Migrating to Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools version 7 FAQ
This upgrade is meant to set the stage for the endpoint-to-endpoint correlation that the XDR module is going to offer. In addition, it unifies event formats across event sensors and opening the door for security analytics.
This article answers most frequently asked questions regarding the migration to Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools version 7.
With both BEST versions - v6 and v7, available in the market at the same time, how can I, as a Bitdefender Partner, address cases in which the same company is running both BEST versions in different parts of their network?
First of all, we must be very specific in communicating about the gradual approach, and this might get customers interested to be early adopters. In the scenario where they choose to upgrade the entire network to v7, theBitdefender Enterprise Support Team will be able to supply a generic upgrade patch.
What if there is an issue on v6, but not on v7?
Critical issues and vulnerabilities are going to be fixed regardless of version.
Can I downgrade from v7 to v6?
Downgrades are not supported, but you can uninstall v7 and use an older installation package to get back to v6.
What happens to customers using Legacy kits and Legacy support, namely the ones meant for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 and 2008? Will they get v7 and the new changes?
No, changes are designed to work on modern BEST versions. An announcement related to legacy support will be available soon, as extended support is only available until the end of June 2021.
Will the upgrade to v7 use the same upgrade task in the GravityZone mechanism previously leveraged?
No, we will have this pushed through an automatic product update, requiring no user intervention.
What is the process for upgrade patches? Do they follow the same guidelines as migration patches (needing an installer.xml and a kit)?
This will be a generic patch, triggering a special kind of update. As any patch, it will have an expiration date (probably 30 days), but Bitdefender will refresh it, if needed. There’s no need for installer.xml, as it’s not bound to a specific company in GravityZone.
Has the update location change taken into account customers who need to add specific exclusions to their Firewall / Network Filter to allow communication?
This will be taken into account with every new release notes version (the current version being 6.6.26.376) and other customer-facing communication.
Can I migrate from an older BEST version directly to v7?
No, you will first need to update to the “The gate” v6 version, which prepares the upgrade to v7. Therefore, customers need to be aware that they will most likely need 2 product updates to get v7.
Does the upgrade to v7 require a reboot?
It will behave exactly like a regular product update. Bitdefender's best effort is to make it as seamless as possible and avoid a machine restart.
How about Solarwinds? What’s the process for them?
They will get v7 at the end of our migration, as they are considered an OEM. However, since they don’t support EDR, they should not be heavily impacted. As a best practice, we will send them preview kits ahead of time.
How will the v6 to v7 upgrade look like for online-offline environments?
Bitdefender is going to start the process with offline environments.
During the upgrade process is there any risk for exposure or vulnerability in protection?
This is the same as any product update – we’ll be using a different URL, but the same CDN – and should behave like any product update.