Update List – Visual-Guard 2024.8

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The Visual Guard 2024.8 release introduces a wide range of enhancements focused on security, user experience, MFA modernization, deployment improvements, and overall platform stability. This update delivers major improvements across WebConsole, WinConsole, Identity Server, and Engine components to provide a more seamless, secure, and modern administration experience.

With upgraded MFA workflows, Azure Entra authentication enhancements, repository management, updated UI experiences, and strengthened security mechanisms, Visual Guard 2024.8 continues to improve both administrator efficiency and end-user authentication experiences.

This release also includes multiple stability fixes, usability enhancements, and infrastructure improvements to ensure better compatibility, smoother migrations, and improved reliability across supported environments.

WebConsole

🔐 Enhanced MFA User Experience
The MFA enrollment and authentication experience has been significantly improved with updated UI flows, clearer navigation, and better validation handling. Users now benefit from smoother enrollment, improved OTP and link expiration management, and more reliable redirection behavior during authentication.
👥 Windows User Management UI Improvements
WebConsole now provides a more intuitive experience for managing Windows users and groups. Improvements include simplified Add/Create user actions, better duplicate user handling, corrected validation messages, and improved support for Local Forest environments.
⚙️ Identity Server Configuration Enhancements
Repository configuration has been improved by allowing administrators to manually specify database names during setup. Additional UI refinements also improve alignment, readability, and consistency across configuration screens.
🚪 Improved Login & Authentication Flow
Several authentication-related improvements were introduced to deliver clearer validation messaging and smoother login experiences. Users now receive more accurate feedback during login, password policy updates, and unauthorized access scenarios.
🔄 MFA Enrollment & Redirection Improvements
MFA workflows now provide more reliable navigation and enrollment completion handling. Features such as “Go back to Application,” proper session expiration handling, and improved redirection logic help create a more seamless authentication journey.
🎨 UI & Accessibility Updates
Multiple UI enhancements were introduced across WebConsole to improve usability and consistency. Updates include better chart labeling, alignment improvements, clearer messaging, and refined interface behavior for common administrative actions.
🛡️ Application & Permission Management Enhancements
Permission management workflows were refined to improve clarity and user understanding. Validation messages and permission-related actions now provide more consistent and user-friendly feedback across applications.

WinConsole

⬆️ DevExpress Upgrade to v25.1.9
WinConsole has been upgraded to DevExpress v25.1.9 to improve UI performance, compatibility, and overall user experience. Extensive validation was also performed to ensure stability across grids, controls, and repository management screens.
🚀 Deployment Tool Improvements
Several improvements were made to the Deployment Tool to enhance reliability and deployment stability. Updates include better Oracle connection handling, improved deployment validations, corrected deployment key behavior, and startup issue fixes.
🔐 Enhanced MFA Management
MFA management within WinConsole has been improved with better event logging, enhanced date handling, and clearer validation messages. UI refinements also improve multilingual support and usability during MFA configuration.
🏢 Active Directory & Entra User Enhancements
Enhancements were introduced to improve Active Directory and Azure Entra integration reliability. This includes better role synchronization, repository migration compatibility, domain configuration handling, and improved login behavior for AD and Entra users.
📂 Repository & License Management Improvements
Repository and license management workflows have been refined for better usability and consistency. Improvements include enhanced repository deletion messaging and better synchronization of manually applied license keys.
💻 PowerBuilder Integration Enhancements
PowerBuilder integration received several stability and usability improvements. Updates include enhancements to PB Editor UI handling, component mapping, application management, and improved logging support.
📊 Export & Monitoring Fixes
Export functionality for monitoring charts and user data has been improved to provide more reliable PDF and Excel generation. These updates help ensure smoother reporting and monitoring operations.

Identity Server

🎯 Modernized MFA Enrollment UI
The MFA enrollment interface has been redesigned with a more modern and professional user experience. Improvements include updated layouts, enhanced usability, and larger QR code support for easier device enrollment.
📦 Identity Server Setup Modernization
Identity Server deployment has been modernized by transitioning from MSI-based installation to EXE-based setup. This creates better consistency with WebConsole deployments and simplifies installation management.
🖼️ Dashboard UI Redesign
The Identity Server dashboard experience has been refreshed with a cleaner and more modern design inspired by the Visual Guard portal experience. The updated layout improves navigation and overall usability.
⏳ Microsoft Authenticator Timeout Support
Timeout handling improvements were added for Microsoft Authenticator workflows to provide better session management and more reliable MFA authentication experiences.
🗄️ Repository Configuration Improvements
Repository configuration workflows were enhanced to improve SQL database connectivity, validation handling, and setup reliability. These changes simplify Identity Server configuration for administrators.
🏷️ Authentication Mode StandardizationWork has started to standardize authentication mode terminology across technical documentation, product interfaces, and marketing communication. This initiative improves consistency and customer understanding.Work initiated to standardize authentication mode naming for technical, documentation, and marketing consistency.

Engine & Security

☁️ Azure Entra Secret Key Authentication Support
Visual Guard now supports Azure Entra authentication using Client Secret credentials with enhanced secret key management capabilities. Administrators can manage multiple secrets, monitor expiration timelines, and improve authentication reliability.
🛡️ Enhanced Credential Security
Security improvements were introduced by replacing direct database table permissions with stored procedure-based access control. This enhancement strengthens credential protection and aligns with security best practices.
🔑 Password Hashing Improvements
Password hashing mechanisms were improved to provide stronger security and better migration compatibility. These updates help ensure reliable password validation while improving overall authentication security.
📧 Improved MFA Event Handling
MFA event processing has been enhanced with improved policy warning handling and updated email template capabilities. Administrators can now provide more professional MFA notifications and customize templates more easily.
🗃️ Database Security Improvements
Additional database security enhancements were introduced by removing direct username and password storage from domain tables. Sensitive information is now managed through more secure data handling mechanisms.
🔄 Migration & Upgrade Enhancements
SQL and Oracle migration processes were improved to support smoother upgrades to Visual Guard 2024.8. Compatibility and repository migration handling were also enhanced to improve upgrade reliability.

Bugs & Stability Improvements

✅ MFA Stability & Authentication Fixes
Multiple fixes were implemented to improve MFA enrollment, OTP validation, session expiration handling, and authentication redirection behavior across all Visual Guard platforms.
✅ AD & Entra Reliability Improvements
Resolved several issues impacting Active Directory and Azure Entra authentication, user synchronization, role mapping, and repository migration compatibility.
✅ Deployment & Setup Stability Enhancements
Addressed setup, repository migration, and deployment tool issues to improve installation reliability and reduce configuration-related interruptions.
✅ PowerBuilder & Integration Fixes
Improved PowerBuilder integration stability with fixes related to PB applications, component mapping, logging, and application management operations.
✅ UI & Validation Corrections
Refined UI behavior and validation messaging across WinConsole, WebConsole, and Identity Server to provide a more consistent and user-friendly experience.
✅ Export, Monitoring & Diagnostics Improvements
Enhanced export functionality, monitoring operations, and event logging reliability for improved diagnostics and reporting capabilities.