Introducción
When Level is installed, a watchdog is created alongside it. The watchdog runs on a schedule, checks that the Level service is running, and restarts it automatically if it isn't. Exit events are logged when a restart occurs.
This runs silently in the background — you won't notice it unless the agent service stops unexpectedly.
How It Works
The watchdog is a lightweight scheduled process that periodically checks the state of the Level agent service. If the service is stopped or unresponsive, the watchdog restarts it and logs the event.
It doesn't report to Level or generate alerts — it's a local recovery mechanism to keep the agent running between check-ins.
🖥️ PLATFORM NOTE:
Windows: Implemented as a Windows Scheduled Task.
macOS: Managed by the LaunchDaemon at
/Library/LaunchDaemons/Level.plist.Linux: Managed by systemd. If the Level service stops, systemd restarts it according to the service unit configuration.
Why This Matters
Level needs to maintain a connection to check in for automation runs, monitoring evaluation, and remote access requests. If the agent service crashes or is stopped by another process, the watchdog brings it back without requiring manual intervention on the device.
ℹ️ NOTE: The watchdog restarts the agent service — it doesn't reinstall it. If the agent binary is removed or corrupted, you'll need to reinstall. See Windows Install, macOS Install, or Linux Install.
Preguntas frecuentes
Can I disable the watchdog? Disabling it isn't recommended — if the Level service stops, the device will go offline and stay offline until someone manually restarts the service or reinstalls the agent. The watchdog is what ensures self-recovery.
The watchdog restarted the agent. Should I be concerned? An occasional restart is usually harmless — a transient crash, a resource spike, or another process interfering briefly. If the agent is restarting frequently, something on the device is likely interfering with it. Check for AV/EDR conflicts first. See AV/EDR False Detections.