A controller includes one or more ports and a processor. The one or more ports are to communicate with a network that includes multiple network devices. The processor is to receive, from a network device in the network, a request to perform a software update in the network device, to evaluate a permission condition in response to the request, to send to the network device a response granting the request when the permission condition is met, and to at least temporarily deny the request when the permission condition is not met.