[Feature request] Show existing devices with pending authentification sets

#1

Hello the developers :slight_smile:

I want to bring a use case which is not covered by Mender’s UI currently.

When a new device contacts the server for the first time, it’s authentification request is shown on a separate tab - :+1:, as it allows to see the devices that need attention.

However, if a previously accepted device changes authentification set (for example, when a new SD card is used, or the image is reburned for some reason), such devices do not pop in the “pending” list. Instead, the info about a new authentification that is pending is silently shown in the device’s details in the global list. Thus, I as the admin have no clue when new authentification set arrives and needs my approval or reject, and updates will never reach this device even if it is included in a deployment.

Showing such devices in “Pending” or in a new separate tab would help.

UPD: API doesn’t seem to provide an option to query for such devices neither… Please correct me if I’m wrong

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#2

:+1: on this one from me.

I have fallen for this myself actually.

I’m not sure about the API though. @mzedel, you probably know this? :slight_smile:

#3

Makes sense, and it has been discussed in the past.
Thanks for bringing it up @ster, hopefully a UI developer will give some input on this here.

#4

Hi @ster,
Yes this is something we’ve looked at. The API doesn’t allow us to do it easily in the way you describe, unfortunately. I think I agree it would be better if the ‘pending’ tab showed all new auth requests, not just auth requests from new devices. We can take this to the backend devs and see what might be possible.

In the meantime - and I’m not sure if you have noticed this feature or not - but in the accepted device list you should now be able to see a tag next to a device that has a new authset. (This PR was merged in November 19 and it made it into Mender 2.3: changelog - “added device status inidicator in devicelist”). So if you see that tag in the device list, you can expand the device and accept or reject the new authentication request.

#5

hi @michaelatmender,
Yes, I saw this improvement in Mender 2.3, it helps slightly, but only if you have a small number of devices that fit into one page. Otherwise you have to scan dozens of pages.

It would be great to have appropriate backend support for this.

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