Add backend refresh() method

qiskit_ibm_runtime/ibm_backend.py

@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 from .utils.backend_decoder import (
     defaults_from_server_data,
     properties_from_server_data,
+    configuration_from_server_data,
 )
 from .utils.deprecation import issue_deprecation_msg
 from .utils.options import QASM2Options, QASM3Options
@@ -357,6 +358,17 @@ def target_history(self, datetime: Optional[python_datetime] = None) -> Target:
         self._convert_to_target(refresh=True)
         return self._target
 
+    def refresh(self) -> None:
+        """Retrieve the newest backend configuration and refresh the current backend target."""
+        if config := configuration_from_server_data(
+            raw_config=self._service._api_client.backend_configuration(self.name),
+            instance=self._instance,
+        ):
+            self._configuration = config
+        self._get_properties(datetime=python_datetime.now())
+        self._get_defaults()
+        self._convert_to_target(refresh=True)
+
     def properties(
         self, refresh: bool = False, datetime: Optional[python_datetime] = None
     ) -> Optional[BackendProperties]:

release-notes/unreleased/1955.feat.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Added a new method, ``backend.refresh()`` that refreshes the
+current backend target with the latest updates from the server.