Upgrade Commander VM Access Proxy

If you currently use a 3.0 to 3.10 VM Access Proxy, it is recommended that you upgrade it to version 3.11, which offers important Apache Tomcat security updates.

In cases where it is vital to minimize downtime, Snow Software recommends that you deploy a new VM Access Proxy alongside your current production proxy, rather than upgrading it by replacing it. Commander fully supports the use of multiple VM Access Proxies running different versions. Therefore, you can confirm the new VM Access Proxy functions as expected before you decommission the original proxy and risk unexpected downtime.

Versions 3.8 and higher offer the following improvements over versions 3.0 to 3.7:

  • A container-based installation process, which is simpler and will provide easier upgrades in the future.
  • Improved copy and paste functionality in Secure RDP, Secure SSH, and Secure VNC connections.
  • Security enhancements.

To download the latest version of the VM Access Proxy, go to the Downloads page.

Version compatibility

The following table lists the recommended version of the VM Access Proxy to use with your installation of Commander.

It is recommended that you upgrade to version 3.11, which includes Apache Tomcat security updates.

VM Access Proxy version

Commander version

3.11

8.4.x to 9.6.4

3.10

8.4.x to 9.6.4

3.9

8.4.x to 9.6.4

3.8

8.4.x to 9.6.4

3.7

8.4.x to 9.6.4

3.4

8.4.x to 8.9.x

3.0 to 3.3

7.1.x, 7.5.x, 8.1.x, 8.2.x, 8.3.x

VM Access Proxy versions 3.0 to 3.3 are deprecated and will be removed in a future release.

Update VM Access Proxy 3.4 and higher

  1. In the directory where the docker.compose.yml file is located, shut down the previous version of the VM Access Proxy with the docker-compose command:

    docker-compose down

  2. Log in to Snow Commander Support Downloads, download the SnowAccessProxy-3.11.zip file, and extract.
  3. Go to the SnowAccessProxy-3.11/ directory that contains the docker-compose.yml file for the new VM Access Proxy version.
  4. Update and start the VM Access Proxy Docker containers with the docker-compose command:

    docker-compose up -d

Redeploy an upgraded VM Access Proxy

To upgrade the VM Access Proxy from version 3.3 or lower, perform the following steps:

  1. If you want to access the old VM Access Proxy to copy the configuration or roll back the upgrade, keep the old server running.
  2. Disable or disconnect the network card on the old VM Access Proxy server.
  3. Deploy the new version of the VM Access Proxy alongside your old version. For details, see Set up host server and install VM Access Proxy.

    Use the same IP address and DNS/FQDN name for the version 3.3 or lower VM Access Proxy server.

  4. Apply the SSL and customized configurations that you applied to the old server to the new server.

    For VM Access Proxy 3.3 and lower, the configuration folder is /var/lib/tomcat/conf; for VM Access Proxy 3.4 and higher, the configuration folder is /var/data/conf.

  5. Restart the new VM Access Proxy server with the following command:

    sudo docker-compose restart

  6. In Commander, configure the VM Access Proxy to point to the FQDN of the new VM Access Proxy server. See Add VM Access Proxies to Commander.
  7. Make sure you can open a secure console session through the VM Access Proxy.
  8. Power off the old VM Access Proxy server until you are ready to decommission it.