

  1. Upgrade installed representative consoles after the site upgrade. BeyondTrust’s multi-appliance guidance specifically requires representative consoles to be upgraded after the site is upgraded.
  2. Update other clients or integrations identified in the target release notes, including ECM or Integration Client components when their compatibility requirements apply.
  3. Sign in with the authentication path used by support or privileged-access operators. If authentication was changed as part of the release, test the new path rather than relying on an existing browser session.
  4. Start a controlled remote session with a test endpoint. Confirm that the representative can connect, authenticate, see the endpoint, and end the session normally.
  5. For a clustered deployment, test connection acceptance on the restored traffic path and verify that a new session is not routed to a node that has not completed the update.

Keep the patch name, version, install time, base-version baseline, backup location, maintenance window, node sequence, and test-session result in the change record. Those details make a later incident or audit actionable.

Troubleshoot the common failure points

Symptom Likely decision point Safe response
No updates available The appliance may already be current, the target may not apply to this edition, the base version may be outside the supported path, or update-service communication may be unavailable. Recheck Status > Basics, product edition, release notes, and connectivity. If eligibility is still unclear, contact BeyondTrust Support.
Package is greyed out A prerequisite package has not been installed. Install the prerequisite identified by the interface, normally beginning with the required Base Software package. Do not bypass the dependency.
Appliance cannot communicate with the update server The site may be intentionally restricted or may have a network problem. PRA 26.2.1 notes that an appliance unable to communicate with the update server displays a notification. For an intentionally restricted site, use the Appliance Download Key and Manual Installation path. For an online site, investigate the network issue before relying on an incomplete update result.
Representatives are disconnected Software updates can disconnect logged-in representatives and active sessions. Use the maintenance window, confirm whether the installation finished, and test a new session after upgrading the required consoles.
Cluster state is inconsistent A node may have been upgraded without completing the ordered sequence or synchronization. Keep traffic management under change control, verify each node’s Installed Patches record, and run Sync Now when the procedure calls for it. Escalate an unclear sequence to BeyondTrust Support.
Authentication fails after a PRA upgrade The target release may require an authentication change. PRA 26.1.1 is the final release supporting RADIUS, and RADIUS must be migrated before PRA 26.2.1. Follow the release-note migration requirement and test the replacement authentication path before returning the service to normal use.

Choose the right patch approach

Approach Best fit Session impact Prerequisite and evidence requirements
Online manual update Standalone on-premises appliance with update-service access. Schedule a window because representatives and active sessions can be disconnected. Base Software eligibility, fresh backup, dependency order, Installed Patches record, client upgrade, and test session.
Manual installation through restricted network On-premises appliance that cannot reach the update service by design. Same planned interruption as an online installation. Appliance Download Key, non-restricted download system, approved removable storage, Manual Installation, and local verification.
Ordered failover or cluster update Multiple appliances sharing traffic or state. Drain connections and plan for downtime caused by failover; do not accept new traffic on a node being changed. Packages staged without installation, node order, backup, traffic draining, synchronization with Sync Now, and checks on every node.
Automatic version upgrade Deployments with automatic updates enabled and an approved Fast Track, Standard Track, or Enterprise Track policy. Controlled by the configured maintenance window; critical patches may follow separate automatic rules. Know the active channel and window, keep clients ready, and perform the same post-change functional verification.

What a complete change record should contain

  • Service type: Remote Support or Privileged Remote Access.
  • Hosting model: cloud or on-premises.
  • Topology: standalone, failover, or cluster.
  • Base Software Version captured from /appliance > Status > Basics.
  • Target release and the release-note prerequisites reviewed.
  • Backup completion immediately before installation.
  • Update mode: online, manual restricted-network installation, or automatic policy.
  • Package order and, for multiple appliances, the node sequence.
  • Maintenance window, session impact, traffic-draining actions, and any downtime.
  • Installed patch names, versions, and install times from Installed Patches.
  • Appliance status, update-service connectivity result, cluster synchronization result, upgraded client versions, and test-session outcome.

This record separates a successful installation from a verified service restoration. If any prerequisite, package order, or failover step is uncertain, pause the change and obtain guidance from BeyondTrust Support before proceeding.

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