BigFix 9.5 Patch 5 is now available

The IBM BigFix team is pleased to announce the release of version 9.5 Patch 5 (9.5.5.193) of the BigFix Platform.

The main features included in this release are:

  • Improved BigFix Platform & BigFix Query performance: Increased throughput/responsiveness, enablement for higher scalability/performance for BigFix WebUI via improvements to FillDB and an updated DB schema.
  • Enhanced Client Deployment Tool: Easier BigFix Agent deployment across all platforms with one tool.
  • Simplified user experience for Try & Buy: Installer modifications and ability to promote BES Server license from trial to production.
  • Airgap Tool security & efficiency improvements: Gather data from Internet with no need to access BigFix server in a secure deployment, gather selected sites and downloads only.
  • Added “Run As Specified User” capability: Allows execution of actions as a particular user for software installations, machine registration, etc.
  • Added ability for a Non-Master Operator to stop other Non-Master Operators’ actions: for geographically dispersed customers and operators with multiple shifts managing the same endpoints.
  • REST API baseline support: Simplified baseline creation and syncing support.
  • Enablement for BigFix Detect
  • Other Enhancements
    • Added support for BigFix Server and Console on Windows 2016
    • Added support for BigFix Relay on Ubuntu 14.04 and 16.04 Intel x86-64
    • Running message topmost and persistence options
    • Inspector improvements: application inspector on Mac, wifi inspector on Mac, usage inspectors can collect executable path
    • APAR and defect fixes
    • Security enhancements
    • For additional enhancement details, please see the Release Notes referenced below

See further details in the 9.5.5 Release Notes document at:
BigFix 9.5.5 Release Notes

Get more information by reading the full technical changelist at:
https://support.bigfix.com/bes/changes/fullchangelist-95.txt

Things to take into account before upgrading to Version 9.5.5

Useful Links:
IBM BigFix downloads and release information: http://support.bigfix.com/bes/release/9.5/patch5

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If you are subscribed to the Patches for Mac OSX site, please hold off on upgrading your deployment until further notice.

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If you are subscribed to the Patches for Mac OSX site, please hold off on upgrading your deployment until further notice.

We have identified an issue with Patches for Mac OSX site version 395 related to this upgrade.

Finally the “Run as specified User” option, great!

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Run as specified User feature - sounds very intresting…

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22 posts were split to a new topic: Trying out new 9.5.5 “Run As Specified User” capability

The upgrade can proceed now if you have at least Patches for Mac OS X site version 396, The site publication has been fixed.

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There was an issue gathering the site with the AirGap utility. The BES Support site has been updated to correct this with version 1326

Awesome! Should much simplify some of our scheduling. It’s been a problem when we queue up patch actions a few days ahead of time and then Something Changes and I have to use my master operator account to stop the actions. That’s the most frequent use case for our master operator accounts and we end up remoting off to another server to save the pain of console logoff/logon to switch accounts.

Looking over that post in fact there’s a lot to like. You guys have been busy!

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Hi,

Is there an available documentation for the step by step installation of the 9.5.5 Patch? We are running Bigfix 9.5.2 on Windows 2008 R2 Standard. Thanks in Advance.

Are you looking for anything in particular beyond the links provided in the original post?

Additional information about the upgrade:

Hi Aram,

Thanks for the Link. I am just thinking if there is a different procedure if we only need to upgrade 9.5.2 to 9.5.5 because its only a minor update. It’s our first time to do an upgrade. Thanks

Upgrades to the clients and relays are fairly simple and can be done with the product itself, the server upgrade you should make sure you follow the procedures including making a db backup.

Hi Alan,

Is there a procedure that shows which service needs to be stop or files to be copied before the start of installation? OR just straight forward install?

The links @Aram posted ( https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSQL82_9.5.0/com.ibm.bigfix.doc/Platform/Installation/c_upgrading1.html and https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSQL82_9.5.0/com.ibm.bigfix.doc/Platform/Installation/c_upgrading1_linux.html ) have the info you need. The installers should provide all the service maintenance you need but its the preparation you should be most aware of for the server. The issues are duration of the upgrade and the backups etc. Please do read the procedures before if this is your first upgrade.

Great stuff…but what happened to the ping option on console? It was there on 8.2 under right-click options. Even trace will be much appreciated.

Hi Alan,

Can I just download the installer to upgrade the server and just use the fixlet to upgrade the other components? or we need to use the installation manager to generate all the installers to use? thanks in advanced.

Yes. You can leverage the installer to create the Server/Console upgrade, and Fixlets to upgrade the remaining components.

Hi Aram,

The BESAdmin tool becomes not responding at the last part. Can i closed it and run again? Thanks