Install and manage agents

Agents are managed from the Library > Agents screen.

Set up a self-hosted agent

1. Click Add Agent and select Windows or Linux, depending on your system.

2. General tab

   Enter basic agent details:

   • Name: Provide a unique name for the agent.
   • Description: Optionally, enter a description to help identify the purpose or scope of this agent.

3. Update tab

   Choose how the agent should update:

   • Auto-update when a new version is available.
   • Auto-update on scheduled day and time: Specify a day and time for updates.
   • Update manually: Updates must be performed manually.

4. Connectivity tab

   This defines how the system should behave when the agent loses connectivity to the Automate MFT service in the cloud. Automate MFT will wait for the agent to reconnect for the specified timeout period. If the agent does not reconnect within that time, the Automate MFT service will consider the agent disconnected.

   • To allow extended wait time for agent reconnection, select the check box.
     • Set the reconnection timeout in seconds.
     • Enter email addresses for disconnect alerts, and a subject line.

5. Agent Pool tab

   Assign the agent to a pool:

   • Select the appropriate agent pool from the list.

6. Save the Agent configuration.

7. Download the ZIP file, which includes two components:

   • The agent executable, to be installed on a server within your network.
   • An installation script to automate the setup process.

8. Copy the Registration Key from the same screen. The registration key is required during the initial installation of the agent on your server. It identifies your agent as trusted by the Automate MFT cloud service

9. On your local server or VM:

   • Windows installation

     Run these steps as a user with administrative privileges. The ProgressAutomateMFT service itself does not require administrator rights, but the installation must be performed with administrative permissions. By default, the installer configures the service to run as a virtual user, which is Microsoft’s recommended approach for service accounts.

     The ZIP file contains two components:

     • ProgressAutomateMFTAgent: the agent service.
     • windows-service-management.ps1: the installation script.

     Installation Steps

     1. Unzip the downloaded file.

     2. Place both files in a directory of your choice.

     3. Open Windows PowerShell 5.1 in that directory as an Administrator.

     4. To install the service, run the following command:

        {#codeblock_gs3_jj5_5gc}

        .\windows-service-management.ps1 -Action install -RegistrationKey *your registration key*

     5. To start the service, run the following command:

        {#codeblock_msj_nj5_5gc}

        .\windows-service-management.ps1 -Action start

     The service is configured to auto-start on reboot.

     If you plan to use a local endpoint to copy files to or from the local disk, ensure the target folder has the correct permissions. To grant access, add the following user to the folder with appropriate permissions:NT Service\Progress Automate MFT Agent.

   • Linux installation

     Run these steps with root privileges using the sudo command. The daemon user for ProgressAutomateMFT does not need to have root permissions, but the install must be run with root permissions via sudo or a similar mechanism. The default installer sets up the daemon using a noshell user named progress-mft.

     The ZIP file contains two components:

     • ProgressAutomateMFTAgent: the agent service.
     • linux-service-management.sh: the installation script.

     Installation Steps

     1. Unzip the downloaded file.

     2. Place both files in a directory of your choice.

     3. Open a Bash terminal in that directory.

     4. To install the service, run the following command:

        {#codeblock_mkf_gk5_5gc}

        sudo ./linux-service-management.sh install *your registration key*

     5. To start the service, run the following command:

        {#codeblock_nkf_gk5_5gc}

        sudo ./linux-service-management.sh start

     The service is configured to auto-start on reboot.

     If you plan to use a local endpoint to copy files to or from the local disk, ensure the target folder is owned by the service user. To grant access, run the following command in a Bash terminal:

     {#codeblock_q5g_fl5_5gc}

     sudo chown progress-mft:progress-mft *path to directory*

10. Verify the agent status in the Agent Library. It should be Connected.

Set up a Progress-hosted agent

Cloud agents may require specific authentication, but no local system permissions.

You do not need to set up a Progress-hosted agent separately, unlike the self-hosted agent. When assigning a task to an agent, the Progress-hosted option will automatically be available. For more information, see create a new task.

Delete a self-hosted agent

1. Select an agent from the list.
2. Click the delete icon (). If there are tasks assigned to the agent, you cannot delete the agent.
3. If there are no task dependencies, click Delete to move the agent to the Recycle Bin.
4. After deleting the agent from the Automate MFT cloud service, remove it from the local server:

   • On Windows, from the self-hosted agent directory, run the installer script as follows:

     {#codeblock_qrw_w25_5gc}

     .\windows-service-management.ps1 -Action uninstall

   • On Linux, from the self-hosted agent directory, run the installer script as follows:

     {#codeblock_tbm_1f5_5gc}

     ./linux-service-management.sh uninstall --full