Task Activation time changes when using next listed in agentgroup

Products

• CA Automic Workload Automation - Automation Engine
• CA Automic One Automation

Issue/Introduction

When a combination of agent group with "Next listed", Generate at activation on a job, and no agents available for hostgroup is used, the activation time shows the time the agent starts rather than when the task was originally activated.

1. Create an agentgroup with "Next listed"
2. Stop agents in agentgroup
3. Create a simple job (like a sleep 100 linux job)
4. Assign the agentgroup to the job
5. Have Generate at ACtivation on the job
6. Start the job
7. Notice activation time as when step 3 takes place
8. Wait a minute or two, start agent

Expected behavior: job starts running when agent connects and activation time stays as seen in #7 timestamp above

Actual behavior: job starts running when agent connects and activation time is set to same time

Cause

As designed

Environment

Release : 12.3.8

Component : AUTOMATION ENGINE

Resolution

This behavior is as designed.  The documentation here has been updated to include the note "Agent Group is resolved. *NOTE: if Agent Group is unable to be resolved due to no agents available and Generation at Activation is set on a job, Activation timestamp will update to the moment it can be resolved.*"

If the original activation time is needed, the RH table can be used, looking for the original RH_Timestamp1 for the runid (RH_AH_IDNR)