Upgrading the SMC

You can upgrade SMC components without uninstalling the previous version.

Before upgrading, read the Release Notes.

It is important to upgrade the SMC components before upgrading NGFW Engines. An older SMC version might not be able to recognize the newer NGFW Engine version and can generate an invalid configuration for them. The Management Server can control several older versions of the NGFW Engine. See the release notes for version-specific compatibility information.

CAUTION:
All SMC components (Management Server, Management Client, Log Server, and the optional Web Portal Server) must use the same software version to be able to work together. Plan ahead before upgrading the components. If you have multiple Management Servers and Log Servers, you must upgrade each server separately.

The NGFW Engines do not require a continuous connection to the SMC and they continue to operate normally during the SMC upgrade. The NGFW Engines temporarily store their logs locally if the Log Server is unavailable and then send them to the Log Server when it is available again.

For more detailed instructions, see the Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall Product Guide.

Configuration overview

Follow these general steps to upgrade the SMC.

  1. Obtain the installation files and check the installation file integrity.
  2. (If automatic license upgrades have been disabled) Upgrade the licenses.
  3. Upgrade all components that work as parts of the same SMC.
  4. (Multiple Management Servers only) Synchronize the management database between the Management Servers.
  5. Upgrade the Management Clients that are installed locally on workstations.

    If you are using the Management Client in a web browser through SMC Web Access, there is no need to upgrade.