Changes compared to 26.8.5

Changes compared to 26.8.4

New Features​

Added a custom partition tool in the WinPE Recovery Environment (COMET-2138)​

The WinPE Recovery Environment now has its own Disk Management dialog, so disks can be prepared for a Disk Image restore without calling out to Windows' diskmgmt.msc. It can list disks and their partitions, initialize a raw disk as GPT or MBR, clean a disk, create a new simple volume through a wizard, format a partition, assign or change a drive letter, extend a volume into adjacent unallocated space, shrink an NTFS volume, and delete a partition.

Added the ability to set the backup job speed limit to specific times and days (COMET-3574)​

A backup job's speed limit can now follow a schedule, so a job can be held to a lower speed during business hours and run at full speed overnight. This is a long-standing feature request from customers whose devices share a slow internet connection, where a large first backup can run for days. When a scheduled window starts or ends, the new limit applies immediately, including to transfers already in progress.

engine1/mysql Protected Items support a METADATA_FILE EngineProps key: an optional client-local file stored in each snapshot as .metadata, skipped by database replay restores and retrievable with a file restore (COMET-60200)​

This lets an integration attach its own recovery metadata to every MySQL snapshot, so each snapshot is self-contained for disaster recovery. Comet only carries the file: it is read at backup time, only the path appears in the Protected Item settings, and if the file is missing the job logs a warning while the database streams still back up.

engine1/mysql Protected Items support an INCLUDE_USERS_GRANTS EngineProps key: when set to "1", the server's user accounts and privilege grants are captured as a SQL script stored in each snapshot as .users-grants.sql, skipped by database replay restores and retrievable with a file restore. Verified against MySQL 8.0.43 and MariaDB 11.4 and 10.6, including MariaDB roles; servers without SHOW CREATE USER fall back to SHOW GRANTS alone (COMET-60200)​

The generated script replays in dependency order and creates each account with IF NOT EXISTS, so an account that already exists on the target, such as root, is left alone while its grants still apply. A restore never runs the script automatically, because doing so could rewrite the target server's accounts; it is retrieved with a file restore and applied by hand.

Changes compared to 26.8.3

New Features​

Added an Extra Fields section to the user profile page in the Comet Management Console for free-form content (COMET-60171)​

User profiles have supported free-form metadata since Comet 26.2.1, but it could only be edited through the API. The user profile page in the Comet Management Console now has an Extra Fields section for editing it directly, useful for notes, contact details, or IDs linking the user to an external system. Each entry can be marked as admin-only or visible to the end user, and the same key name may be stored at both visibility levels independently.

Added a Test Connection button to the Proxmox destination page of the Restore dialog in the Comet Management Console, testing SSH connectivity via the connected device (COMET-5839)​

Previously, a wrong server address or credentials for a Proxmox restore started from the Comet Management Console only surfaced after the job had been submitted. The Proxmox destination page of the Restore dialog now has a Test Connection button, matching the Comet Backup desktop app. The test is relayed through the connected device, so it checks the same SSH connection the restore job itself will use. A successful test with no destination node or storage target selected prompts you to pick them, and a failed test against the Proxmox web interface port (8006) suggests using the SSH port instead.

Changes compared to 26.8.2

New Features​

• Added support for restoring directly to remote and cloud locations (COMET-2051)
• Added the ability to create Admin API tokens for programmatic API access without sharing their password or 2FA (COMET-59379)

Changes compared to 26.7.1

Enhancements​

• Improved the layout of field rows on narrow screens throughout the Comet Management Console, giving input boxes and drop-downs around 80px more width in dialogs such as Remote Server, Restore, Code-signing and Storage Vault location

Changes compared to 26.8.1

New Features​

Added a Custom code section to the Branding page of the Comet Management Console (COMET-1637)​

A top-level administrator can now inject custom JavaScript and CSS into the web interface. Code can be supplied inline or loaded from an external URL, placed in the document head or at the end of the document body, and is applied to the login page and to the web interface of all tenants. The page Content-Security-Policy is extended automatically to permit only the specific code that was configured.

Changes compared to 26.8.0

New Features​

Added an allowlist of PKCS#11 driver module file paths permitted during Authenticode codesigning in the Comet Server admin settings (COMET-59771)​

When Comet Server Authenticode-codesigns the Backup Agent installers it generates for download, the signing key can be accessed through a PKCS#11 driver module. A top-level administrator can now maintain an allowlist of the driver module file paths permitted for this codesigning. Only modules whose file path appears on the allowlist may be used; a path outside the allowlist causes installer downloads to fail. When upgrading, any PKCS#11 module paths already in use are seeded into the allowlist automatically.

Added ConnectWise Manage PSA integration which raises job failure tickets (COMET-59932)​

ConnectWise Manage joins Comet's existing PSA integrations. Once configured, Comet Server automatically raises a ConnectWise Manage ticket when a backup job fails or a scheduled backup is missed, matched to the affected client, device, and Protected Item, with a severity mapped from the failure type. Repeated failures on the same device and Protected Item add a note to the existing ticket and escalate its severity instead of opening duplicates. The integration is configured under the PSA settings in the Comet Management Console, where you provide the Site URL, Company ID, public and private API keys, Client ID, and an optional Service Board and fallback ticket company.

Improved Microsoft 365 account selection with a new rule-based editor and exclude rules (COMET-59120)​

The account selection for Microsoft 365 Protected Items has been redesigned around an ordered list of include/exclude rules in both the Comet Management Console and the Comet Backup desktop app. You can now exclude specific users, groups, teams, or sites — for example, backing up an entire organization except a few accounts — with an "All accounts" rule automatically protecting users added to the organization later. Rules require Comet Backup 26.8.1 or later on the device.

Changes compared to 26.7.0

Enhancements​

• Improved the reliability of Proxmox VM restores to RBD/Ceph-backed storage. When restoring a disk, Comet now checks for an existing RBD/Ceph volume of the same name and automatically picks a non-conflicting name. RBD/Ceph images were previously excluded from this collision check because they do not live on the node's filesystem, so a restore could clash with an existing volume; Comet now probes for these images directly (COMET-59072)
• Improved the reliability of backup jobs using OpenStack Swift or FTP Storage Vaults by retrying transient network errors (such as a dropped connection or timeout) when first connecting to the storage location. Definitive server responses such as authentication failures are not retried and continue to fail immediately (COMET-60150)

Changes compared to 26.5.4

New Features​

Automatically start a Bulk Update Campaign when the Comet Management Console restarts​

Keeping every device on the latest Backup Agent usually means an administrator remembering to launch a Bulk Update Campaign by hand after each server upgrade. A new Automatic Upgrade Campaign option now does this for you: when enabled, Comet Server starts a fresh Bulk Update Campaign automatically each time the Comet Management Console restarts, rolling the update out across your device fleet with no manual step.

To avoid redundant campaigns caused by quick or repeated restarts, a new campaign is only started if it has been more than 24 hours since the last bulk upgrade campaign.

The option is configured by a top-level administrator under the Backup Agent Downloads settings. Turn on the Enabled toggle, then use Configure upgrade campaign to pre-set exactly how the automatic campaign should behave — whether to upgrade older versions and/or downgrade newer ones, whether to wait for running backup jobs to finish or interrupt them, and whether to target all devices or a filtered subset.

Added support for NinjaOne RMM integration​

NinjaOne is a unified IT management platform combining RMM, endpoint management, and ticketing. Comet's new NinjaOne integration surfaces backup status directly inside NinjaOne, so you can monitor your customers' backups alongside the rest of their endpoint data instead of switching between tools.

Once configured, Comet writes the outcome of each backup to custom fields on the matching NinjaOne device — Last Backup Status, Last Backup Time, Last Backup Destination, Last Backup Total Size, and the Comet Job ID — refreshed automatically after every job.

Optionally, you can also enable automatic ticketing. When a backup fails, Comet opens a NinjaOne ticket against the affected device, with a link back to the Comet job log and a summary of the run. Repeated failures on the same device and Protected Item add a comment to the existing ticket and escalate its severity rather than creating duplicates, and when the next backup succeeds Comet resolves the ticket automatically with a resolution comment.

The integration is configured under Settings → Integrations in the Comet Management Console and requires the NinjaOne Agent on each device. For full setup instructions, see the NinjaOne integration guide.

Janus is the latest entry in our quarterly rollup series. It branches off from our main rolling Voyager development into a fixed target for our partners to qualify and build upon.

This Quarterly release is named after Saturn's moon Janus. Fun fact: Janus takes its name from the Roman god of gates, doorways, beginnings, and endings — fitting for a moon caught in one of the Solar System's strangest orbital arrangements. This small, potato-shaped, heavily cratered moon shares its orbit with a sister moon, Epimetheus, and about every four years the two moons drift close enough that they swap orbits with each other — a co-orbital dance found nowhere else in the Solar System. Keep an eye out for Epimetheus; that name may sound familiar again later this year.

Comet 26.7.0 Janus focuses on smarter administration and faster performance across the platform. Highlights include Model Context Protocol (MCP) support for agent-based workflows, Comet Server webhook notifications that render natively as Slack messages, saved job searches in the Comet Management Console, and a new Storage Template option to prevent end-user edits of template-provisioned Storage Vaults. This release also delivers performance improvements across our Comet Management Console, the Comet Backup desktop app, and Office 365 Protected Items.

As always for a new quarterly release, there are two changelogs for 26.7.0 depending on whether you are coming from the previous quarterly release or the previous Voyager release:

Changes compared to 26.4.5 (Phoebe)

Notice​

Comet Backup on macOS now requires macOS 12 "Monterey" or later​

Any users of macOS 10.13 "High Sierra", 10.14 "Mojave", 10.15 "Catalina", and 11 "Big Sur" should remain on the Comet 26.4.x "Phoebe" quarterly series.

New Features​

Model Context Protocol (MCP) support​

Self-Hosted Management Console Only

Comet Server can now act as a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, letting you connect AI assistants and agent tooling directly to your Comet Server. Over 100 tools are available covering users, jobs, storage, policies, devices, and server settings, so you can automate routine administration and reporting with the AI tooling of your choice. Tools are read-only by default, with write access available on an opt-in basis.

Comet Server webhook notifications as Slack messages​

Comet Server webhooks can now be formatted as Slack messages. Point a webhook at a Slack Incoming Webhook URL and job notifications render natively in your chosen Slack channel, with no middleware or custom integration needed. This can be configured when adding or editing a webhook in the Comet Management Console.

Enhancements​

2FA status visible in User list​

The Users list in the Comet Management Console now shows each user's two-factor authentication (2FA) status, so admins can audit 2FA coverage across all their accounts at a glance instead of opening each user's detail page.

Saved job searches in the Comet Management Console​

Job searches in the Comet Management Console can now be saved and recalled, so the filtered views you check regularly are one click away instead of being rebuilt each time.

Storage Template lock option for provisioned Storage Vaults​

A new "Prevent users from editing the Storage Vaults created from this template" option is available in Storage Template settings in the Comet Management Console. Storage Vaults provisioned from a template with this option enabled cannot be modified by the end user in either the Comet Management Console or the Comet Backup desktop app, even when the account policy would otherwise permit editing Storage Vaults — so centrally provisioned storage stays exactly as you configured it.

Policy default schedules applied to policy default Protected Items​

Policy default schedules are now automatically applied to policy default Protected Items that have no schedules of their own, ensuring devices covered by a Policy always end up with a backup schedule in place. For enforced Protected Items, schedules are always applied; for unenforced Protected Items, schedules are applied at Protected Item creation time. Default schedules are shown in a greyed-out, non-interactive state so they can be told apart from explicitly configured schedules.

Linux Sandboxing always enabled for home directory restores​

Linux Sandboxing is now permanently enabled for Files and Folders restores to home directories, improving security by keeping restore file writes isolated from the rest of the system.

Improved Missed Backup log details​

Missed Backup log entries now record whether the target device was online at the time the backup was expected to run, so you can quickly tell whether a backup was missed because the device was offline or for another reason.

Faster Files and Folders restores on Linux​

The Linux restore sandbox has received multiple performance optimisations, and is now bypassed entirely for restores outside home directories where it is not required — making Files and Folders restores on Linux faster.

Improved Office 365 backup memory efficiency​

Office 365 calendar and mail backups now stream events and messages as they are processed, rather than collecting them all in memory before starting. This reduces peak memory usage when backing up large mailboxes.

Faster Comet Server web interface load times (COMET-1680)​

The Comet Management Console now loads quicker on initial startup, reducing the time admins and users spend waiting to access the web interface.

Additional Impossible Cloud regions available as Storage Vaults (COMET-59652)​

Comet now supports the eu-west-3 and us-east-1 regions when configuring an Impossible Cloud Storage Vault, giving admins additional options for data residency and lower-latency backups in those geographies.

Other enhancements​

• Added support for ML-KEM post-quantum encryption in TLS, helping protect data in transit against future quantum computing threats (COMET-59543)
• Improved overall performance and reduced memory usage across Comet Server and the Comet Backup client applications (COMET-5034)
• The pre-built macOS Comet Backup Agent installer now comes with the server URL pre-filled, so end users only need to enter their credentials to log in
• Cross-device restores in the Comet Backup desktop client now show a temporary Protected Item entry for the restore, so you can see and monitor the restore's progress
• The Comet Backup desktop client's granular restore wizard now displays disk partition sizes, matching the Comet Management Console and making it easier to pick the right partition to restore
• Improved the speed of Office 365 backup jobs
• Improved the performance of Comet Server user APIs, particularly with larger user profiles, for a more responsive Comet Management Console on busy servers
• Improved performance of the Comet Backup desktop app when rendering main screen charts (COMET-59908)
• Added an in-process DNS cache, on by default for Linux and macOS which typically lack an OS-level DNS cache, cutting repeated DNS lookups during backup and storage operations
• The Comet Backup desktop app now communicates with its background service more directly, making the app more responsive (COMET-1951)
• Bulk Update Campaigns now skip devices whose operating system is not supported by the new software version, rather than upgrading them to a version they cannot run
• Bulk Update Campaigns now send the update to busy devices as soon as their running backup job finishes, so campaigns complete sooner without interrupting backups
• Improved performance when making settings changes in the Comet Backup desktop application (COMET-59860)
• The Storage Template Test Connection action now performs a full end-to-end test by provisioning a temporary Storage Vault and removing it again, so storage permission problems are caught when the template is configured rather than when a user first requests storage
• Improved high DPI display support for Comet Backup on legacy x86_64 macOS machines (COMET-59362)
• Email reports can now be given an optional Name, shown in the report list in both the Comet Management Console and the Comet Backup desktop app, making it easier to tell apart multiple reports of the same type
• Added a User / Account column to the Storage Buckets page of the Comet Management Console, showing which user accounts use each bucket according to the latest Constellation report with links to each user's detail page, making it easier to audit storage usage