WSS Agent Support Policy FAQ
Article ID: 199627
Updated On:
Products
Issue/Introduction
WSS Agent (WSSA) is endpoint security software used for connecting Windows and macOS devices to the Cloud SWG (formerly known as WSS) service.
Cloud SWG (formerly known as WSS) is cloud-based infrastructure for network security policy enforcement, application control, and protections against malware.
Support policy information for the WSSA client and its predecessor, Unified Agent (UA), is detailed below.
Note: End of Service (EOS) and End of Life (EOL) both refer to the same "end of support" milestones below.
Resolution
WSS Agent Support Policy
Q: What is the WSS Agent support policy?
A: Please refer to the official product documentation for all WSS Agent Support Policy
WSS Agent Licensing
Q: Is WSS Agent included with my WSS or WPS subscription?
A: WSS Agent for macOS and Windows is included with all WSS and WPS subscriptions.
Q: Why was the agent license removed?
A: The WSS Agent functionality was merged into the base WSS offering to ensure that all customers could support remote workers at no extra cost.
Q: When did the change occur?
A: August 2020.
Q: Will existing licenses no longer be supported?
A: WSS Agent skus are no longer active or required for WSS Agent usage. Expect them to be dropped from your entitlements upon renewal since you will have entitlement to WSS Agent via your WSS or WPS subscription.
Q: Where do I download the WSS Agent installer?
A: Download the WSS Agent installers from the WSS Portal > Connectivity > WSS Agent page.
Q: How does the WSS Agent compare to the older Unified Agent features?
A: The Unified Agent (UA) was a previous branding of the WSS Agent. Versions 4 and below were labeled as UA or Unified Agent and had Blue Coat company branding. WSS Agent is vastly improved compared to Unified Agent:
- Improved centralized portal controls
- Greater troubleshooting data collection tooling
- Better performance
- Faster connection times and improved connection logic
- Support for new operating systems
- Improved compatibility for complex networks
- Native support for SAML authentication
- Support for CASB Gatelets
- Bug fixes
- …and much more!
Unified Agent (v4 and below) EOS:
Q: What is the Unified Agent?
A: Unified Agent (UA) was a previous branding of the WSS Agent. Versions 4 and below were labeled as UA or Unified Agent and had Blue Coat company branding. Unified Agent 4.x is the last agent version to support Windows 7.
Q: Why did Unified Agent enter End of Service (EOS)?
A: WSS Agent’s feature set has advanced greatly in the years since Unified Agent 4.x was released. With the merger of WSS Agent’s license into the WSS base offering and in conjunction with Microsoft’s end of life for Windows 7 (January 2020), it is important that customers move to modern software offerings for optional security, performance, features, and stability.
Q: When did the EOS occur?
A: Unified Agent 4.x and previous versions entered End of Service status on March 31st, 2021.
Q: What action should customers still running Unified Agent take?
A: Customers running Unified Agent should upgrade to the latest WSS Agent release.
Q: What occurred at the EOS date?
A: Unified Agent installers were removed from the WSS portal. No further support or troubleshooting will be performed. At this time, there is no plan to block Unified Agent connections to WSS. However, this plan is subject to change without notice..
Q: How does EOS affect Unified Agent when used in local enforcement mode?
A: Unified Agent 4.x software could be installed in a mode known as local enforcement. In this mode, Unified Agent is linked to a local ProxySG appliance and applies simple URL filtering. EOS applies to local-enforcement mode.
Q: Will Unified Agent in local enforcement mode continue to function?
A: Unified Agent in local enforcement mode will continue to operate and be managed by the client manager ProxySG appliance. No further support troubleshooting will be performed for Unified Agent 4.x in local enforcement mode.
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