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Update System

Most installs never need this page. Automatic updates handle stable releases on their own. Use the Updates page when you want to see what version is running, install a specific build (including beta or alpha), or watch an in-flight update finish. Auto-update settings live on a separate page, Settings > Schedules.

On This Page

Administrator only

The Updates page and the Automatic Updates card both require an administrator role. Without it, the page shows a permission banner and the form fields on Settings > Schedules are disabled.

Current Version

The top of Settings > Updates shows what's actually running right now. The version is read from the running container at startup, so after an update you need to refresh your browser before this block reflects the new version.

The block also shows the current Auto-Update state with a small gear icon that deep-links to the Automatic Updates card on Settings > Schedules, with the card pre-expanded.

Check for Updates

The version list is refreshed automatically on the auto-update schedule, so most of the time the page already shows current results. Click Check for Updates to refresh on demand. The Last checked timestamp under the button reflects whichever check ran most recently, manual or scheduled.

Beta versions are always included in the result. Alpha versions are included only when the Include alpha versions toggle is on. Toggling it re-runs the check immediately, so you don't need to click the button again.

Defaults

Include alpha versions
Off
Beta versions
Always included

Outbound connectivity required

The check reaches the StratoLens version API over the internet. If outbound traffic is blocked, the check fails and no versions are listed. See troubleshooting.

Install a Version

After a successful check, an Available Versions block lists every installable build, sorted with newer versions first, then current, then older. Each row shows the version string, a status badge (Current, Newer Available, or Older), the release track, the release date, and the release notes. Versions flagged with breaking changes carry a red Breaking Changes badge.

How to install a specific version

  1. Open Settings > Updates.
  2. If you want to see alpha builds, switch on Include alpha versions, then click Check for Updates.
  3. In the Available Versions list, select the radio button next to the version you want.
  4. Click Update to Selected Version at the top right of the list.
  5. Review the Confirm System Update dialog, including release notes and any breaking-changes warning, then click Confirm Update.
  6. Watch the progress modal. When it reaches Completed, click Refresh Browser.

Manual install always proceeds

Manual updates honor your selection without exception, including downgrades, re-installing the current version, and breaking-change versions. The red Breaking Changes badge and the warning in the confirmation dialog are the only safeguards. Read the release notes before clicking Confirm Update.

Update Progress Modal

After you confirm, a System Update Progress modal opens and stays open until the update finishes. There's no close button while it's in progress on purpose, but you can navigate away in the rest of StratoLens, the update keeps running. If you come back to Settings > Updates while it's still in flight, the modal re-opens automatically.

Three phases drive the progress bar:

Initiating (0%)
Update request accepted, deployment starting.
Deploying (50%)
Azure pulls the new container image and switches traffic. This is usually the longest phase.
Completed (100%)
New version is live, but your browser is still on the old frontend until you refresh.

Estimated time: 2–3 minutes

A typical update finishes in 2 to 3 minutes.

Refresh your browser when it finishes

When the modal reaches Completed, click Refresh Browser in the green success card. The frontend doesn't pick up the new version until the page reloads. The current version block on the Updates page also stays on the old number until you refresh.

Automatic Updates

Auto-update settings live on Settings > Schedules, in the Automatic Updates card. The Updates page links to this card directly via the gear icon next to the Auto-Update badge, which opens the card pre-expanded.

Defaults

Schedule
Daily at 02:00 UTC
Enable automatic updates
On
Auto-update to
Release (stable)

The defaults are safe for production

Out of the box, automatic updates are on, limited to release versions, and run daily at 02:00 UTC. If that suits you, leave the card alone, you're done.

Release track threshold

The Auto-update to dropdown sets the floor for what auto-update is willing to install. Each step down widens the set:

Release (stable)
Only release versions auto-install. The default and the safest choice for production.
Beta
release and beta versions auto-install.
Alpha
release, beta, and alpha versions auto-install.

What auto-update will not install, ever

  • Versions flagged with breaking changes, regardless of the track.
  • Versions marked hidden by the StratoLens team.
  • Versions where the running version is below the target's minimum-version requirement.
  • Older versions, auto-update only moves forward.

The schedule runs even when auto-install is off

The version check always runs on the configured schedule. The Enable automatic updates toggle only controls whether the install step runs. Turning it off keeps the Last checked timestamp on the Updates page current without ever installing anything on its own.

Last Auto-Update outcomes

After at least one scheduled run, the card shows a Last Auto-Update panel with one of these outcomes:

Updated to vX.Y.Z
An auto-update succeeded.
No updates available
Check ran, nothing eligible to install.
Skipped (disabled or conflict)
Auto-install was off, or another update was already running.
Update failed
Install was triggered but didn't complete. Check the Updates page or activity log for details.

Troubleshooting

Auto-update never seems to install anything

Answer

Open the Automatic Updates card on Settings > Schedules and check, in order: Enable automatic updates is on; the Auto-update to threshold is wide enough for the versions being released (a beta version won't be picked up under Release (stable)); the new version isn't flagged with breaking changes (those are skipped); and the Last Auto-Update panel for the most recent outcome.

The check fails or no versions appear

Answer

The version check needs outbound connectivity to the StratoLens version API. If your StratoLens instance can't reach the internet, the check fails and the list stays empty. Confirm egress is allowed, then click Check for Updates again.

Update failed with a permissions error

Answer

The StratoLens managed identity doesn't have the rights it needs to update its own Container App. This is an install/permissions configuration issue rather than a runtime issue. See the install and permissions documentation for the required role.

The Updates page won't open and shows a permission banner

Answer

The signed-in user lacks administrator access to the update feature. An administrator needs to grant the role.

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