# 2.24.0 release notes

> Release notes for F5 NGINX Instance Manager, including new features, improvements, and bug fixes in each release.

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October 14, 2026

NGINX Instance Manager 2.24.0 release notes
## Upgrade Paths {#2-24-0-upgrade-paths}

NGINX Instance Manager 2.24.0 supports upgrades from these previous versions:

- 2.21.0 - 2.23.1

If your NGINX Instance Manager version is older, you may need to upgrade to an intermediate version before upgrading to the target version.

## What's new {#2-24-0-whats-new}

This release includes the following updates:

- [icon: feature] **Attach external .proto and OpenAPI files to F5 WAF for NGINX policies**<a name="2-24-0-whats-new-Attach-external-proto-and-OpenAPI-files-to-F5-WAF-for-NGINX-policies-47774"></a>

   NGINX Instance Manager 2.24.0 adds support for attaching external IDL and OpenAPI files to an F5 WAF for NGINX security policy through the REST API. In the same request that creates or updates a policy, you can upload Protocol Buffer (`.proto`) files for gRPC protection, OpenAPI (`.yaml`, `.yml`, `.json`) files for API protection, and pre-packaged IDL bundles (`.tgz`). NGINX Instance Manager validates and stores the files, supplies them to the F5 WAF for NGINX compiler at compile time, and removes them when compilation finishes. You don't need to place files on the NGINX Instance Manager host.

   You can upload files in three ways: individual `.proto` files in a JSON request, a single `.tgz` bundle in a JSON request, or multiple `.tgz` bundles in a multipart request (experimental). The documentation includes a size-based guide to help you choose the right method.

   This feature is currently available through the REST API only.

   See [Protect gRPC services using external .proto files](/nim/waf-integration/policies-and-logs/policies/grpc-protection-external-files.md) to get started.

## Known issues {#2-24-0-known-issues}

You can find information about known issues in the [Known Issues](/nim/releases/known-issues.md) topic.