Leon’s WA Waypoint : Choosing Between FTA and DA: Which Agent is Right for Your Workload?

In the world of IBM Workload Automation, understanding your agent options is key to a robust and flexible scheduling environment. Today, we’re taking a look at the Fault Tolerant Agent (FTA) and the Dynamic Agent (DA)—their differences, advantages, and how you can switch from one to the other. Whether you're upgrading legacy infrastructure or deploying a new cloud-based solution, choosing the right agent matters.

Key Differences Between FTA and DA

Let’s start with the basics.

Fault Tolerant Agent (FTA):

• The FTA is the original agent in IBM Workload Automation.
• It maintains a copy of the Symphony file, which allows it to continue executing scheduled jobs even if communication with the Master Domain Manager (MDM) is lost.
• Communication is bi-directional over port 31111, requiring just one open port.
• Despite having a local Symphony file, the FTA is fully controlled by the MDM and doesn’t make decisions on its own—it’s essentially a remote executor.

Dynamic Agent (DA):

• The DA is the modern agent, designed for flexibility and ease of integration.
• It controls its own communication, connecting to the MDM as needed.
• Communication uses two default ports: outbound to the MDM on 31116 and inbound listening on 31114 (these can be changed).
• The DA does not store a Symphony file; instead, it pulls its job definitions dynamically.
• It supports Java-based job types and enhanced communication with applications, making it ideal for modern workloads.

Pros and Cons

Why Choose FTA?

Pros:

• Offline execution: With its own Symphony file, the FTA can continue running jobs during a network outage.
• Proven reliability: The FTA has been around since the early 1990s and is time-tested.

Cons:

• Complex architecture: Managing multiple FTAs with local Symphony files can be cumbersome.
• Limited flexibility: FTAs don’t support modern job types available in DA.
• Minimal development focus: Most ongoing innovation is focused on DA, not FTA.
• Persistent communication: FTAs keep a constant open port to the MDM, which is often not acceptable in cloud-based environments.

Why Choose DA?

Pros:

• Self-managing: DA checks in with the MDM as needed, reducing persistent open connections.
• Modern job types: DA supports Java-based jobs, making it easier for scheduling teams to define and run jobs.
• Lightweight architecture: No Symphony file means fewer moving parts and easier maintenance.
• Cloud-friendly: Dynamic port usage and on-demand communication make it a better fit for modern and cloud-based deployments.
• Continuous innovation: The development team is actively improving and adding features to DA.

Cons:

• No offline execution: DA requires connectivity to the MDM to function. If the connection is down, jobs won’t run.

Installation Tips

Whether you're deploying FTA, DA, or both, here are some helpful tips:

Install Both Agents

Starting with version 10.2.3, it’s easy to install both agents on the same server using a single command. This gives you the flexibility to switch between agent types as needed:

./twsinst -new -uname hcluser -acceptlicense yes -addjruntime true -agent both -displayname server_D -create_link -hostname FQN -inst_dir "/opt/WA/" -jmport 31114 -master MASTERNAME -reset_perm -skipcheckprereq -tdwbport 31116 -tdwbhostname FQN-master -thiscpu servername -wauser hcluser -wapassword pa$$word

Manual Certificate Install

If automatic certificate download fails, you can pre-place the certs and use:

./twsinst -new -uname hcluser -acceptlicense yes -addjruntime true -agent both -displayname server_D -create_link -hostname FQN -inst_dir "/opt/WA/" -jmport 31114 -master MASTERNAME -reset_perm -skipcheckprereq -tdwbport 31116 -tdwbhostname FQN-master -thiscpu servername -sslkeysfolder /certs -sslpassword default

FTA-Only Install Notes

• Always include -addjruntime true during FTA installation. Otherwise, even if you later enable the DA, it won’t support dynamic job types.
• Even with FTA-only installs, the DA binaries are included, making it easy to enable DA later.

Converting from FTA to DA

Making the switch from FTA to DA is straightforward. Here’s how to do it:

1. Edit the JobManager.ini file.
2. Update the ResourceAdvisorUrl to include the fully qualified hostname of the Broker server.
3. Recycle JobManager for the changes to take effect.

That’s it! Your existing FTA is now also functioning as a DA, giving you access to dynamic job types and DA features.

Final Thoughts

Choosing between FTA and DA depends on your environment and needs. For legacy or isolated networks, FTA might still have a place. But for most modern workloads—especially those in hybrid or cloud environments—DA is the future.

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