Upgrade the Microsoft Defender for IoT micro agent

This article describes how to upgrade a Microsoft Defender for IoT micro agent to the latest software version on Debian or Ubuntu-based Linux distributions. It covers upgrade procedures for both the standalone micro agent and the micro agent for Edge, including version-specific steps for upgrading from version 4.2.* to 4.6.2 and from legacy versions (3.13.1 or lower). Device builders can use these procedures to keep their IoT devices protected with the latest security capabilities.

For more information, see our release notes for device builders.

Note

Defender for IoT plans to retire the micro agent on June 1, 2027.

Upgrade a micro agent from version 4.2.* to 4.6.2

When upgrading the micro agent from version 4.2.* to 4.6.2, you would first need to remove the package and then reinstall it.

Standalone micro agent:

  1. Remove the current package. Run:

    sudo apt-get remove defender-iot-micro-agent

  2. Ensure that you've upgraded the apt. Run:

    sudo apt-get update

  3. Install the Defender for IoT micro agent on Debian or Ubuntu-based Linux distributions. Run:

    sudo apt-get install defender-iot-micro-agent

Micro agent for Edge:

  1. Remove the current package. Run:

    sudo apt-get remove defender-iot-micro-agent-edge

  2. Ensure that you've upgraded the apt. Run:

    sudo apt-get update

  3. Install the Defender for IoT micro agent on Debian or Ubuntu-based Linux distributions. Run:

    sudo apt-get install defender-iot-micro-agent-edge

Upgrade a standalone micro agent

Perform the following steps to upgrade a standalone micro agent to the latest version:

  1. Ensure that you've upgraded the apt. Run:

    sudo apt-get update

  2. Install the Defender for IoT micro agent on Debian or Ubuntu-based Linux distributions. Run:

    sudo apt-get install defender-iot-micro-agent

Upgrade a micro agent for Edge

Perform the following steps to upgrade a micro agent for Edge to the latest version:

  1. Ensure that you've upgraded the apt. Run:

    sudo apt-get update

  2. Install the Defender for IoT micro agent on Debian or Ubuntu-based Linux distributions for Edge. Run:

    sudo apt-get install defender-iot-micro-agent-edge

Upgrade a standalone micro agent from a legacy version

The following upgrade steps apply when upgrading a standalone micro agent from version 3.13.1 or lower to version 4.1.2 or higher.

In version 4.1.2, the standalone micro agent directory changed to align with standard Linux installation directory structures. The directory change in version 4.1.2 requires customers to reauthenticate the micro agent and modify the connection string location.

  1. Upgrade your micro agent as described in Upgrade a standalone micro agent: run sudo apt-get update, then run sudo apt-get install defender-iot-micro-agent.

  2. Reauthenticate your micro agent. For more information, see Authenticate the micro agent.

Install a specific version of the micro agent

Specify a version number in your command to install the specified micro agent version.

Use the following command syntax:

sudo apt-get install defender-iot-micro-agent=<version>

Related content

After upgrading your micro agent, explore these additional resources for installation and configuration:

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