Add backend refresh() method

qiskit_ibm_runtime/api/clients/runtime.py

@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ def is_qctrl_enabled(self) -> bool:
         """
         return self._api.is_qctrl_enabled()
 
-    def backend_configuration(self, backend_name: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    def backend_configuration(self, backend_name: str, refresh: bool = False) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         """Return the configuration of the IBM backend.
 
         Args:
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ def backend_configuration(self, backend_name: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         Returns:
             Backend configuration.
         """
-        if backend_name not in self._configuration_registry:
+        if backend_name not in self._configuration_registry or refresh:
             self._configuration_registry[backend_name] = self._api.backend(
                 backend_name
             ).configuration()

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, refresh=True),
+            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.

test/integration/test_backend.py

@@ -119,6 +119,16 @@ def test_backend_target_history(self):
             self.assertIsNotNone(backend.target_history())
             self.assertIsNotNone(backend.target_history(datetime=datetime.now() - timedelta(30)))
 
+    @production_only
+    def test_backend_target_refresh(self):
+        """Test refreshing the backend target."""
+        backend = self.backend
+        with self.subTest(backend=backend.name):
+            old_target = backend.target
+            backend.refresh()
+            new_target = backend.target
+            self.assertNotEqual(old_target, new_target)
+
     def test_backend_max_circuits(self):
         """Check if the max_circuits property is set."""
         backend = self.backend