This is how I would start to troubleshoot this issue.
Is this an Auto Install or Auto Update Issue? This will help define where to start looking.
We've divided the primary functions of APM into various tasks, each assigned to specific groups for effective management. Except for one crucial task involves continuous testing within Automate to determine if any schedules are set for updating agents. Auto Updates can only proceed if the following conditions are satisfied:
- Agent framework is available
- Agent is Enabled for Auto Updates
- Scheduled Hour and Day have been met
To verify whether these conditions are met, inspect the agents' EDFs under Automate Package Manager. If an update has been executed, the EDFs should display a last update date.
Automate will schedule the "APM Update Packages" script for an agent if the scheduled hour/day is reached, and the aforementioned conditions are met.
All other functions are organized and controlled by groups. Within your group list, you will find Automate Package Manager, which contains several subgroups, each representing a specific function. For instance, in the context of "Auto Installing Approved Packages," the
APM Deploy Approved Packages group will oversee the installation of approved packages.
- Group.png (199.87 KiB) Viewed 396 times
Within the Groups - Computers - Scheduled Scripts Tab, you can locate the schedule and script name that will be executed when an agent joins the group. This script runs every 4 hours on any agent within the group. Upon completion of the script on an agent, the EDF
Auto Installs Completed should be marked with a check in the box. This action disqualifies the agent from the Deploy Approved Packages group, leading to its disassociation from the group.
The intention is for this group to remain mostly empty. Agents are expected to briefly join the group for approximately 4 hours, executing the script once, and then leaving the group before the next scheduled script. You have the flexibility to adjust the schedule to your preferences. However, it's important to note that setting the schedule too fast (under 15 minutes per run) may result in agents executing the script twice before departing from the group.
- group-script-schedule.png (52.32 KiB) Viewed 396 times
Each group is configured with a search setup designed to automatically include any agent that meets specific criteria based on the set EDFs. For the Auto Installs group, agents must satisfy the following conditions: they must be enabled, the Package Manager should indicate as deployed, Auto Installs must be enabled, and Auto Installs Completed should be disabled.
A noteworthy point to consider is that if you wish to have an agent undergo the auto installs process again—perhaps due to adding new packages to the list or if the agent encountered failures during the previous auto install—you can achieve this by unchecking the Auto Installs Completed EDF and saving the changes. This action should prompt the agent to rejoin the Deploy Approved Packages group, allowing for a fresh attempt at installing the packages.
- search.png (278.66 KiB) Viewed 396 times
Review the agent EDFs to determine the current status of the agent within the stack of functions. For every function that needs enabling in the EDFs, there is a corresponding EDF indicating that the automated group functions have completed their tasks. To initiate a retry for any specific function, simply uncheck the acknowledgement checkbox associated with that particular function. This action will prompt the system to reattempt the function, ensuring that the agent goes through the necessary processes again.
- edf.png (62.92 KiB) Viewed 396 times
Now this just describes the basics of how tasks are managed in Automate Package Manager. What we need next is to find out where in the stack of functions this agent sits, then we can look into that function to see what the agent logged if anything. We also may have server side logs on Automate that is you have an on-primes install of Automate we can get the logs to see what Automate was doing at the time.
And yes, I agree, We should see about capturing those logs from the server and making them available in the plugin. Sounds like a great feature to have.
