Updating PMC Virtual Appliance – Process and Best Practices

Updating PMC Virtual Appliance – Process and Best Practices

Overview

This article provides a step-by-step guide for updating the PMC Virtual Appliance. Whether your PMC is hosted on-premises or in a cloud environment like Azure, following these instructions will ensure a smooth and secure update process.

PMC updates are delivered as incremental (“delta”) update packages that can be applied directly from the PMC Administration console.

Alert
This process is applicable to version 3.0 and subsequent versions. If you are currently using version 2.0, it is advisable to generate a brand new instance of PMC, as the features and framework may not be compatible with the latest version.  

Update Process Summary

To update PMC, you will:

  1. Download the update package (.upd file) from the NComputing Management Portal.

  2. Upload and apply the update via the PMC Administration interface.

  3. Ensure proper contingency measures are in place before performing the update.


Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Download the Update Package

  1. Go to NComputing website and log in using your credentials.
  2. Navigate to
    Management Portal > My PMC Installations > Software Downloads.

  3. Locate the update package (.upd file) compatible with your PMC version and hosting environment (on-premises or Azure).
    1. Example: For Azure-hosted PMC, use the Azure-specific update package

2. Apply the Update in PMC

  1. Log in to your PMC web interface.
  2. Go to Administration > System Update.
  3. Upload the downloaded .upd file and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the update process.


Important Pre-Update Recommendations

Before performing an update, prepare a contingency plan to avoid data loss or downtime:
  1. ✅ Backup PMC Database
    Use the Backup and Restore section in PMC to create a full backup of your database. This backup can be used to restore PMC if needed.
  2. ✅ Create a VM Snapshot
    Take a snapshot of your PMC virtual machine through your hypervisor (Hyper-V, VMware, or your cloud provider). This allows you to roll back quickly if the update fails.
  3. ✅ Review Cloud Hosting Requirements (Azure Specific)
    If your PMC is hosted in Microsoft Azure, ensure you comply with Azure’s security settings, which may affect Linux-based appliances like PMC.
See this article for detailed Azure recommendations:
📗Perform PMC Endpoint Manager In-Place Upgrade in Azure Cloud (Microsoft Defender Considerations)

Cloud Hosting Considerations (Azure)

For PMC instances deployed in Azure:
  1. Ensure Microsoft Defender for Cloud settings are compatible with PMC to avoid conflicts.
  2. Review any Azure policies that may impact non-Windows virtual machines.

Conclusion

By following this process, you can safely update your PMC Virtual Appliance with minimal risk. Always ensure backups and VM snapshots are in place before starting the update. For further assistance, or if you encounter issues during the update, contact NComputing Technical Support.



Article Number: KB #859
Last Updated: 2025-07-07