Installing Containerized Agents

This section guides you through the installation of containerized agents. This means that you can run a Windows, UNIX, or Java Agent in a container by building and running a Docker image hosting one of these Agents. These agents can be used either for an on-premises Automic Automation system or an Automic Automation Kubernetes Edition environment.

Tip! This section contains information relevant for agents installed in a container. If you are searching for information relevant to the manual installation of on-premises agents, see Installing the Agents Manually.

The Enterprise Software Academy provides examples on how to deploy an Automic Automation Java, Windows or UNIX agent in a container. To access this additional information please select the relevant link:

• Build and run a container hosting a Java based agent

• Build and run a container hosting a UNIX agent

• Build and run a container hosting a Windows based agent

Connecting to the Automation Engine

The Automation Engine and the Windows, UNIX, and Java Agents communicate using TLS/SSL. These agents establish a connection with the Java communication process (JCP), which uses trusted certificates to prove their identity to other communication partners.

Note: The TLS/SSL implementation does not apply to the HP-UX Agent, as it is no longer supported in this version.

You can use the trustedCertFolder=, agentSecurityFolder=, and keyPassword= parameters in the respective INI file to point to the relevant certificates. If the trustedCertFolder= parameter is not set, the certificates should be installed in the respective store; that is the Java trust store for Java Agents, the Windows OS store for Windows Agents, or the TLS/SSL store for UNIX Agents. For more information, see Securing Connections to the AE (TLS/SSL).

For more information about the different certificate types and for detailed instructions on how to create and use them, see What Kind of Certificates Should I Use for Automic Automation v21.

TLS/SSL Agents (in containers or on-premises) and the TLS Gateway, when used for the Automic Automation Kubernetes Edition, establish a connection to an ingress / HTTPS load balancer and not the JCP directly. The ingress / HTTPS load balancer must be reachable and requires a certificate for authentication. The address of the load balancer must be defined on both sides: the Automation Engine and the Agent / TLS Gateway.

Important! When you install or upgrade containerized Agents for an Automic Automation Kubernetes Edition system, you have to make sure that you configure your Agents to reach the TCP or HTTPS load balancer and not the JCP directly. Also, make sure that your HTTPS load balancer has the required certificates in place. For more information, see Connecting to the AAKE Cluster.

Check the compatibility matrix to see which version is compatible with your system. For more information, see Compatibility Information.

This section includes the following pages: