Automic Workload Automation

  • 1.  Database Service Agent vs Database Agent (MSSQL, Oracle, etc)

    Posted Feb 28, 2017 12:07 PM


    A lot of customers get confused between these two, most times mistaking both to be the same.



    Database service or DB Service is the Agent for Database Variables.
    This is required for Variable (VARA) objects with the source SQL. 

    More info:


    Database agent is the Agent for Database Jobs and Events.
    This is required for executing database jobs and events.

    More info:

    NOTE:
    Both use ucxjsqlx.jar but should be installed in separate directory.

    Database Service or DB Service is started using the jar file and ucsrv.ini is used
    eg: 
     
    java -jar C:\automic\V112U\agents\DB_SERVICE\bin\ucxjsqlx.jar -iC:\automic\V112U\automationengine\bin\ucsrv.ini -service
    while Database Agent is started using just the jar file
    eg:
    java -jar C:\automic\V112U\agents\MSSQL_Agent\bin\ucxjsqlx.jar 




  • 2.  Database Service Agent vs Database Agent (MSSQL, Oracle, etc)

    Posted Mar 08, 2017 11:51 PM
    It's very helpful Christine  :)


  • 3.  Database Service Agent vs Database Agent (MSSQL, Oracle, etc)

    Posted Mar 09, 2017 02:50 AM
    2 little additions to Christines post:

    - the INI file of the "plain" SQL agent is not used - so any changes will not be validated by agent or AE

    - Its possible to run more than one DB Service Agent - e.g. if you have 2 Production AE Servers you can run 2 DB service Agents as redundancy. Simply Specify in every ucsrv.ini one DB Service agent - of cours with different Names :-)


  • 4.  Database Service Agent vs Database Agent (MSSQL, Oracle, etc)

    Posted Mar 09, 2017 09:22 AM
    Another thing to add is with DB Service agent you can switch this to use a different database (eg: MSSQL to Oracle).
    Here's a good post about it:
    https://community.automic.com/discussion/8843/how-to-use-one-db-service-agent-for-different-databases


  • 5.  Database Service Agent vs Database Agent (MSSQL, Oracle, etc)

    Posted Mar 12, 2017 07:33 AM
    Looks like the DB Service is also used for testing connections when you create a CONN object. There is no clear documentation about how the test is performed so it's only having issues that I found a relation between DB Service and this feature. Maybe someone from Automic will have more information that can be verified on this topic.


  • 6.  Database Service Agent vs Database Agent (MSSQL, Oracle, etc)

    Posted Mar 12, 2017 07:43 AM
    For the Database Agent be careful with the Oracle databases. There is two options for the connection that are not compatible :
    • JDBC connection => useOracleClient = 0
    • Oracle Client => useOracleClient = 1
    Setting in the ini file of the database agent.

    But in the CONN objects there is two possible Oracle database selection and this is no longer indicated in the Automic AWA V12 Documentation !
    • Oracle          =>  use JDBC connection
    • Oracle OCI   =>  use Oracle Client connection
    So if you have defined the dataabse agent with useOracleClient = 0 but define the CONN object with Oracle OCI (because you use a RAC dataabse i.e.) you will get an error when try to run a job .....

    And I'm not even talking about case whan you use an Agent Group mixing agents with different settings where you are playing lottery each time you run a job .... !








  • 7.  Database Service Agent vs Database Agent (MSSQL, Oracle, etc)

    Posted Mar 12, 2017 04:04 PM
    Alain Moisy said:
    Looks like the DB Service is also used for testing connections when you create a CONN object. There is no clear documentation about how the test is performed so it's only having issues that I found a relation between DB Service and this feature. Maybe someone from Automic will have more information that can be verified on this topic.
    Yes you are correct. DB Service is also needed in a Connection object. If you click on "Test connection" and DB Service is not started or not installed, test connection will fail with an error stating that DB service agent is not started. As to how the test is performed, I'm not sure yet.

    This is also a source of confusion for most new users. Eg: They are creating an SQL job (which requires a Database/SQL Agent). But then they use a Connection object and it complains that DB Service Agent is not available.

    For an SQL job, you can choose the job to connect to the database either by using a Connection object, or by specifying a Server, database, and LOGIN. If you choose the latter, then a DB Service Agent is not needed.