Client Automation - How to list all currently running Agent machines

Products

• CA Client Automation - IT Client Manager
• CA Client Automation

Issue/Introduction

Is it possible to list all currently running agent machines and/or agent machines that do not have a currently running agent. Also would it then be possible to get notified of agents that go off-line.

Environment

Client Automation - All versions

Resolution

To keep track of all agents that are currently running (and not running), the Domain Manager and Scalability Servers would have to poll the agent machines regularly to check if the agent is still running or alternatively the agent would have register itself regularly.

The current default is that the Agent registers itself once a day with the Scalability Server. If all Agents were configured to register themselves every hour or every half hour then this would create a huge overhead for the network and the servers. For Agents on end-user PC's it is recommended to keep the default registration set at once a day.

To monitor the health of a large number of DSM agents or an individual agent consider the following options:

1. Run a query that reports on all computers where the 'Last Agent Run' date is over a certain number of days. In DSM Explorer, right click 'Queries' and select 'New', select 'Computers' and in Query Designer click on 'General Information -> Computer' and select 'Last Agent Run'. In the drop down field select 'Days older' and enter '7' to select all agent computers that have not reported in for over 7 days. Click OK twice and enter a name for the query. Then run the query and if there are any agents listed, investigate why they have not reported in for over a week.
2. In DSM explorer an individual computer has the option of running 'Instant Diagnostics' (by right clicking on this agent). The result will show if the DSM agent is up and running (and any of it's plugins) on this machine.