Introduction

  • The JS7 Agent can be installed and operated in any Unix and Windows environments that meet the prerequisites listed below.
  • The Agent is installed on Unix systems without use of an installer by extracting a .tar.gz archive.
  • The Agent can be installed on Windows systems:

Prerequisites

  • A Java Runtime Environment starting from version 1.8 is required. For details see Which Java versions is JobScheduler available for?
  • It is recommended that a time service is operated on the server that hosts the Agent in order to synchronize the system clock's time.

Download

  • Download the Agent archive for the target system from the JS7 - Download page.
    • For Unix systems:
      • A .tar.gz archive is available that is extracted to create the Agent's directory structure (see below).
        • js7_agent_unix.<release>.tar.gz
    • For Windows systems:
      • A .zip archive is available that is extracted to create the Agent's directory structure (see below).
        • js7_agent_windows.<release>.zip
      • A .zip archive including the installer that is used to run the installer in headless mode is available.
        • js7_agent_windows_installer.<release>.zip

Installation Video

This video explains the installation.

Installation from the .tar.gz/.zip Archive

Installation

  • Extract the downloaded archive file to a directory.
  • After extraction the resulting directory structure includes (only files and folders immediately relevant):
    • agent 
      • license.gpl (copy of  GPLv3 (General Public License) used for the Open Source JS7 - License)
      • license.html (HTML format of license terms for the commercial JS7 - License)
      • license.txt (plain text format of license terms for the commercial JS7 - License)
      • sbom.json (JS7 - Software Bill of Materials)
      • ThirdParty.txt (list of 3rd party components and licenses used by JS7)
      • bin
        • anonymize-logs.sh|.cmd (used to anonymize log files, see JS7 - Log Anonymization)
        • agent.sh|.cmd (Start Script for Unix/Windows platforms)
        • agent.service-example (sample file for use with JS7 - systemd Service Files for automated Startup and Shutdown with Unix Systems)
        • agent_credential_value.sh|.cmd (Script for access to a Credential Store on Unix/Windows platforms)
        • agent_instance.sh-example (template for the Agent Instance Start Script)
        • agent_watchdog.sh|.cmd (restarts the Agent for Unix/Windows platforms if not operated as a Daemon/Service, called by Start Script)
      • lib (directory for Java libraries)
        • log4j2.xml (used for based console logging to stdout, see JS7 - Logging)
        • patches (used for JS7 - Patches for Agent, the directory is cleaned up when running the installer)
        • user_lib (used for individual .jar files such as JDBC Drivers, see JS7 - Database)
        • (additional directories for Java libraries)
      • service (directory for operation as a Windows Service)
        • install_agent_windows_service.cmd (used by installer)
        • LICENSE.txt (copy of Apache License, Version 2.0)
        • NOTICE.txt (Apache Commons Daemon license notice)
        • RELEASE-NOTES.txt (Apache Commons Daemon release notes)
        • uninstall_agent_windows_service.cmd (used by uninstaller)
        • amd64
        • manager
        • x86
      • var (data directory, to be copied to var_<http_port> directory based on the HTTP port used by the Agent)
      • yade (directory for the YADE file transfer utility)
    • On Windows Systems:
      • You have to modify the directory permissions for the above-mentioned .\logs and .\service directories if you extracted the Agent to, for example, C:\Program Files.
        • This step is not required if you extract the Agent to, for example, C:\ProgamData.
        • Start a command prompt with elevated administrative rights and execute, for example:

          Allow full acces for "Users" on .\service and .\logs directories
          cd "path\to\installation-directory"
          icacls "service" /L /grant *S-1-5-32-545:(OI)(CI)F
          icacls "logs" /L /grant *S-1-5-32-545:(OI)(CI)F 
    • If more than one run-time instance of an Agent starting from the same Agent installation is used then every instance has to use its individual ./var_<http-port> data directory, e.g. ./var_4445, ./var_4447 etc. as each Agent instance has to use an individual port when operated on the same server.
      • This allows to operate each Agent instance with a different run-time account executing jobs within the context of this account.
      • Alternatively users can switch the run-time account on a per job basis, see JS7 - Running Jobs as a different User.
    • To start the Agent you can use the commands explained in the JS7 - Agent - Command Line Operation article or your can automate startup from the instructions provided by the Automated Start-up and Shutdown section below.

Update and Upgrade

Detailed instructions are available in the JS7 - Update and Patch Management article.

Preparation

  • Stop any running JS7 Agent instances. Note that more than one Agent instance can be launched from a single Agent installation.
  • Prepare to rollback in the event of the update of the JS7 Agent not being successful:
    • Make a backup of the Agent's installation directory and data directory, e.g. by creating a .tar.gz/.zip archive.
      • Installation Directory:
        • The default installation directory for the Agent is
          • /opt/sos-berlin.com/js7/agent for Unix systems,

          • C:\Program Files\sos-berlin.com\js7\agent for Windows systems.
      • Data Directory
        • The default data directory for the Agent is
          • /home/<user-account>/sos-berlin.com/js7/agent_<http-portfor Unix systems,
          • C:\ProgramData\sos-berlin.com\js7\agent_<http-portfor Windows systems.

Running the Update

The update of the JS7 Agent is performed from the same download archive as used for a fresh installation.

  • When extracting files to a location that has already been used then existing files with the same name will be overwritten. Files added by the user will remain in place.
    • This is particularly true for the Agent Start Script ./bin/agent.sh|cmd, which should not be modified by users. Instead, apply changes to a new Agent Instance Start Script file  ./bin/agent_<http-port>.sh|cmd. This script is used to configure a number of environment variables and before executing the Agent Start Script.
  • The .tar.gz/.zip archive includes Java libraries in the ./lib directory that ship with file names that are unique to every Agent release.
    • Therefore, before extracting files, rename or remove an existing ./lib directory in order to store libraries from the current Agent release only in this directory.

Example for Installation from the Unix Command Line

The Agent is installed with a few straightforward commands:

Example how to install from the Unix command line
# download archive (consider using a current release that matches the Controller release)
curl  'https://download.sos-berlin.com/JobScheduler.2.1/js7_agent_unix.2.1.1.tar.gz' --output js7_agent_unix.2.1.1.tar.gz

# extract archive
tar xvzf js7_agent_unix.2.1.1.tar.gz

# find extracted files in the "agent" sub-directory
ls -la agent

# prepare an instance start script from the example using default port 4445
cd agent/bin
cp -p agent_instance.sh-example agent_4445.sh

# optionally activate/adjust environment variables in agent_4445.sh
# JS7_AGENT_HTTP_PORT=4445
# JAVA_HOME=...

# copy original var directory to var_<port> indicating the port used by the Agent
cp -p -R ../var ../var_4445

# alternatively for an existing var_4445 directory you can add the default certificate to verify signed workflows
# cp ../var/config/private/trusted-x509-keys/* ../var_4445/config/private/trusted-x509-keys/

# run the Agent
./agent_4445.sh start

# find log output
tail -100 ../var_4445/logs/agent.log

Installation using the Windows Installer in Headless Mode

The installer is available for Windows systems only. 

Installation

After extraction of the installer .zip archive the directory structure will include:

  • agent_install.xml (installer response file)
  • install_agent.txt (installation notes)
  • js7_agent_windows.<release>.jar (installer library for a given release)
  • license.txt, license.html (copy of JS7 JobScheduler Commercial License Agreement)
  • setup.cmd (installer script)

Installer Response File

  • The Agent installation uses the agent_install.xml response file, which includes parameters such as the installation path, ports, etc.
    • For a fresh installation the installer response file is included with the downloaded archive.
    • The default location of the agent_install.xml file from a previous installation is:
      • C:\Program Files\sos-berlin.com\js7\agent
  • The agent_install.xml file is explained with the code listing below. The comments included are intended to be self-explanatory.
    Download: agent_install.xml

    Configuration of the agent_install.xml file
    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
    <!-- 
    XML installer response file for JS7 Agent setup
    
    The JS7 Agent is available with a dual license model:
    - GNU GPL v3.0 License, see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html
    - JS7 Commercial License, see license.txt
    
    The setup asks you for the desired license model,
    see below <entry key="licenseOption" .../>
    
    If you run the installer and do not specify a commercial license key
    then at the same time you accept the terms of the
    license agreement under the GNU GPL v3.0 License.
    
    -->
    <AutomatedInstallation langpack="eng">
        <com.izforge.izpack.panels.UserInputPanel id="home">
            <userInput/>
        </com.izforge.izpack.panels.UserInputPanel>
        <com.izforge.izpack.panels.UserInputPanel id="licenses">
            <userInput>
            
                <!-- Select the license model (GPL or Commercial) -->
                <entry key="licenseOption" value="GPL"/>
                
            </userInput>
        </com.izforge.izpack.panels.UserInputPanel>
        <com.izforge.izpack.panels.HTMLLicencePanel id="gpl_license"/>
        <com.izforge.izpack.panels.HTMLLicencePanel id="commercial_license"/>
        <com.izforge.izpack.panels.TargetPanel id="target">
            
            <!-- SELECT THE INSTALLATION PATH
                 The path must be absolute!
                 The default path is C:\Program Files\sos-berlin.com\js7\agent -->
            <installpath>C:\Program Files\sos-berlin.com\js7\agent</installpath>
            
        </com.izforge.izpack.panels.TargetPanel>
        <com.izforge.izpack.panels.UserInputPanel id="network">
    		<userInput>
    						
    			<!-- HTTP port of the JS7 Agent -->
    			<entry key="agentPort" value="4445"/>
    			<!-- Optionally specify an IP address or hostname that is used to indicate which network 
    				 interface the JS7 Agent should listen to when using HTTP. If empty 
                     then the Agent listens to any available network interfaces. -->
                <entry key="agentHost" value=""/>
                <!-- Choose 'yes' or 'no' whether the JS7 Agent should be started after installation -->
                <entry key="launchAgent" value="yes"/>
                <!-- The JS7 Agent will be installed as a Windows Service. You can set the 
                     service account otherwise the local system account will be used. The account has to be 
                     specified according to the pattern 'Domain\User'. -->
    			<entry key="serviceAccount" value=""/>
                <entry key="servicePassword" value=""/>
                
    		</userInput>
    	</com.izforge.izpack.panels.UserInputPanel>
        <com.izforge.izpack.panels.UserPathPanel id="userpath">
            
            <!-- SELECT THE DIRECTORY FOR CONFIGURATION FILES AND LOG FILES
                 This directory has to be unique for each JS7 Agent instance.
                 The path must be absolute!
                 The default path is C:\ProgramData\sos-berlin.com\js7\agent_%agentPort%
                 where %agentPort% is the value from above entry 'agentPort' -->
            <UserPathPanelElement>C:\ProgramData\sos-berlin.com\js7\agent_4445</UserPathPanelElement>
            
        </com.izforge.izpack.panels.UserPathPanel>
        <com.izforge.izpack.panels.UserInputPanel id="environment">
            <userInput>
    
                <!-- Directory where the JS7 Agent's log files are stored
                     (default: '[above configuration path]\logs'). -->
                <entry key="logPath" value=""/>
                <!-- Directory where the JS7 Agent's PID file is stored 
                     (default: above log path). -->
                <entry key="pidFilePath" value=""/>
                <!-- Working directory for jobs started by the JS7 Agent
                     e.g. %USERPROFILE% (default: [installation path]) -->
                <entry key="workPath" value=""/>
                <!-- The JS7 Agent requires a Java JRE minimum version '1.8'. You can choose 
                     a different Java environment than the Java used during installation. -->
                <entry key="javaHome" value=""/>
                <!-- Optionally specify Java options (default: -Xms100m). -->
                <entry key="javaOptions" value=""/>
                
            </userInput>
        </com.izforge.izpack.panels.UserInputPanel>
        <com.izforge.izpack.panels.UserInputPanel id="end">
            <userInput/>
        </com.izforge.izpack.panels.UserInputPanel>
        <com.izforge.izpack.panels.InstallPanel id="install"/>
        <com.izforge.izpack.panels.ProcessPanel id="process"/>
        <com.izforge.izpack.panels.FinishPanel id="finish"/>
    </AutomatedInstallation>

Running the Installer

  • Run the installer for the JS7 Agent on Windows systems with the following command:

    Running the installer of JS7 Agent on Windows systems
    C:\temp\agent.[release]> setup.cmd agent_install.xml

Directory Structure

After installation the resulting directory structure will be similar to that described in the Installation from .tar.gz/.zip Archive section above.

Directories for installation and configuration of the Agent might differ.

Installation Log

The installer creates a log file in the directory specified in the JS7_AGENT_LOGS environment variable or in the logs sub-directory of the Agent data directory.

  • The default location of the logs directory is:
    • C:\ProgramData\sos-berlin.com\js7\agent_<http-port>
  • Installation log files are named according to the pattern Install_V<release>_<date-time>_....log where <release> is the release number and <date-time> refers to the point in time of installation.
  • For further information about logging see the JS7 - Logging article.

Update

Preparation

  • Stop any running JS7 Agent instances. Note that more than one Agent instance can be launched from a single Agent installation.
  • Prepare to rollback in case the update of the JS7 Agent is not successful.
    • Make a backup of the Agent's installation and configuration directories, e.g. by creating a .zip archive.
      • Installation Directory:
        • The default installation directory for the Agent is:
          • C:\Program Files\sos-berlin.com\js7\agent
      • Data Directory
        • The default data directory for the Agent is:
          • C:\ProgramData\sos-berlin.com\js7\agent_<http-port>

Running the Update

The update procedure makes use of the same installer response file as described for a fresh installation.

Steps to run the installer are the same as described for a fresh installation.

Rollback

Rolling back an Installation from .tar.gz/.zip Archive

  • To rollback the installation of a JS7 Agent instance, remove the newly created installation and configuration directories of the JS7 Agent.
  • Restore the directories from a previous backup, e.g. by extracting the respective .tar.gz/.zip backup archives to the installation and configuration directories.

Rolling back an Installation by the Windows Installer in Headless Mode

  • To perform a rollback of a JS7 Agent installation run the uninstaller from the command line.
    • The default location of the uninstall.cmd file is:
      • C:\Program Files\sos-berlin.com\js7\agent\Uninstaller
  • Restore from a previous backup, e.g. by extracting the .tar.gz/.zip archive to the installation and configuration directories.
  • Re-install the Windows Service from the command line:
    • Switch to the .\bin directory of the Agent installation.
      • The default location of the .\bin directory is:
        • C:\Program Files\sos-berlin.com\js7\agent\bin

    • Run the Agent Instance Start Script installs the Agent's Windows Service:

      agent_<http-port>.cmd install-service

Automated Start-up and Shutdown

Start-up and shutdown configurations apply for Unix systems. These are executed by the root account e.g. from /etc/init.d scripts and use systemd.

Operation of the Agent by a Windows Service is recommended for Windows systems as such services can be configured to start/stop automatically on server start-up and shutdown.

  • Consider assigning a service account to the JS7 Agent service with the Windows Service Panel.
  • Consider allowing the JS7 Agent service to be automatically started on server start-up.

Initial Operation

Having completed the installation or update of a JS7 Agent you can start the Agent either manually or from its Unix daemon/Windows Service, see JS7 - Agent Command Line Operation.

Further References