Does WSS Agent natively support the Apple silicon processors?

Products

• Cloud Secure Web Gateway - Cloud SWG

Issue/Introduction

In the fall of 2020, Apple introduced a new hardware platform based on Apple-sourced processors known as Apple silicon, based on the ARM64 architecture rather than the previous x86 architecture.

Applications compiled solely for Intel architecture are able to run on Apple silicon (including the M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max) using an emulation layer called Rosetta.  Applications can also be compiled to support Apple silicon natively, eliminating the overhead required for emulation. Native applications are preferred because they typically outperform Rosetta emulation. WSS Agent has been compiled with native support for Apple silicon since WSS Agent 7.2.1 (Released January, 2021). Internal testing indicates that WSS Agent performance on M1 processors is outstanding relative to comparable Intel processors.

As is the case with Intel processors, specific processor models do not impact application compatibility, so all future Apple silicon processors will also be supported by WSS Agent by default without the need for changes to WSS Agent.

 

Resolution

Yes, WSS Agent 7.2.1 and later native support macOS running on Apple silicon processors.

 

Additional Information

For additional WSS Agent troubleshooting tips on MacOS, check out the following troubleshooting WSS Agent issues on MacOS guide.