ServiceManager on Windows Crashes When an Agent Fails to Start

Products

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

Issue/Introduction

After upgrading to Automation Engine v24.4.3 or v24.4.4, the ServiceManager on Windows systems may crash immediately if an agent or child process fails to start due to a configuration error.

Observed behaviors include:

• The ServiceManager process terminates abruptly without logging an error message.
• Other running agents managed by the same ServiceManager may enter an inconsistent state.
• The issue is triggered by errors in the .smd configuration file, such as:
  • Incorrect paths: A non-existent or "bad" path to the agent executable.
  • Invalid start commands: For example, attempting to start a Java agent without the java -jar prefix.
  • Special characters: Use of umlauts (e.g., Ü, ü) in the file path.
  • Typographical errors: Typos in the working directory or start command parameters.
  • "Login as" configuration issues: Errors related to agent login parameters.

Environment

• Component: ServiceManager
• Platform: Windows (specifically reproduced on Windows Server 2019)
• Affected Versions: 24.4.3, 24.4.4

Cause

A defect in the ServiceManager code in versions 24.4.3 and 24.4.4 causes the process to abort rather than handle the failure of a child process (agent) to start. This issue was not present in version 24.4.2.

Resolution

This issue has been identified as a defect (internal reference DE184828).

A fix for this is planned for Automation Engine versions 24.4.5 and 26.1.0 for the service manager component

Workaround

Downgrade the ServiceManager to version 24.4.2 or earlier. The ServiceManager from v24.4.2 is compatible with higher versions of the Automation Engine and agents and does not exhibit this crashing behavior when an agent fails to start.