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Agent upgrade and removal #
Do not begin an upgrade or removal until you know the agent generation, install mode and version ownership model. The wrong procedure can destroy a device identity, widen privileges, or remove a process manager that also runs customer software.
| Installed path | Lifecycle guidance |
|---|---|
| Modern full or rescue-only on a conventional Linux host | Modern agent lifecycle |
| Modern agent baked into a signed A/B image | Modern agent lifecycle - image-owned runtime |
| Classic remote-access agent | Legacy agent - upgrade and remove |
| Generation is not known | Choose the right agent path |
Always record the current device identity, agent version, OS image, architecture and service layout before changing a field unit. Test the exact procedure on representative hardware, then roll out through a bounded cohort with a recovery path.
State under /var/lib/dataplicity can contain credentials. Treat it as secret-bearing until deliberately erased under your decommissioning policy.