Understanding Workflows

Available Workflows

The GitHub Actions lab includes 11 workflows for complete Smart Agent lifecycle management. All workflow files are available in the repository at .github/workflows/.

Repository: https://github.com/chambear2809/github-actions-lab

Workflow Categories

1. Deployment (1 workflow)

Deploy Smart Agent (Batched)

• File: deploy-agent-batched.yml
• Purpose: Installs Smart Agent and starts the service
• Features:
  • Automatic batching (default: 256 hosts per batch)
  • Configurable batch size
  • Parallel deployment within each batch
  • Sequential batch processing
• Inputs:
  • batch_size: Number of hosts per batch (default: 256)
• Trigger: Manual only (workflow_dispatch)

2. Agent Installation (4 workflows)

All installation workflows use smartagentctl to install specific agent types:

Install Node Agent (Batched)

• File: install-node-batched.yml
• Command: smartagentctl install node
• Batched: Yes (configurable)

Install Machine Agent (Batched)

• File: install-machine-batched.yml
• Command: smartagentctl install machine
• Batched: Yes (configurable)

Install DB Agent (Batched)

• File: install-db-batched.yml
• Command: smartagentctl install db
• Batched: Yes (configurable)

Install Java Agent (Batched)

• File: install-java-batched.yml
• Command: smartagentctl install java
• Batched: Yes (configurable)

3. Agent Uninstallation (4 workflows)

All uninstallation workflows use smartagentctl to remove specific agent types:

Uninstall Node Agent (Batched)

• File: uninstall-node-batched.yml
• Command: smartagentctl uninstall node
• Batched: Yes (configurable)

Uninstall Machine Agent (Batched)

• File: uninstall-machine-batched.yml
• Command: smartagentctl uninstall machine
• Batched: Yes (configurable)

Uninstall DB Agent (Batched)

• File: uninstall-db-batched.yml
• Command: smartagentctl uninstall db
• Batched: Yes (configurable)

Uninstall Java Agent (Batched)

• File: uninstall-java-batched.yml
• Command: smartagentctl uninstall java
• Batched: Yes (configurable)

4. Smart Agent Management (2 workflows)

Stop and Clean Smart Agent (Batched)

• File: stop-clean-smartagent-batched.yml
• Commands:
  • smartagentctl stop
  • smartagentctl clean
• Purpose: Stops the Smart Agent service and purges all data
• Batched: Yes (configurable)

Cleanup All Agents (Batched)

• File: cleanup-appdynamics.yml
• Command: sudo rm -rf /opt/appdynamics
• Purpose: Completely removes the /opt/appdynamics directory
• Batched: Yes (configurable)
• Warning: This permanently deletes all AppDynamics components

Workflow Structure

All batched workflows follow a consistent two-job structure:

Job 1: Prepare

prepare:
  runs-on: self-hosted
  outputs:
    batches: ${{ steps.create-batches.outputs.batches }}
  steps:
    - name: Load hosts and create batches
      run: |
        # Load DEPLOYMENT_HOSTS variable
        # Split into batches of N hosts
        # Output as JSON array

Purpose: Loads target hosts from GitHub variables and creates batch matrix

Job 2: Deploy/Install/Uninstall

deploy:
  needs: prepare
  runs-on: self-hosted
  strategy:
    matrix:
      batch: ${{ fromJson(needs.prepare.outputs.batches) }}
  steps:
    - name: Setup SSH key
    - name: Execute operation on all hosts in batch (parallel)

Purpose: Runs in parallel for each batch, executing the specific operation on all hosts within the batch

Batching Behavior

How It Works

1. Prepare Job loads DEPLOYMENT_HOSTS and splits into batches
2. Deploy Job creates one matrix entry per batch
3. Batches process sequentially to avoid overwhelming the runner
4. Within each batch, all hosts deploy in parallel using background processes

Configurable Batch Size

All workflows accept a batch_size input (default: 256):

# Via GitHub CLI
gh workflow run "Deploy Smart Agent" -f batch_size=128

# Via GitHub UI
Actions → Select workflow → Run workflow → Set batch_size

Examples

• 100 hosts, batch_size=256: 1 batch, ~3 minutes
• 500 hosts, batch_size=256: 2 batches, ~6 minutes
• 1,000 hosts, batch_size=128: 8 batches, ~16 minutes
• 5,000 hosts, batch_size=256: 20 batches, ~60 minutes

Workflow Execution Order

Typical Deployment Sequence

1. Deploy Smart Agent - Initial deployment
2. Install Machine Agent - Install specific agents as needed
3. Install DB Agent - Install database monitoring
4. (Use other install workflows as needed)

Maintenance/Update Sequence

1. Stop and Clean Smart Agent - Stop services and clean data
2. Deploy Smart Agent - Redeploy with updated version
3. Install agents again - Reinstall required agents

Complete Removal Sequence

1. Stop and Clean Smart Agent - Stop services
2. Cleanup All Agents - Remove /opt/appdynamics directory

Viewing Workflow Code

You can view the complete workflow YAML files in the repository:

Main deployment workflow: https://github.com/chambear2809/github-actions-lab/blob/main/.github/workflows/deploy-agent-batched.yml

All workflows: https://github.com/chambear2809/github-actions-lab/tree/main/.github/workflows

Workflow Features

Built-in Error Handling

• Per-host error tracking
• Failed host reporting
• Batch-level failure handling
• Always-executed summary

Parallel Execution

• All hosts within a batch deploy simultaneously
• Uses SSH background processes (&)
• Wait command ensures all complete
• Maximum parallelism within resource limits

Security

• SSH keys never exposed in logs
• Credentials bound as environment variables
• Strict host key checking disabled for automation
• Keys removed after workflow completion

Next Steps

Now that you understand the available workflows, let’s execute your first deployment!