PH22782: TOPOLOGY SYNC DOES NOT EXCLUDE GHOSTED AGENTS

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• Topology sync does not exclude ghosted agents when querying for
  connected agents with offline status.
  
  When agent record is ghosted, but the agent reconnects, a new
  record is created with the same endpoint ID. Topology sync found
  the ghosted offline record for the online agent and incorrectly
  tries to correct the discrepency by queueing work to the agent
  task batcher to set in to online status. The batcher will send
  an "update metadata" message to the actual connected agent and
  set its unghosted record to connecting status. When the agent
  responds, the unghosted record is set back to online. This
  process will repeat at each topology sync because the two
  records will have the same status they had at the beginning.
  
  In the case that the agent has been cloned and two or more
  instances are connected to the system, all will respond to the
  message. Because of factors like different hostnames or IP
  addresses, the property hash in the in the "update metadata"
  message will only match for at most one agent. The others will
  send updated properties to the server, which will load new
  property sheets into versioned config. Because of the repetition
  described above, the database will eventually fill with these
  property sheets.
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  * All end users on all supported browsers.                     *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
  * Topology sync does not exclude ghosted agents when querying  *
  * for                                                          *
  * connected agents with offline status.                        *
  *                                                              *
  * When agent record is ghosted, but the agent reconnects, a    *
  * new                                                          *
  * record is created with the same endpoint ID. Topology sync   *
  * found                                                        *
  * the ghosted offline record for the online agent and          *
  * incorrectly                                                  *
  * tries to correct the discrepency by queueing work to the     *
  * agent                                                        *
  * task batcher to set in to online status. The batcher will    *
  * send                                                         *
  * an "update metadata" message to the actual connected agent   *
  * and                                                          *
  * set its unghosted record to connecting status. When the      *
  * agent                                                        *
  * responds, the unghosted record is set back to online. This   *
  * process will repeat at each topology sync because the two    *
  * records will have the same status they had at the beginning. *
  *                                                              *
  * In the case that the agent has been cloned and two or more   *
  * instances are connected to the system, all will respond to   *
  * the                                                          *
  * message. Because of factors like different hostnames or IP   *
  * addresses, the property hash in the in the "update metadata" *
  * message will only match for at most one agent. The others    *
  * will                                                         *
  * send updated properties to the server, which will load new   *
  * property sheets into versioned config. Because of the        *
  * repetition                                                   *
  * described above, the database will eventually fill with      *
  * these                                                        *
  * property sheets.                                             *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  * Fixed in version 7.1.0.0                                     *
  ****************************************************************
  

Problem conclusion

• Fix is provided in IBM UrbanCode Deploy 7.1.0.0
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  UC DEPLOY

• Fixed component ID

  5725M5400

Applicable component levels