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Deploying and Upgrading Agents at Scale

Upgrade 21.x agents directly from the CMon, or silently through your RMM tool, and install NovaBACKUP 22 on new agents.

Applies to: NovaBACKUP PC Agent and NovaBACKUP Server Agent, version 22, deployed by MSPs and IT administrators through an RMM tool or from a NovaBACKUP Management Console (CMon).

You can install NovaBACKUP 22 on new agents and upgrade existing 21.x agents without user interaction, from the CMon or with a silent command line from your RMM tool. An in-place upgrade keeps every existing backup job running.

What You'll Learn

  • Which method to use for which agents
  • How to upgrade agents from the CMon
  • The silent install command line and the properties MSPs use most
  • How to stage a rollout across many agents

Prerequisites

  • The NovaBACKUP 22 installer, from the NovaBACKUP download page
  • Administrator rights on each agent, or an RMM tool that runs commands as Local System
  • 64-bit Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, or 2025 on each agent
  • For each agent: a current subscription license, or a perpetual license with valid NovaCare

Which method to use

AgentsMethod
Connected to your CMon and running 21.3.410 or laterRecommended: upgrade from the CMon (Option 1)
Running a 21.x version earlier than 21.3.410, or not connected to a CMonSilent upgrade with your RMM tool (Option 2)
New agentsA customized installer downloaded from the CMon (Option 1), or a silent install with your RMM tool (Option 2)

Option 1: Upgrade from the CMon

Upload the installer

  1. In the CMon, go to Settings > Backup Client Setup Installers.
  2. Select Upload backup client setup installer and upload the NovaBACKUP 22 installer.

For new agents, select Customize on the uploaded installer, enter the Management Server URL and Management Server Default Group, and select Download. The downloaded installer connects new agents to your CMon and group without further setup.

Upgrade the agents

  1. Open the agent in the CMon and select the Updates tab.
  2. In Backup client setup installer:, choose the NovaBACKUP 22 installer.
  3. Select Install.
  4. Open the next agent and repeat. You do not need to wait for an installation to finish before you start the next one.

Each agent must be connected to the CMon, and you need permission to edit agents. The agent's Updates tab lists each installation with its start and end time and any error.

Option 2: Silent install and upgrade with your RMM tool

Use this for new agents, for agents running a 21.x version earlier than 21.3.410, and for agents that are not connected to a CMon.

The command line

The installer accepts these switches:

SwitchWhat it does
/qSilent. No user interface.
/qbBasic progress only, no prompts.
/norebootDoes not restart the computer.
/Log /LogFile "<path>"Writes the setup log. The default is %TEMP%\dotNetInstallerLog.txt.
/ComponentArgs "Backup Client":"<properties>"Passes installation properties to the backup client. Add /l*v "<path>" inside the quotes for a detailed installation log.

Properties MSPs use most

PropertyPurpose
LICENSE_TYPEkey to activate a license key, or eval for a trial
LICENSE_KEYThe license key to activate
LICENSE_NAME, LICENSE_COMPANY_NAME, LICENSE_EMAIL_ADDRESSRegistration details
USE_PREVIOUS_LICENSEFor upgrades, yes (the default) keeps the license that is already installed
MANAGEMENT_SERVER_PUBLIC_SERVER_ADDRESSThe CMon address the agent connects to
MANAGEMENT_SERVER_PORTThe CMon port. The default is 4502
MANAGEMENT_SERVER_AGENT_SERVICE_DEFAULT_SUBSCRIPTION_GROUPThe CMon group the agent joins, for example Root\Customers\Contoso
REBOOT=ReallySuppressSuppresses a restart during installation

The full list is in the in-app help under Installation > Command line arguments.

Example: new agent

Setup.exe /q /noreboot /Log /LogFile "C:\Temp\nb-setup.log" /ComponentArgs "Backup Client":"LICENSE_TYPE=key LICENSE_KEY=XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX MANAGEMENT_SERVER_PUBLIC_SERVER_ADDRESS=cmon.example.com MANAGEMENT_SERVER_PORT=4502 MANAGEMENT_SERVER_AGENT_SERVICE_DEFAULT_SUBSCRIPTION_GROUP=Root\Customers\Contoso REBOOT=ReallySuppress /l*v C:\Temp\nb-msi.log"

Example: upgrade from 21.x

Setup.exe /q /noreboot /Log /LogFile "C:\Temp\nb-setup.log" /ComponentArgs "Backup Client":"REBOOT=ReallySuppress /l*v C:\Temp\nb-msi.log"

Run the NovaBACKUP 22 installer over the existing installation. In silent mode, the installed license and the agent's CMon connection (server address and port) are kept automatically, so you do not need to pass the MANAGEMENT_SERVER_* properties again. Other manual changes to the agent's configuration file are not kept.

Return codes

CodeMeaning
0Success
3010Success, restart required
-1Error. Check the setup log.
-2Canceled
Any other valueThe return code of the component that failed. Check the installation log.

Important: Upgrade in place. Do not uninstall 21.x before installing NovaBACKUP 22. Only an in-place upgrade keeps the Legacy NovaBACKUP UI linked and the existing jobs running. See Clean Install vs. Upgrade, and Reaching Legacy Image Data.

Staging the rollout

  1. Upgrade a small pilot group first, including at least one agent with jobs on legacy devices or legacy image backup jobs, if you have any.
  2. After the next scheduled run, confirm in the CMon that the pilot agents report successful backups.
  3. Roll out to the remaining agents in batches.

Note: If you rebrand the agent, apply your branding again after the upgrade. An in-place upgrade replaces the desktop application's appsettings.json, where branding is set. Check the branding on a pilot agent first.

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Still Need Help?

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