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Configuring Agent as a Scheduled Task

Overview

The EPMware Agent needs to run continuously on Windows servers to poll for deployment tasks. Windows Task Scheduler provides a reliable way to ensure the agent starts automatically and remains running.

Prerequisites

Before configuring the scheduled task:

  • [ ] Agent files are installed in the correct directory
  • [ ] agent.properties is configured
  • [ ] Java is installed and in the system PATH
  • [ ] You have administrator privileges

Creating the Scheduled Task

Step 1: Open Task Scheduler

  1. Log on to the Windows server with Administrator privileges
  2. Open Task Scheduler using one of these methods:
  3. Search for "Task Scheduler" in the Start menu
  4. Run taskschd.msc from the command prompt
  5. Navigate through Control Panel → Administrative Tools

Task Scheduler
Opening Windows Task Scheduler

Step 2: Create New Task

  1. In Task Scheduler, click Create Task in the Actions panel (right side)

Create Task
Create Task option in the Actions menu

Step 3: Configure General Settings

In the General tab, configure the following:

Setting Value
Name EPMWARE TARGET AGENT SERVICE
Description EPMware Agent for metadata deployment to target applications
Security Options Run whether user is logged on or not
Run with highest privileges ✓ Checked
Configure for Windows Server 2016/2019/2022 (as appropriate)

General Settings
General settings for the scheduled task

Step 4: Configure Triggers

  1. Click on the Triggers tab
  2. Click New to create a trigger
  3. Configure the trigger settings:
Setting Value
Begin the task At startup
Delay task for 30 seconds (optional, allows services to start)
Enabled ✓ Checked

Trigger Configuration
Configuring the startup trigger

Additional Triggers

You can add multiple triggers, such as: - Daily at specific time for regular restarts - On workstation unlock for development environments - On an event for integration with monitoring systems

Step 5: Configure Actions

  1. Click on the Actions tab
  2. Click New to create an action
  3. Configure the action settings:
Field Value Notes
Action Start a program
Program/script C:\cygwin64\bin\bash.exe Adjust path if Cygwin is installed elsewhere
Add arguments -l -c "./ew_target_service.sh"
Start in C:\cygwin64\bin Must be the Cygwin bin directory

Action Configuration
Configuring the action to start the agent

Path Accuracy

Ensure the Cygwin path matches your installation. The default is C:\cygwin64, but it may be different in your environment.

Step 6: Configure Conditions

  1. Click on the Conditions tab
  2. Configure the following settings:
Setting Value
Start only if on AC power ☐ Unchecked (for servers)
Stop if switches to battery ☐ Unchecked
Start only if network available ✓ Checked
Wake computer to run ☐ Unchecked

Step 7: Configure Settings

  1. Click on the Settings tab
  2. Configure the following:
Setting Value
Allow task to be run on demand ✓ Checked
Run task as soon as possible after missed start ✓ Checked
If task fails, restart every 1 minute
Attempt restart up to 3 times
Stop task if runs longer than ☐ Unchecked
If running task does not end when requested ✓ Force stop

Settings Configuration
Task settings for reliability

Step 8: Save with Credentials

  1. Click OK to save the task
  2. Enter credentials when prompted:
  3. Username: Use the same user under which Cygwin is installed
  4. Password: Enter the user's password
  5. These credentials will be used to run the task

Enter Credentials
Entering credentials for the scheduled task

Starting the Scheduled Task

Manual Start

  1. In Task Scheduler, locate EPMWARE TARGET AGENT SERVICE
  2. Right-click the task
  3. Select Run

Run Task
Manually starting the scheduled task

Verify Task is Running

Check the task status: 1. The Status column should show "Running" 2. Last Run Result should show "The operation completed successfully. (0x0)"

Task Running
Scheduled task running successfully

Monitoring the Scheduled Task

Task History

Enable task history to track execution: 1. In Task Scheduler, click Enable All Tasks History in the Actions panel 2. Select your task and click the History tab

Check Agent Logs

Verify the agent is working by checking log files:

# Navigate to agent directory
cd C:\cygwin64\home\Administrator\logs

# Check polling log
type agent-poll.log

# Check main agent log
type agent.log

The logs should show: - agent-poll.log: Regular polling entries every 30 seconds - agent.log: Deployment activities and any errors

Agent Logs
Sample agent log entries showing normal operation

Troubleshooting Scheduled Tasks

Common Issues

Issue Solution
Task won't start Verify Cygwin path and user permissions
Task starts but stops immediately Check agent.properties configuration
"Access Denied" error Ensure user has "Log on as batch job" permission
Task runs but agent doesn't poll Verify Java is in PATH for the task user

Permission Requirements

The task user account needs: - Log on as a batch job right - Read/write access to agent directory - Execute permission for Java and Cygwin

To grant "Log on as batch job": 1. Run secpol.msc 2. Navigate to Local Policies → User Rights Assignment 3. Add user to "Log on as a batch job"

Debugging Steps

  1. Check Task History 

    Event ID 100 - Task Started
Event ID 102 - Task Completed
Event ID 103 - Task Failed

  2. Run Manually in Cygwin 

    # Open Cygwin terminal as the service user
cd /home/Administrator
./ew_target_service.sh

  3. Enable Detailed Logging Add to agent.properties: 

    agent.log.level=DEBUG

Best Practices

Security Recommendations

  • Use a dedicated service account for the agent
  • Implement least privilege principle
  • Store credentials securely
  • Regular password rotation for service account

Monitoring Setup

  1. Configure email notifications for task failures
  2. Set up monitoring alerts for log file errors
  3. Implement health check scripts
  4. Monitor disk space for log files

Maintenance Tasks

  • Weekly: Review agent logs for errors
  • Monthly: Clean up old log files
  • Quarterly: Update agent software if needed
  • Annually: Review and update service account permissions

High Availability

For production environments, consider setting up a secondary server with an identical scheduled task configuration for failover capabilities.

Java Process Cleanup

When stopping the scheduled task, the Java process may not terminate automatically. Always verify and manually terminate if necessary before restarting.

Advanced Configuration

Multiple Agent Instances

To run multiple agents for different applications:

  1. Create separate directories for each agent
  2. Configure unique agent.properties for each
  3. Create separate scheduled tasks with distinct names
  4. Use different polling intervals to prevent conflicts

PowerShell Alternative

For environments preferring PowerShell:

# Create scheduled task via PowerShell
$action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "C:\cygwin64\bin\bash.exe" `
    -Argument '-l -c "./ew_target_service.sh"' `
    -WorkingDirectory "C:\cygwin64\bin"

$trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -AtStartup

$settings = New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet -RestartCount 3 `
    -RestartInterval (New-TimeSpan -Minutes 1)

Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName "EPMWARE TARGET AGENT SERVICE" `
    -Action $action -Trigger $trigger -Settings $settings `
    -User "DOMAIN\ServiceAccount" -Password "SecurePassword"

Next Steps

After configuring the scheduled task:

  1. Monitor Agent Logs
  2. Configure Application Integration
  3. Set up Monitoring Alerts
  4. Test Deployment Process