Security folder and starting multiple agents from the same bin directory

Products

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

Issue/Introduction

With version 21.0 and above, what happens if the agent binary is started for multiple systems using different ini files and the agents are named the same?

In v12 you could without any major issue run all three from the same binary just executing pointing at a different ini file

How does this change in v21, with the security folder and generated files being referenced by the Agent name?

Environment

Version: 21.0, 24.0

TLS enabled agents

Resolution

The agents will start up correctly and will run jobs, however there's a risk that they will not able to successfully carry out filetransfers (JOBF tasks):

• You can start the same named agents from the same bin directory using different ini files
• Each certificate in the agent's /security folder will be tied to the agent name and system it's on and should be created/updated at startup of the agent
• The certificates in the agent's /security folder are used for file transfers between agents
• The agent can start and run jobs with this setup
• However, there is a risk when starting multiple agents using the same /bin folder that any filetransfers will fail if the /security folder has the certificate for the incorrect agent at the time of the file transfer
• With this being the case, the best practice will be to use a different agentSecurityFolder= setting for each ini file used.  This will allow the specific agent/system combo to always have the correct security certificates to successfully accomplish a handshake when transferring files.