9.1. General Information

Management Center v4 introduces several improvements, including THOR 11 Techpreview readiness, Software Inventory, Live Event Streaming, and updated product version controls.

Important

Connected to a Master ASGARD?

If this Management Center is connected to a Master ASGARD, upgrade the Master ASGARD to v4 first, followed by the connected Management Centers. Synchronization between v3 and v4 systems is not possible. After upgrading the Master ASGARD, synced data will be unavailable until each Management Center is also upgraded to v4 and resynced. Plan to upgrade all systems within the same maintenance window.

9.1.1. Breaking Changes

The following changes require careful migration planning:

  • Database Schema: Primary keys migrated to UUIDs for Assets, Asset Requests, Tasks/Scans, Group Tasks/Scans, Scheduled Group Tasks/Scans, MISP data, Users, Roles, and LDAP Roles. See the Database Migration Guide for details.

  • API Updates: Various endpoints now use UUIDs instead of integer IDs. See the API Breaking Changes Guide for details.

  • Configuration: Configuration is migrated from key-value pairs to structured YAML format

  • Product Updates: v4 uses version pinning and constraints to control which THOR, Aurora, and signature versions are used. Existing update settings are migrated, but you should review them after the upgrade.

  • Playbooks: File uploads now use zip format instead of tar.gz (automatic conversion during update). This only affects artifacts/files collected and generated by the Management Center during playbook runs.

  • License Management: Unused THOR and Aurora endpoint licenses are automatically released and returned to the license pool after a maximum of 90 days of inactivity. Inactivity in this context means that the endpoint is not actively using any license features

  • Deprecated: Bifrost sample quarantine and LogWatcher realtime event monitoring have been removed.

9.1.2. New Features & Highlights

  • THOR 11 Readiness: Preparation for the upcoming THOR 11 Techpreview Release

  • AIX Support: Official AIX support with dedicated ASGARD Agent and THOR for AIX scanner with its own license type

  • THOR for Legacy: New license type for scanning older Windows and Linux systems no longer covered by standard THOR (this is only relevant for THOR 11)

  • Software Inventory: Comprehensive software asset management and tracking

  • Live Event Streaming: Real-time THOR event forwarding to ASGARD Analysis Cockpit

  • Encrypted Evidence Collection: Collect File and Collect Directory now support password-encrypted zip files

  • Improved Update Version Control: More control over product versions through constraint-based pinning

9.1.3. Frequently Asked Questions

  • Is the upgrade process automated?

    • Yes. The upgrade runs automatically after you start it. Create a backup first.

  • Will my existing configurations be preserved?

    • Yes, all configurations will be preserved during the upgrade. Because product updates and version pinning have changed, check the version pinning configuration in the Updates settings after the upgrade to ensure the constraints and update intervals still fit your requirements.

  • Are there breaking API changes in v4?

    • Yes, v4 introduces significant API changes. Many endpoints now use UUIDs instead of integer IDs, and product update management now uses version pinnings. Review the API Breaking Changes Guide for details about all breaking changes.

  • Where can I find help if I encounter issues during the upgrade?

    • Refer to the documentation or contact Nextron Support for assistance.

  • How long is the old v3 version supported?

    • v3 will receive critical hotfixes until December 2026. This includes hotfixes for the Management Center itself as well as Debian security patches for the underlying OS.

  • How long will the upgrade take?

    • The upgrade typically takes a few minutes, but can take significantly longer in large environments, particularly depending on the number of tasks that need to be migrated and resynced. Since this upgrade does not include major OS upgrades and requires no reboots, it is significantly faster than the previous major upgrade from v2 to v3. You can monitor the upgrade progress in /var/log/apt/term.log.

  • Do I need to upgrade my agents to work with v4?

    • No, the upgrade does not require new agents. All currently deployed agents continue to work with v4 without updates.

  • Will there be any downtime during the upgrade?

    • Yes, the Management Center will be unavailable during the upgrade process. In Master ASGARD environments, synced data will be unavailable until all connected Management Centers are also upgraded to v4 and have resynced. Plan accordingly and schedule the upgrade of the Master ASGARD and all connected Management Centers within the same maintenance window.

  • In what order should I upgrade a Master ASGARD environment?

    • Upgrade the Master ASGARD to v4 first, followed by the connected Management Centers. During the Master upgrade, the local synced copy of data from connected Management Centers is removed and rebuilt by resyncing after the upgrade. Synchronization between v3 and v4 systems is not possible, so each Management Center must also be upgraded to v4 before it can resync with the Master. Plan to upgrade all systems within the same maintenance window.

  • What are the minimum system requirements for v4?

    • The system requirements have not changed since v3. Your current hardware setup will be sufficient for running v4.

  • Will the upgrade also upgrade the underlying operating system to the latest major version?

    • No. The upgrade only updates the ASGARD Management Center and required package dependencies. It does not upgrade the underlying OS to a new major version.

  • What should I do before upgrading?

    • Create a full system backup or VM snapshot

    • Export data from connected Management Centers that are offline, deleted, or may not reconnect

    • Make sure no group scans are currently running

    • Review your pinned product update settings

    • Plan a maintenance window for the upgrade

    • Make sure no other package updates or reboots are in progress

    Existing agents, single scan configurations, and scheduled scans are not affected by the upgrade and will continue to work as before.

  • Can I roll back to v3 after upgrading?

    • No direct rollback is supported. Restore from backup if you need to return to v3.