ServiceManager - Dialog Program

The ServiceManager Dialog Program is a graphical user interface that administrators can use to start and stop components. It allows you to monitor your Automation Engine system from a central point.

This page includes the following:

Overview

The Dialog Program shows the states of all components in your ServiceManager environment. It also provides access to ServiceManagers that run on other computers within the network. Therefore, you can access Windows and UNIX-based Automation Engine programs throughout the system. Access to remote computers requires access rights which are also checked.

You can establish a secure connection (TLS 1.2) with the ServiceManager but still support non-secure connections to legacy ServiceManagers. For secure connections, you must have CAPKI installed on the same computer in which you have installed the ServiceManager Dialog Program. For more information, see CAPKI - Securing the ServiceManager. If a secure connection cannot be established, a message prompts you to confirm if you want to proceed with an insecure connection or not. The ServiceManager Dialog Program displays the status of your connection which can be Secure, Not secure, or Not connected.

If the Client Certification is enabled in the ServiceManager, the client requires a certificate for authentication. The certificate and key files are assigned in the [CAPKI] section of the INI file of the ServiceManager Dialog Program. For more information, see CAPKI - Securing the ServiceManager.

Example

In this example, the certificate and key files are located in the .\bin directory of the ServiceManager - Dialog Program.

[CAPKI]

certificate=C:\Automic\Automation.Platform\ ServiceManagerDialog\bin\<certificatefilename>.pem

key=C:\Automic\Automation.Platform\ ServiceManagerDialog\bin\<keyfilename>.pem

;chain=

trusted_cert_folder=.\trusted

Some certificates may require an intermediate certificate for validation if the signing certificate authority is not trusted directly. Use the parameter chain=<chain file name> in the [CAPKI] section of the INI file to point to the location of the intermediate certificate.

If the client certification is enabled and the client does not have a certificate or if the certificate validation fails, the connection is terminated. In this case, the ServiceManager writes a corresponding log entry and returns an error message to the client.

ServiceManager Window

The content of the Dialog Program is refreshed periodically. Apart from the Computer Name, all fields that are displayed in the window are empty if a ServiceManager is not active on the computer selected. The fields are also empty if you do not have the necessary access rights for the computer selected. In this case, an error message is displayed.

The window displays the following information:

Computer Name

Input field for the name of the computer on which the ServiceManager is installed

You can also select the name from existing entries.

You can specify the port number of the ServiceManager (for example, PC01:8871).

Note: On UNIX, specifying the port number for the ServiceManager is mandatory. If the ServiceManager is running on a Windows server, defining the port number is optional.
Phrase

Entry field for the ServiceManager environment

This is the environment that is used in the definitions file and when executing a command.

When the computer name has been selected, the ServiceManager environment displays. You can use the dropdown list to switch between ServiceManager environments if there is more than one available.
Service

Name of the service

You can select any name of your choice and can change it at any time.

Important! The service name of all Server Processes changes upon starting the service. The name displayed has the format UC4 <server process type>-Server [AUTOMIC#<server process type and connection order>], followed by the number of connections to other processes. The service name you assigned them is displayed again upon stopping the service. For more information, see Server Processes.

Example

UC4 WP-Server [AUTOMIC#WP003] - 2 Connections

This is the work process that started third and has two connections to other processes.
Status

Status of the service
Start Time

Start time of the service

During the startup phase, the remaining waiting time is displayed in seconds.
Runtime

Current runtime of the active service
ProcID

Process number of the active service
CPU Time

Currently used CPU time of the active service

The context menu allows you to start, end, move up and down, duplicate, delete and rename a service. You can also access the service's properties to change its definition. You can start the service with or without a defined method. Also, there are three options to end (stop) a service:

Shutdown (AE system): All server processes stop.
Immediately single process: A single process stops.
Abnormally: The service is immediately stopped by the ServiceManager through a system call (kill).

Note: This command should only be used if the service's attempts to stop itself were not successful.

Adding Components

You must add components to this table for them to be displayed by the Dialog Program. By default, the table includes some entries such as work and communication processes.

The components displayed correspond to the computer and phrase you selected. To add a new line right-click an existing table entry, select Duplicate. You can enter the start path and define other parameters in the Properties dialog. It displays the following information:

Command

File name of the program including the complete path specifications

If you do not want to use the default INI file to start, you can specify the name and path of a different one. Separate this definition from the path and file name using a blank.

Example

C:\AUTOMIC\Agents\win\bin\UCXJWI3.exe C:\AUTOMIC\ini\win\UCXJWI3.ini

Notes:
- Java agents require the parameter -I in front of the INI file path.
- Java agents (SAP, JMX, Databases, and Rapid Automation) must be started via the JAR file.
- There is an additional display option for server processes. Enter the parameter -svc%port% and the server process name plus the number of connections displays in addition to the service name.
The text field below Command can be used to define several start methods for server processes (see Server Processes). Select and right-click the top line of the text field and use the Insert command to insert lines. The name you assign to the start method selected is displayed in the context menu. Use the parameters -parm"StartMode=value;SystemStop=Value" to define a start method that executes a cold start:

Parameters

-parm"StartMode=value;SystemStop=Value"

Allowed values:
- StartMode=: NORMAL (default) for a regular start and COLD for a cold start
- SystemStop=: NORMAL (default) is to keep the client status unchanged and YES to stop all clients
  
  Important! You can specify one or both arguments. Both arguments are also available in the INI file; however, the values specified in the ServiceManager Dialog Program are given priority.
You can also enter the file name, the path to the INI file if needed, and the start parameter -svc%port%.
Start Path

Program's working directory
Log On As

User ID used for processing

Important! UNIX ignores this setting and the program always starts using the user ID of the ServiceManager.
User name
Password

The password is encrypted
Domain

User's domain, required if the user is not a local user
Start automatically when the system starts

When this check box is selected, the service starts automatically when the system launches. If the service is only needed temporarily (such as for tests), the program can be started and stopped via the context menu.
Seconds delayed

Waiting time in seconds during which startup is delayed

If the service appears in the first line of the Dialog Program, the indicated value is the waiting time for the start of the first service after the ServiceManager has been activated. In other cases, it represents the time lag until the service that is listed in the line above it has started.

Tip: It is recommended to insert pauses between process starts to give time for the system to execute these starts.

Important! The command file Phrase.SMD is created automatically when properties are changed for the first time. The file name complies with the ServiceManager environment. Do not change this file manually. For more information, see Setting Up an SMD File.

Handling Components

You can change the service order via the context menu. Please note that this action also affects the starting order.

Note: The ServiceManager Dialog Program is supplied as an independent component because direct access to important services such as the Automation Engine can affect operational activities.

The ServiceManager Dialog Program is password protected via the system menu. As a system administrator, you can specify a password to protect the services from being started, ended, or modified without authorization. All services that belong to the ServiceManager's environment can be protected.

There are three different authorization levels:

Read

Allows you to monitor the status of the services.
Read and execute

Allows you to execute commands, such as start and stop services, and monitor the status of the services.
Read, execute, and administrate

Allows you to edit the configuration of the ServiceManager, to execute commands, and to monitor the status of the services.

Important! You require the authorization level Read, execute, and administrate to set or change passwords.

To enter a password, select Enter Password from the system menu and set the password. Refresh the view (F5) to display the process list. Once a password is set, it does not have to be defined for each service and it applies until the ServiceManager Dialog Program is ended.

The system does not warn you if you use the wrong password. It simply displays the message Access denied.

You can also change the authorization level to restrict access to the services. To do so, select Change Password from the system menu and select the authorization level from the Authorization dropdown list.

Note: The passwords must be set from the highest level downwards because only a user with administrative rights can perform these actions. Any attempt to define or delete a password in the wrong order is rejected.

Unlike previous versions of the ServiceManager, the passwords are not encrypted but stored as hashes in the INI file of the Service Manager, see Service Manager Service.

On startup, the ServiceManager checks if the INI file still has an access password stored in the password= parameter. If so, the ServiceManager converts the password to a hash and deletes the old password entry from the INI file. The old password is set as a new Read, execute and administrate and as a new Read and execute password. This guarantees that users have the same authorization level they had before changing the password and not a higher or lower one. The passwords for the authorization level Read is not set by default.

Important! If your ServiceManager is password protected, you must define the UC_SMGR_LOGINS VARA object that is available in your system client 0000; otherwise, you cannot start the agents and/or server processes for security reasons. The password used in UC_SMGR_LOGINS can have a maximal length of 16 characters. Assign the relevant agent(s) and/or server processes to the UC_SMGR_LOGINS object. Note that if you assign server processes you must always use the asterisk symbol (*) in the Agent/Name and the Type fields on the Login page. For details, see UC_SMGR_LOGINS and Login (LOGIN).

Windows agents: In case the ServiceManager Dialog Program is not stored on the same computer as the agent, the Windows user used to start the agent requires the login right Access this computer from the network. Otherwise, the agent cannot start.

The services that should start are listed in the definition file Phrase.SMD (UC4.SMD by default). The file name corresponds to the ServiceManager environment. Manual interference with this file is only necessary in special cases because its content is automatically adjusted when the Dialog Program is modified. For more information, see Setting Up an SMD File.