JWP Roles

As a system administrator, you use the JWP Roles page to define server roles for Java work processes (JWPs). It is available only in client 0 in the Automation Engine Management section of the Administration perspective.

This page includes the following:

Overview

You can define a server role for a JWP so that it processes a specific queue or assignment, thus avoiding a negative impact on the performance of your system. Depending on the server role, you can assign a certain number of processes to each role and then rank them to prioritize the services you want to run first.

The following server roles are available for the Java work process:

  • AUT for Authentication

    Used for TLS/SSL agent authentication as well as LDAP, SAML, and Kerberos user authentication. This server role has its own queue in which the corresponding work is stored.

    Count: 1 - n. You can change the number of processes assigned to this role.

    Rank: Always 1. You cannot modify the rank of the AUT role.

  • PER for Periodic

    This role handles special assignments that must not be distributed such as SLA, Telemetry, and performance management. The periodic/recurrent work related to this server role is triggered automatically; therefore, the server role does not have its own queue to store it.

    Count: Only 1. You cannot change the number of processes assigned to this role.

    Rank: You can modify the rank of the PER role.

  • UTL for Utilities

    Used for database management and maintenance work, such as client deletion. This server role has its own queue in which the corresponding work is stored.

    Count: 1 - n. You can change the number of processes assigned to this role.

    Rank: You can modify the rank of the UTL role.

  • IDX for Indexing

    Used by the Lucene search for object indexing. The JWP takes care of all system operations required for Lucene indexing.

    Count: 1 - n. You can change the number of processes assigned to this role. However, you can only have one role per host.

    Rank: You can modify the rank of the IDX role.

The first Java work process (JWP) that starts handles all the workload. The second one gets the first server role assigned. This is always one AUT role, since the system needs to authenticate the agents/users first. The next Java work processes are assigned the remaining roles according to the settings defined in this page.

If, for any reason, one of the JWPs stops working, another JWP takes over the work from the queue of the JWP that stopped. This means that the system can overwrite the definition of this page to make sure the system keeps working. For example, if you have two JWPs and you have defined that one of them should deal only with authentication (AUT role) but the second one stops, the JWP with the AUT role does take over the work of the other JWP.

Note: When you assign a role to and start a JWP using the command line, this server processes is used exclusively for the role you defined in the command line. In this case, the JWP cannot take over the workload of other JWPs if they should stop.

The JWP Roles List

The JWP Roles list displays the roles available by default. The toolbar provides shortcuts to the most important functions. The buttons Export and Refresh are available by default. They allow you to refresh the content of the table and export it as a CSV file.

The list comprises the following columns, which are displayed by default:

  • Rank

    Role ranking

  • Name

    Name of the server role

  • Identifier

    Three-letter identifier abbreviated from the server role's name

  • Defined

    Number of Java work processes you want to have for the corresponding server role

  • Active Dedicated

    Actual number of Java work processes dedicated exclusively to the server role in the system

  • Active Total

    Actual number of Java work processes assigned to the server role in the system

  • Description

    Short description of the role's function

Defining Server Roles for Java Work Processes

Follow these steps to define the server roles.

  1. In Client 0, open the Administration perspective and select Automation Engine Management > JWP Roles.

    The JWP Roles list is displayed and shows all roles available.

  2. Use the Higher Rank and Lower Rank buttons in the toolbar to change the ranking of the server roles accordingly.

  3. In the Defined column, use the arrows to increase and/or decrease the number of Java work processes you want to define for the server role.

  4. Use the Save button in the toolbar to save your changes.

Once you have defined the server roles, you can see if a Java work process has a role assigned in the Role column of the Processes and Utilization page in the Administration perspective. This page is available in all clients in the system. For more information, see Processes and Utilization.

Starting a JWP as a Dedicated Server Role

You can start a JWP as a dedicated process with a specific role. For example, you can use the following command to start the JWP as a dedicated process with for the authentication (AUT) role:

java -Xmx2G -jar ucsrvjp.jar -Iucsrv.ini -role=AUT

You can also start the JWP with a dedicated IDX or UTL role by setting the -role command line parameter accordingly.

Note: When you assign a role to and start a JWP using the command line, this server processes is used exclusively for the role you defined in the command line. In this case, the JWP cannot take over tasks of other JWPs if they should stop.

For more information, see Starting the JWP.

See also: