Scheduler Agents

To use the Scheduler, you need to configure Dataedo Agent first.

Dataedo Agent is a Windows service, that you can setup with a dedicated, console-based installer. It is responsible for:

• creating executions from planned tasks
• performing executions
• managing executions (in example re-queuing them after failure or Agent's malfunction while performing an execution)
• managing Agents (in example removing inactive Agents from repository)

Installation

Agents use Dataedo Desktop (installed or the portable version), so they can run only on the Windows machines. Currently, for technical reasons, only one Agent per repository is allowed.

Dataedo Desktop is shipped with a dedicated, console-based installer. To run it, just open the executable file called Dataedo.AgentInstaller.exe which you can find in the main folder of Dataedo Desktop. You need administrator privileges to open the file.

Preparation

Before installing the Agent, you have to make some preparation.

Encrypted connection string

One Agent can perform tasks from one repository. The connection string indicates which repository should be served by the Agent. For security reasons, the connection string has to be encrypted with Dataedo encryption. You can obtain the encrypted connection string from Dataedo Desktop in two ways:

• From the login form in the Recent connections screen - just right click on the repository you would like to use and click on the Copy encrypted connection string option.
• From the Scheduler Dashboard, using the Copy encrypted connection string ribbon button.

Both options will copy the encrypted connection string to the clipboard.

Windows account

You need to prepare a local Windows account that Dataedo Agent will use to work. The account has to own the Log on as a service permission. To add the permission to an existing account, follow the steps mentioned in the Microsoft System Center article Enable Service Logon.

If the connection string mentioned earlier is using Windows Authentication, make sure that the account used for the service has access to the repository's database. You can do this using the Manage Desktop users option in the Settings menu in Dataedo Desktop.

Installation process

When you open the Dataedo.AgentInstaller.exe installer, you will be asked to provide an encrypted connection string to the repository: Paste the copied connection string (it should be a sequence of digits) and press Enter.

The next step is to fill in a port for the build-in Hangfire dashboard: Use the default value (5000) or your custom port and press Enter.

Then enter the login and the password for the service Windows account:

After a successful validation, the service will be started:

The provided connection string and port is automatically saved in the main folder of Dataedo Desktop in a local file agentSettings.json. After rerunning the installer, you can just press Enter to use the stored values from this file:

Troubleshooting

Invalid settings file

This means that the agentSettings.json settings file is corrupted. Locate it in the main folder of Dataedo Desktop and delete it. Please be advised that you will have to provide the encrypted connection string and port after rerunning the installer.

Connection string can not be empty

This means that the connection string you provided was empty. Just rerun the installer and provide a correct encrypted connection string.

Invalid connection string

This means that the connection string you provided was invalid. Just rerun the installer and provide a correct encrypted connection string.

Invalid port number

This means that the port value you have provided is not valid. It must be an integer, between 1024 and 65535. The default value is 5000.

This port is already used

This means that the port you have entered is already used by another application. Choose different value and try again.

[SC] StartService FAILED 5: Access is denied

This means that the Windows account you provided has no access to the Dataedo Desktop main folder path. You should give the access or rerun the installer and change the account used by the Agent.

[SC] StartService FAILED 1053/1056/1058/1068/1069

In most cases these errors means that you have provided incorrect password for the Windows account or the account does not have the Log on as a service permission. Verify these and try again. If the error persists, try uninstalling the Agent and reinstalling it. You can also check error details in the Microsoft's Event Viewer. To do so:

1. Open the Event Viewer.
2. Expand the Windows Logs node in the left tree and click on the Application node.
3. Look for recent events with the Error level. Click on their rows to see the details. You should find the one with the Application: Dataedo.exe text in the beginning of the details.
4. The details contain more specific information about the error.

Updating

You can update Dataedo Agent to a newer version by updating Dataedo Desktop that is used by the Agent.

If you have Dataedo Desktop installed with a dedicated installer, just download a new version and install it. The installer will take care of stopping the Agent service and starting it after the update.

If you are using a portable version, follow these steps to update:

1. Stop the Agent service.

2. Verify the path of Dataedo Desktop that is used by the Agent. To do so:

   1. Open Windows Services.
   2. Find the service called Dataedo Agent.
   3. Right click it and select Properties from the context menu.
   4. In the newly opened window, in the General tab, you can find the path right under the Path to executable label:

3. Copy the new version files into the Dataedo Desktop main directory.

4. Start the Agent service.

Modifying

Repository

You can change the repository used by the Agent by following these steps:

1. Open the Dataedo.AgentInstaller.exe installer.
2. Paste the new repository encrypted connection string and press Enter.
3. Press Enter to keep the current port:
4. Type n when the installer asks if you want to change the account:
5. The service will be restarted:

Windows account

You can change the Windows account used by the Agent service by following these steps:

1. Open the Dataedo.AgentInstaller.exe installer.
2. Press Enter to keep the current connection string and port:
3. Type y when the installer asks if you want to change the account:
4. Fill in login and password for the new account:
5. The provided credentials will be validated and the service will be restarted:

Dataedo Desktop path

You can change the path of Dataedo Desktop used by the Agent service by following these steps:

1. Copy the agentSettings.json settings file from the previous Dataedo Desktop main folder used by the Agent to the new one. You can skip this, but you will have to provide the encrypted connection string and port in next steps.
2. Make sure that you know the login and password of the Windows account used by the Agent service. You will have to provide them in next steps. To check the login:
   • open Windows Services
   • find the service called Dataedo Agent
   • right click it and select Properties from the context menu
   • in the newly opened window, select the Log On tab
   • check your login next to the This account: label:
3. Open the Dataedo.AgentInstaller.exe installer file in the main folder of Dataedo Desktop that you want to use with the Agent.
4. Press Enter to keep or fill in the encrypted connection string.
5. Press Enter to keep or fill in the port.
6. Type y when the installer asks if you want to reinstall the service in a new directory (Service is installed in a different directory. Do you want to reinstall the service in a new directory?):
7. Fill in a login and password of the Windows account for the service to log on as.

Restarting

You can restart the Agent service by manually stopping and starting it.

Stopping

You can stop the Agent service in two ways:

• Run the Command Prompt with administrator privileges and type SC STOP "Dataedo Agent".
• Open Windows Services, find the service called Dataedo Agent, right click it and select Stop from the context menu.

Starting

You can start the Agent service in two ways:

• Run the Command Prompt with administrator privileges and type SC START "Dataedo Agent".
• Open Windows Services, find the service called Dataedo Agent, right click it and select Start from the context menu.

Uninstalling

As Dataedo Agent is a Windows service, you need to use the sc delete command in the Command Prompt to delete it. To uninstall the Agent, run the Command Prompt with administrator privileges and type:

SC STOP "Dataedo Agent"
SC DELETE "Dataedo Agent"

If the service was successfully deleted, you will be prompted with the [SC] DeleteService SUCCESS message:

If the service was not found, you will be prompted with the [SC] OpenService FAILED: 1060 message: