Server Name & ServerId in the Properties JSON

The properties.json file is located at the root level of the installation directory and serves to initialize the Itential platform. Once initialization is complete, IAP reads the properties.json file to get its basic configuration.

Additional configurations supported by the properties.json include serverName and the serverId property, which are described below.

Server Name Property

The serverName property allows administrators to define a uniquely identifying name for each Itential Automation Platform (IAP) server in their environment.

Note: The /status API call returns the name of the server containing the current database. If serverName is missing or invalid, the /status API will return a null reference value.

Sample Configurations

The configuration examples presented below show unique names that easily identify each server.

Example 1

"serverName": "ecs-1.example.com"

Example 2

"serverName": "ECSH01234"

ServerId Property

The serverId property allows admins to define a uniquely identifying name for each Itential Automation Platform (IAP) server in their environment. The serverId value is set in the properties.json file, and it provides a user-friendly, consistent way to set a server name. Moreover, by using serverId values, admins no longer have to rely on generated IP addresses. Lastly, serverId values can be utilized in a Blue-Green deployment.

Sample Configurations

Single Server

This example shows a unique name to easily identify the server.

"serverId": "iap-1"

Multi-Server

This advanced configuration shows three (3) unique server names in a primary data center and three (3) in a secondary data center.

PRIMARY DATACENTER
"serverId": "IAP1.primary"
"serverId": "IAP2.primary"
"serverId": "IAP3.primary"

SECONDARY DATACENTER
"serverId": "IAP1.secondary"
"serverId": "IAP2.secondary"
"serverId": "IAP3.secondary"

Implementing the ServerId

When changing (or adding) the serverId value while restarting IAP, any tasks in the “running” state that are NOT in the task types list below will be orphaned.
 
Task Types
- childJob
- manual
- forEach
- eventListener
 

This will only be an issue when the serverId value is first set or changed. Each subsequent restart will not have orphaned jobs as long as the serverId has not been changed. Itential recommends that admins pause the task worker and have no running jobs when setting the serverId.

If an IAP stack has a Disaster Recovery (DR) implementation, it is important to ensure the DR IAP cluster does not contain duplicate serverId values from the primary cluster. At the moment, IAP only checks for duplicate serverIds at the cluster level, not the global level. If duplicate serverIds exist, it is possible for tasks to be orphaned when the load balancer switches from the DR to the primary cluster.