fix(agent): silence unchanged remote config refreshes

docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/agent-lifecycle.md

@@ -6690,6 +6690,17 @@ cleared rather than read as already-consumed, so a fresh token minted after
 removal always re-enrolls the host instead of rejecting its reports
 indefinitely with 400s that no reinstall can escape (#1772).
 
+### Remote configuration refreshes are transition-quiet
+
+The Unified Agent polls its authoritative remote configuration every minute,
+but an unchanged response is reconciliation rather than an operator event.
+Repeated values for the host report interval, report-IP override, Ceph
+collection setting, availability assignments, and command-execution state
+must not reset schedules, restart command clients, or emit info-level journal
+entries. Actual state transitions and malformed or failed refreshes remain
+visible at their existing levels. This keeps managed agents quiet during
+healthy steady-state operation without hiding configuration changes or faults.
+
 ### Agent token issuance and revocation remain continuous across persistence failure
 
 An operator-created API token carrying agent authority, including the shared

internal/hostagent/agent.go

@@ -1444,28 +1444,40 @@ func (a *Agent) ApplyRemoteConfig(settings map[string]interface{}, commandsEnabl
 		a.configMu.Lock()
 		if a.interval != interval {
 			intervalChanged = true
+			a.interval = interval
+			a.cfg.Interval = interval
 		}
-		a.interval = interval
-		a.cfg.Interval = interval
 		a.configMu.Unlock()
 		if intervalChanged {
 			a.signalRemoteConfigChanged()
+			a.logger.Info().Dur("interval", interval).Msg("Applied remote host report interval")
 		}
-		a.logger.Info().Dur("interval", interval).Msg("Applied remote host report interval")
 	}
 	if reportIP, ok := remoteStringSetting(settings, "report_ip"); ok {
 		trimmedReportIP := strings.TrimSpace(reportIP)
+		reportIPChanged := false
 		a.configMu.Lock()
-		a.reportIP = trimmedReportIP
-		a.cfg.ReportIP = trimmedReportIP
+		if a.reportIP != trimmedReportIP {
+			reportIPChanged = true
+			a.reportIP = trimmedReportIP
+			a.cfg.ReportIP = trimmedReportIP
+		}
 		a.configMu.Unlock()
-		a.logger.Info().Str("report_ip", trimmedReportIP).Msg("Applied remote host report IP override")
+		if reportIPChanged {
+			a.logger.Info().Str("report_ip", trimmedReportIP).Msg("Applied remote host report IP override")
+		}
 	}
 	if disableCeph, ok := remoteBoolSetting(settings, "disable_ceph"); ok {
+		disableCephChanged := false
 		a.configMu.Lock()
-		a.cfg.DisableCeph = disableCeph
+		if a.cfg.DisableCeph != disableCeph {
+			disableCephChanged = true
+			a.cfg.DisableCeph = disableCeph
+		}
 		a.configMu.Unlock()
-		a.logger.Info().Bool("disable_ceph", disableCeph).Msg("Applied remote Ceph collection setting")
+		if disableCephChanged {
+			a.logger.Info().Bool("disable_ceph", disableCeph).Msg("Applied remote Ceph collection setting")
+		}
 	}
 	a.applyRemoteAvailabilityTargets(settings)
 	if remoteConfigAppliedWithoutRestart(settings) && remoteconfig.HasAppliedDesiredConfig(commandsEnabled, settings) {
@@ -1528,8 +1540,6 @@ func (a *Agent) applyRemoteConfig(commandsEnabled bool) {
 	case commandsEnabled && !currentlyEnabled:
 		clientToStart = a.newCommandClient(commandCfg, a.agentID, a.hostname, a.platform, a.agentVersion)
 		a.commandClient = clientToStart
-	case commandsEnabled && currentlyEnabled:
-		clientToStart = a.commandClient
 	case !commandsEnabled && currentlyEnabled:
 		shouldStop = true
 	}

internal/hostagent/agent_new_test.go

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package hostagent
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"crypto/tls"
 	"errors"
@@ -572,6 +573,43 @@ func TestAgentApplyRemoteConfigKeepsPriorFingerprintWhenRestartIsRequired(t *tes
 	}
 }
 
+func TestAgentApplyRemoteConfigDoesNotLogUnchangedSettings(t *testing.T) {
+	var logs bytes.Buffer
+	logger := zerolog.New(&logs).Level(zerolog.InfoLevel)
+	commandClient := &CommandClient{}
+	commandsEnabled := true
+	agent := &Agent{
+		cfg: Config{
+			EnableCommands: true,
+			Interval:       30 * time.Second,
+			ReportIP:       "192.0.2.20",
+			DisableCeph:    true,
+		},
+		interval:            30 * time.Second,
+		reportIP:            "192.0.2.20",
+		remoteConfigChanged: make(chan struct{}, 1),
+		logger:              logger,
+		commandClient:       commandClient,
+	}
+	settings := map[string]interface{}{
+		"interval":     "30s",
+		"report_ip":    "192.0.2.20",
+		"disable_ceph": true,
+	}
+
+	agent.ApplyRemoteConfig(settings, &commandsEnabled)
+	agent.ApplyRemoteConfig(settings, &commandsEnabled)
+
+	if logs.Len() != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("unchanged remote config emitted info logs: %s", logs.String())
+	}
+	select {
+	case <-agent.remoteConfigChanged:
+		t.Fatal("unchanged interval signaled a report-loop reset")
+	default:
+	}
+}
+
 func TestNewRejectsInvalidDeploySSHUser(t *testing.T) {
 	mc := &mockCollector{
 		hostInfoFn: func(context.Context) (*gohost.InfoStat, error) {