Trying the Beta runtime
Wire is testing a next-generation container runtime with faster startup and stronger retrieval. It’s currently in Beta: available to opt into on your existing containers, while new containers keep running on the standard runtime by default. You can move a container over whenever you’re ready. The move is safe, it only switches over after a complete copy is built and verified, but it’s a one-way move: entries written on the new runtime aren’t copied back to the standard one.
This is different from moving a container between organizations. Trying the Beta runtime never changes who owns the container or where it lives in your account. Your data, URL, and keys stay exactly the same.
What changes, and what doesn’t
Section titled “What changes, and what doesn’t”| Stays the same | Improves |
|---|---|
| Your data: entries, relationships, files | Faster startup when the container has been idle |
| The MCP URL and REST endpoint | Better search ranking and recall |
| API keys and OAuth connections | Snappier response after the first request |
| Sharing, roles, and visibility settings |
Connected agents don’t need any reconfiguration. The same URL and credentials keep working after the move.
How to try it
Section titled “How to try it”- Open the container in the dashboard.
- Eligible containers show a Beta banner at the top of the page. Click Try Beta runtime.
- Review the estimated time in the confirmation dialog and click Move to Beta.
You need admin access to the container to start a move. The page tracks progress and updates automatically when it finishes. If you don’t see the banner, the Beta runtime may not be enabled for your organization yet, or the container is already on it.
What to expect while it runs
Section titled “What to expect while it runs”The container is briefly unavailable during the move. Agents and API calls are blocked until it completes, then access resumes automatically. Nothing is lost: requests made during the window fail cleanly and can simply be retried afterward.
How long it takes depends on how much context the container holds. Small containers finish in under a minute. Large containers with tens of thousands of entries can take longer. The confirmation dialog shows an estimate for your specific container before you commit.
During the move, Wire re-indexes your content for the new retrieval engine. That is where most of the time goes, and it’s also where the search quality improvement comes from.
Safety
Section titled “Safety”Moves to the Beta runtime are designed to be boring:
- Your existing container is never modified. The move builds a complete copy on the Beta runtime, verifies it against the original, and only then switches traffic over.
- If anything fails along the way, the switch simply doesn’t happen. Your container keeps serving from where it always has, and it’s safe to retry.
- The move is one-way. Once a container is on the new runtime, new entries are written there; they aren’t synced back to the standard runtime. The safety above applies to the move itself, not to undoing a completed one.
- The first request after a move may take a little longer while the container warms up. Everything after that is faster than before.
Do I have to move anything? No. This is an opt-in Beta. Containers stay on the standard runtime unless you choose to try the new one.
Can agents write during the move? No. Writes are blocked along with reads while it runs. Anything an agent tries during the window fails with a clear error and succeeds on retry after.
Is the Beta runtime stable? It’s in active testing, which is why it’s opt-in. We move a container over only after building and verifying a complete copy, and if anything fails your container keeps serving as before. Note the move is one-way: entries written on the new runtime aren’t copied back to the standard one.
I don’t see the Beta banner. Either the Beta runtime isn’t enabled for your organization yet, the container is already on it, or you don’t have admin access to it.