AS400 Agent in 12.3.9 HF2 does not start

Products

• CA Automic Workload Automation - Automation Engine

Issue/Introduction

The AS400 Agent is unable to start after installation:

Agent logs

20230111/144146.047 - U02000075 CP Server 'EUP4#CP001' has '9998' client connections.
20230111/144146.133 - U87391232 HLAS400|
20230111/144146.134 - U02000041 Shutdown Agent 'AS400AA'.
20230111/144146.134 - U02000002 Agent 'AS400AA' version '12.3.9+hf.2.build.1665673167152' ended abnormally.

CP Log contains:

20230111/143253.493 - U00003406 Client connection '1793579(844)'  from '10.28.0.1:50675' has logged on to the Server.
20230111/143253.519 - U00003412 Agent 'AS400AA' logged on (Client connection='1793579').
20230111/143253.542 - U00003357 Agent 'AS400AA' uses an invalid TransferKey.
20230111/143253.564 - U00003407 Client connection '1793579(843)' from '10.28.0.1:50675' has logged off from the Server.
20230111/143253.564 - U00003397 Agent 'AS400AA' logged off (client connection='1793579').

Transfer key renewal but this did not change anything.

Environment

AE 12.3.9 HF2 

AS400 Agent 12.3.9 HF2

Cause

Persistent bug in the new key generation introduced with extended entropy mechanism introduced in 12.3.9 HF2 and 21.0.5 of the Automation Engine.

Resolution

Solution:

There will be no fix anymore for that problem in 12.3.9 for this bug. The definitive solution will be to upgrade AE and Agents to 21.0.5 where the problem no longer appears

Workaround in 12.3.9:

The workaround will consist in using a AS400 Agent user the lower entropy mechanism (up to 19.3.9 HF1). Make sure that the parameter GSS_COMPATIBILITY is set to Y.

After an Agent in this version was installed and the problem still persists, follow this procedure step by step.

1. Delete the content of the keystore file on the agent, but NOT the member itself.
2. Delete the as400 Agent from Client 0 in the Agent View:
3. Re-create manually the AS400 Agent in Client 0.
4. Start the As400 Agent. 
5. Check the successful connection.

This was tested by our Development team on a 12.3.9 HF1 Agent, but this should work with any AS400 Agents with a lower entropy authentication mechanism.