Automatic Updates

Meridian VMS supports one-click updates from the web interface, with automatic version checking and rollback capability. Administrators can review available updates and apply them without SSH access or manual package management.

Version Checking

The management server checks for available updates as part of the periodic license validation cycle:

Check	Frequency
On startup	Every time the management server starts
Periodic	Every 24 hours during license phone-home
Manual	Click “Check for Updates” in Settings > Updates

When an update is available, the dashboard displays a notification banner with the new version number and a summary of changes.

Version Information

The current version and update status are shown at Settings > Updates:

Field	Description
Current Version	Installed version of Meridian VMS
Latest Version	Newest available version from the update server
Release Date	When the latest version was published
Channel	Update channel (stable or beta)
Last Checked	Timestamp of the most recent update check

Applying Updates

One-Click Update

1. Navigate to Settings > Updates.
2. Review the changelog for the available version.
3. Click Update Now.
4. The system downloads the update package, verifies its integrity, and applies it.
5. Services are restarted automatically. There is a brief interruption (typically 30-60 seconds) during the restart.

Update Process

The update follows these steps:

1. Download update package from update server
2. Verify package checksum (SHA-256)
3. Create rollback snapshot of current installation
4. Stop services (management, recorder)
5. Apply file updates (Python modules, static assets)
6. Run database migrations (if any)
7. Start services
8. Verify health check passes
9. Mark update as successful

Caution

During the update, all services are briefly stopped. Live streams will reconnect automatically after services restart. Active recordings will resume from the next segment boundary — there may be a gap of up to one segment duration.

Multi-Server Updates

In multi-server deployments, updates are applied in sequence:

1. Management server updates first (includes database migrations).
2. Recording servers are updated one at a time to maintain recording coverage.
3. The management server coordinates the rollout and tracks each server’s version.

Recording servers can be updated from the management UI at Settings > Servers > {server} > Update. The management server pushes the update package to each recorder.

Update Channels

Channel	Description
Stable	Production-ready releases, fully tested (default)
Beta	Early access to new features, may contain issues

Switch channels from Settings > Updates > Channel. Downgrading from beta to stable is supported — the system will offer the latest stable version as an update.

Rollback

If an update causes issues, roll back to the previous version:

1. Navigate to Settings > Updates > Rollback.
2. The previous version snapshot is listed with its version number and the date it was replaced.
3. Click Rollback to {version}.
4. The system restores the previous files and restarts services.

Rollback Limitations

• Only the immediately previous version is available for rollback. Earlier versions are not retained.
• Database migrations are not reversed during rollback. Migrations are designed to be backward-compatible so the previous code version can operate with the updated schema.
• Rollback is not available if the update included a database migration that removed columns or tables (rare). This is noted in the changelog when applicable.

Notifications

Configure update notifications at Settings > Updates > Notifications:

Option	Description
Notify on available update	Show a dashboard banner when a new version is available
Email notification	Send an email to admin users when an update is available
Auto-download	Download update packages automatically (but do not install)

Auto-install is deliberately not supported. All updates require explicit administrator action.

Air-Gapped Updates

For installations without internet access:

1. Download the update package from the Meridian customer portal on a connected machine.
2. Transfer the .mup (Meridian Update Package) file to the management server.
3. Navigate to Settings > Updates > Manual Upload.
4. Upload the package file.
5. The system verifies the package and applies it using the same process as online updates.

API Reference

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/updates/check	Check for available updates
GET	/api/updates/current	Get current version information
POST	/api/updates/apply	Apply an available update
POST	/api/updates/rollback	Roll back to the previous version
POST	/api/updates/upload	Upload a manual update package
GET	/api/updates/history	List previous update history