Root Causes

The following root causes explain why the Roaming Agent Offline Status issue occurs:

• Roaming agents connect directly to the Apex One server over the internet instead of using the Edge Relay.
• The server cannot reach roaming agents due to network restrictions (agents are outside the corporate network).
• Scheduled connection verification is enabled, causing the server to attempt connections to agents which fail, marking them offline.
• Heartbeat signals from agents to server may be disabled or blocked.
• Agents are not configured under the "Unreachable Network" feature, preventing proper polling behavior.

Resolution

Follow these steps to resolve the issue and enable roaming agents to receive policy and component updates properly:

1. Disable Scheduled Connection Verification

   Since roaming agents are unreachable from the server side, disable scheduled connection verification to avoid false offline status.

   1. Log in to the Apex One Web Console.
   2. Navigate to Agents > Connection Verification > Scheduled Verification.
   3. Uncheck Enable scheduled verification.
   4. Save the settings.
2. Enable Agent Heartbeat Setting

   Ensure agents can send heartbeat signals to the server to maintain communication status.

   1. In the Apex One Web Console, go to Agents > Global Agent Settings > Network.
   2. Check the box for Allow Agents to send heartbeats to server.
   3. Save the changes.
3. Configure "Unreachable Network" for Roaming Agents

   This feature allows the server to poll roaming agents for updates instead of pushing notifications.

   1. Identify the IP address ranges used by roaming agents (e.g., common Wi-Fi IP ranges).
   2. In the Apex One Web Console, navigate to Agents > Unreachable Network.
   3. Add the IP ranges corresponding to roaming users.
   4. Assign affected roaming agents to this unreachable network group.
4. Test with Sample Roaming Agents
   1. Apply the above configurations to a small number of roaming agents.
   2. Monitor their status on the Apex One server console.
   3. Confirm agents show as online and receive policy and component updates successfully.

By following these steps, roaming agents will maintain proper communication with the Apex One server, allowing policy deployment and protection components to update and enable correctly, resolving the offline status issue.

Additional References

To learn how Apex One secures communication traffic between the Edge Relay Server and external agents, see Edge Relay Server Communication Security.

For details on how Apex One verifies agent-server connections and scheduled verification, refer to the OLH doc Agent-Server Connection Verification.

To understand the explanation of heartbeat messages sent by agents to maintain connection status, visit the OLH doc on Heartbeat.

For more information on unreachable network feature, agent polling, and how Apex One manages agents in unreachable networks, click on the OLH doc for Unreachable Agents.