Note: Updated 23 July 2026 to add the information on the change to the log data pattern.
As part of our ongoing improvements to make Chains more maintainable, we’re updating the Chains GroundRunner. This update is more about background functionality and bugfixes, and will not change how your GroundRunner behaves. While most GroundRunner instances will update automatically, this article explains how to check your version and what to do if a manual update is required.
What’s changing?
GroundRunner was updated to version 9.21.01 in April 2026. Most GroundRunners will automatically get updated; however, if your Groundrunner does not automatically update, you will have until Monday, August 17th, 2026, to update it. On that date, all GroundRunners with a version earlier than 9.21.01 will no longer work and any chains using those GroundRunners will fail.
Log format change
The log format was updated in this version to use tab-separated values for each line.
The new pattern is:<timestamp> <level> <message> <json-context>
The legacy level= pattern is no longer used.
What do I need to do?
If your GroundRunner uses the GroundRunner Monitor
This is the typical installation, and no action is required. Your GroundRunner instances will be automatically updated.
If you installed your GroundRunner in any other way
You will need to download and install the update no later than Aug 17, 2026.
Refer to the GroundRunner Manual Update Support page for instructions.
After updating, verify that the GroundRunner version is 9.21.01 or newer by following the “How to check your GroundRunner version” instructions below.
Note: Manual updates are subject to Role requirements. For specific details, see Role requirements in the Workiva Support document Manually Update a GroundRunner.
For any questions, or for troubleshooting assistance, contact Workiva Support.
How to check your GroundRunner version
You are not required to check this.
- Navigate to Chain Builder.
- Click the profile icon, and select Chains admin, then Workspace Settings.
- In Workspace Settings, select Runners.
- Expand Active Runners.
- Review each active GroundRunner’s version.
GroundRunner entries have a Type: of Ground.
(This GroundRunner must be updated.)
If all your active GroundRunners are version 9.21.01 or newer, no further action is required.
Questions
How do I know if a GroundRunner will auto-update?
If the GroundRunner Monitor is running, then the GroundRunner will automatically be updated.
If the standard install process was followed the GroundRunner is likely using the monitor.
What happens if a GroundRunner did not auto-update?
Workiva will monitor the rollout and follow up with affected customers through their Customer Success Manager.
We also recommend that you move to the monitor process if you are not using it, so that the next update will be automatic.
What if my GroundRunner is running when the update happens?
The GroundRunner will finish out the current job, then the update will take place.
How do I know if I'm running the GroundRunnerMonitor process?
The main way to know if your GroundRunner will auto-update is to determine if it is a child process of the GroundRunnerMonitor process. To determine this:
The most accurate way to check is to run the following script in PowerShell:
Get-CimInstance Win32_Process | Where-Object Name -like "Ground*" | Select-Object Name, ProcessId, ParentProcessId
The "GroundRunner-*.exe process ParentProcessId" should be the same as the "ProcessId" of the "GroundRunnerMonitor.exe" process.
If these values match, then you are running the GroundRunnerMonitor and will receive auto-updates.
If you do not see a "GroundRunnerMonitor.exe" process at all, that means you're not running the GroundRunner Monitor process.