Ivanti Automation release notes
Release notes for the following Ivanti Automation version are in this topic:
- Ivanti Automation 2020.3 release notes
- Ivanti Automation 2020.2.2 release notes
- Ivanti Automation 2020.2.1 release notes
- Ivanti Automation 2020.2 release notes
- Ivanti Automation 2020.1.1 release
- Ivanti Automation 2020.1 release notes
- Ivanti Automation 2020.0 release notes
To see release notes for earlier releases, visit these pages:
https://help.ivanti.com/res/help/en_US/IA/2019/Admin/Default.htm#cshid=relnotes
https://help.ivanti.com/res/help/en_US/IA/2018/Admin/Default.htm#cshid=relnotes
Ivanti Automation 2020.3 release notes
Known issues
None.
Resolved issues
No Agents are visible in the Ivanti Automation Console after the upgrade to Automation 2020.1 or higher
Incorrect sorting order of the runcount in the Ivanti Automation runbook overview
Module parameter value is not populated when PowerShell script task fails
File and Folder actions within Ivanti Automation are not working correctly on 64-bits Operating Systems
Unable to upload a resource from within an Ivanti Automation module after the upgrade to Automation 2020.2
Shutdown Computer task always fails when the option "Fail Shutdown if user is logged on" is checked after the upgrade to Ivanti Automation 2020.2.1
The Scan Computers feature skips the 255 subnet from scanning
Incorrect build number is shown when the function @[GET-OS-VERSION] is used on an Ivanti Automation Agent+
Agent version number sorting is not working correctly in the Ivanti Automation Console
Ivanti Automation license information export by Command Line fails with Error 9 Subscript out of range
The set parameter option in an evaluator is not writing the value to the parameter
The Dispatcher poll and push counters for the Agent connections are incorrect
Ivanti Automation resource can't be downloaded
Domain registration is incorrect when domain name is configured like Int.Domain.local instead of domain.local
The Wake on LAN feature is not working when a job is scheduled on a specific date/time
Condition is deleted after duplicating an Automation task
Unable to evaluate a REG_EXPAND_SZ registry value
File version condition with NOT LIKE while the file is missing is evaluated as FAIL
Project parameters are not evaluated correctly
Unable to reschedule a job when filtering capability is used
Write-Progress is not functional in a Microsoft Windows PowerShell task
CheckforChanges error appears after downgrading to a version lower than 2020.2.1
The Query Local Group Evaluator doesn't write the retrieved information to a parameter
What's new
PowerShell Core support for Windows
A new task to support PowerShell Core was created. Its available only for Windows agent for now. We will add support for Linux/MacOS also in the next release.
Filter in Audit Trail view
A filtering method was added into Administration > Audit Trail. This way the audit trail information can be filtered in a flexible way using all available columns from the view.
Add agents to teams based on new rules (AD Group, AD OU, environment variable)
Three new rules were added to the automatic agent to team membership. If the agent is part of a particular AD Group or OU or has defined a specific system environment variable, the agent will automatically join the team. These rules will be evaluated once each 24 hours to better reflect the AD computer state in AD.
Windows version and build number info in Topology views
In Console, Dispatcher and Agents views all components that run on an OS newer than or equal to 2016 will also display the version and build number. Eg: Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise v1903 (18362.1082), Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Standard v1607 (14393.3930), Microsoft Windows Server 2019 Standard v1809 (17763.1457)
Dispatcher Encryption column in Agents view
In the Agents view, the Dispatcher Encryption column will report “Yes” for any agent using HTTPS communication.
Linux/Unix/MacOS download resource task optimization
When “Destination” field is used, and the module level option to keep resources on disk is not used, the task the download resource will get the temporary file on the destination location and then transform it into the actual file, instead of using the default cache location of /var/tmp.
Tasklet Editor improvements
There is no need for the "EnableTaskletEditor" registry value to have access to the Community version of the Editor.
All connectors tasklets are under the “Other” category in the task list view. Under this category, new categories per vendor will be created. Under each vendor, new categories will be created for each installed connector.
The “Vendor” column was added in the Setup > Add-ons view. Also, the vendor information is present in the tasklet properties tab.
Special permission for the Tasklet Editor was added in the Administrative Role configuration.
The Printers (Query) and Registry Settings (Query) tasks now support evaluators
Before 2020.3, these tasks did not support applying evaluator logic on the returned data. They now have an Evaluator tab.
Ivanti now gathers some additional customer data through telemetry
Ivanti now gathers telemetry for these items. For a complete list of telemetry items, see Telemetry.
- License information (type, usage, isILS)
- Job History count
- Tasklet name
- Number of times used
- Installed Addons (Connectors)
- Dispatcher WebAPI settings
The database revision level was updated to 79
There was a database revision level update for this release.
Ivanti Automation 2020.2.2 release notes
Known issues
None.
Resolved issues
The Push communication between Dispatcher and Agent is not functioning
Searching for Agent results are loaded very slowly in the Automation Console
Dispatcher certificate is not re-created when another one was already present on the system
The error is logged: 'The array cannot be empty or null' in certain conditions when new Root certificate is requested by the Agent
GDPR search gives no results Windows Authentication is used in Ivanti Automation
Opening the Certificate information in Global settings results in the Error: 'System.NullReferenceException' in the Ivanti Automation Console
The Global Settings view is take longer to be presented after upgrading to 2020.2.1
Shutdown Computer task always fails when the option "Fail Shutdown if user is logged on" is checked after the upgrade to Ivanti Automation 2020.2.1
The Ivanti Automation Upgrade Pack contains unsigned components
What's new
The database revision level was updated to 78
There was a database revision level update for this release.
Ivanti Automation 2020.2.1 release notes
Known issues
Searching for Agent results are loaded very slowly in the Automation Console
The Push communication between Dispatcher and Agent is not functioning
Resolved issues
Certificate Query task config reset to default if evaluator is also configured
What's new
Dispatcher certificate updates can be done from the Console without needing to repair agents
In version 2018.1 the communication between agent and dispatcher was changed to HTTPS with the use of a Root certificate – Ivanti Self Signed Root. The life span of this certificate was set to two years and the only way to change it was by running the Upgrade Pack again and generating a new one. This also implied the repair of all agents in the environment.
Starting with 2020.2.1, this certificate can be changed from the Console without needing to repair any agents. For more information, see the Certificate option in Other settings.
For additional instructions on changing an expiring root certificate, see this Ivanti Forums article.
Automation versions 2020.1 and newer no longer support Microsoft SQL Server 2008
If you're upgrading to Automation 2020.1 or newer and are using a Microsoft SQL Server 2008 database, upgrade your database version first.
The database revision level remains at 77
The database revision level didn't change for this release.
Ivanti Automation 2020.2 release notes
Known issues
Searching for Agent results are loaded very slowly in the Automation Console
Resolved issues
The Wake on LAN feature is not working when a job is scheduled on a specific date/time
In the Ivanti Automation Console "Choose a variable" windows does not show all variables
Importing an already existing resource is not overwritten correctly if the resource has been converted
The Deploy Automation Component task fails on the first error if a semi-colon separated list is used in the Target Computer field
The Ivanti Automation Console cannot connect to the datastore after using the 'Prepare for Image' action on that Agent
The path of the Ivanti Automation Dispatcher service in the registry doesn't contain quotes
Ivanti Automation Dispatcher(s) are unable to connect to the SQL Database after database migration
AutoCreate button for RunBook and Project parameters is missing after upgrade to Automation 2020.1
Error: "Printer driver not found in INF file" while installing a printer driver via Ivanti Automation 2020.0 or higher
The timestamp of the jobs in the Job History node are incorrect in 24 hour time notation
Filtering jobs in the "Start (local)" column of the Job history results in an empty screen
The Ivanti Automation Module Invoke Web Service does properly parse the WSDL file
The Update Ivanti Automation Agent task is not functioning
After the upgrade to Ivanti Automation 2020.1 the job result xml is missing some output
The Apply Registry task is not adding values from the @[Registry] function
Errors are displayed when a database is created using "=" or "==" at the start of your password
IBM DB2 is listed as a database server when creating a new Ivanti Automation environment
Resolving a variable with %%variable%% in a PowerShell task is not working with the Agent+
Searching for a string with the processor.exe command in Automation data does not return values for imgTasksOrig or ImgTasks fields
No results for query results task when linux agent is used
Parallel scheduling of Automation jobs is not fully functional
The layout of some of the Global Settings fields are incorrect when edited
The Agents overview reports an incorrect number of Agents if scrolling is used
Traces can't be enabled for an Agent if installed via an extracted MSI
Search for Agents is not functional when a Team is selected
Incorrect number of Agents are reported in the Ivanti Automation Console when Team and sub-team options are used in the search
The Automation Management Portal API Key field is not mandatory when Public API is Enabled
Connecting to the Dispatcher WebAPI returns the error: "The server was unable to process the request ..."
What's new
GDPR search and replace in Console
Console users can search and/or replace strings from the Job History. This was initially implemented as a command line option in processor.exe. To make this easier, we added a GDPR button the Console's Job History view, since the main purpose for this view is to anonymize data in the Job History content.
The only input required is the search string. Note that the operation can take a while depending on the size of the Job History content. Once the search is complete, you can review the search results by clicking the Results button. If there are too many entries for a Job History category, that category will not be expanded. Expand the category folder to see its content.
Click Replace all to anonymize the searched data. The string will be replaced with a new one having the same length but having only “*” in its content.
Filter job results
Console users can filter the entire Job History based on the same table headers present in the Job History view. There are some filtering capabilities in the Job History view also, but those apply only to the entries from the current page, while the new filtering will apply to the entire Job History.
Combine the filter criteria as needed and click OK to view the filtered entries. Open the filter window again to refine the filter criteria. Job History data can be unfiltered by clearing the current filter.
Secondary database password
Console users that can edit the Global Settings can now configure a secondary database password when there is a plan to change the current database password. This will automatically distribute the secondary password to all Consoles and Dispatchers in the environment. When you change the current database password, these components will then try the secondary password. If a connection with the secondary password succeeds, the main password will be overwritten on these components with the value of the secondary password.
Note that any Console or Dispatcher that was offline between the moment when the secondary password was configured and the database password got changed, will not be able to make use of the fallback mechanism and will then need a repair from a functional Console in order to recover, or a new deployment if repair is not possible.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This functionality does not cover environments set to connect to the database using Windows Authentication mode!
Preserve job result views in Console
The Job results details window will preserve its settings, if modified. Until 2020.2, each time the job results details window was opened, a standard layout was used. Starting with 2020.2, each change to the job history details window will be saved for each job source and the Console user will not need to re-arrange the columns in the Tasks or Agents tabs.
For each job result having as source a module, the current tab (Tasks or Agents) and the column width for each filed in these tabs will be saved. This will provide a consistent view experience for any job derived from that module. The same applies for jobs derived from a project or a runbook.
NOTE: Downgrading the environment to a version lower then 2020.2 or cleaning-up the user profile will remove the preserved views.
Copy-paste task, Add (task, module, project, job) and Duplicate (task, module, project, job) UI improvements in Console
Another UI improvement in Console is the way a Console use can copy-paste a task from a module to another. Until 2020.2, the “Paste” part was done after the last task within the module.
In 2020.2 this is done after the selected task. So, if you have a module with 30 tasks and want to paste a task to position 10, select task number 9 and right-click and click Paste or press Ctrl + V. Similar behavior happens when a new task is added within a module, a task is duplicated within a module, a module is added within a project, a module is duplicated withing a project, a job is added within a runbook, or a job is duplicated within a runbook.
Added support for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and SUSE 15 x86_64 Linux agents
Linux agents for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and SUSE 15 x86_64 were added to the set of available Linux agents.
Automation versions 2020.1 and newer no longer support Microsoft SQL Server 2008
If you're upgrading to Automation 2020.1 or newer and are using a Microsoft SQL Server 2008 database, upgrade your database version first.
The database revision level remains at 77
The database revision level didn't change for this release.
Ivanti Automation 2020.1.1 release
Known issues
Searching for Agent results are loaded very slowly in the Automation Console
Resolved issues
The Ivanti Automation Module Invoke Web Service doesn't properly parse the WSDL file
AutoCreate button for RunBook and Project parameters is missing after upgrade to Automation 2020.1
The Deploy Automation Component task fails on the first error if a semi-colon separated list is used in the Target Computer field
Importing an already existing resource is not overwritten correctly if the resource has been converted
The Ivanti Automation Console cannot connect to the datastore after using the 'Prepare for Image' action on that Agent
Error: "Printer driver not found in INF file" while installing a printer driver via Ivanti Automation 2020.0 or higher
The Update Ivanti Automation Agent task is not functioning
The timestamp of the jobs in the Job History node are incorrect in 24 hour time notation
Filtering jobs in the "Start (local)" column of the Job history results in an empty screen
The path of the Ivanti Automation Dispatcher service in the registry doesn't contain quotes
After the upgrade to Ivanti Automation 2020.1 the job result xml is missing some output
What's new
Automation versions 2020.1 and newer no longer support Microsoft SQL Server 2008
If you're upgrading to Automation 2020.1 or newer and are using a Microsoft SQL Server 2008 database, upgrade your database version first.
The database revision level remains at 77
The database revision level didn't change for this release.
Ivanti Automation 2020.1 release notes
Known issues
No Agents are visible in the Ivanti Automation Console after the upgrade to Automation 2020.1
Searching for Agent results are loaded very slowly in the Automation Console
Resolved issues
Ivanti Automation Agent+ still uses multicast to connect to Automation Dispatcher
After configuring Ivanti Automation Master Caching, dispatcher port 3163 is still in use
Sorting jobs on the columns Duration or Start (local) does not sort the jobs correctly in the Ivanti Automation Console
Searching in Ivanti Automation for Modules, Projects or Run Books will show incorrect results
The Automation agent.exe process is consuming a high amount of memory
Scheduling a job to an Agent results in executing a job scheduled on boot for the same Agent
Aborting a job in the Automation Management Portal results in the error "Object reference not set to an instance of an object"
Query Database statement with REPLACE function to replace a single quote on Oracle does not work
Ivanti Automation task is executed, but the status of the task is reported as Skipped
The Delete Ivanti Automation Results task is finished although the database query is still running
Unable to use an Ivanti Automation variable or parameter in Account expiration Active Directory Property
Not all parameters are shown when using a WSDL file in the Invoke Web Service Module
When using a Powershell script as an Automation resource, the variables in the Powershell script may not be updated when ran
What's new
Dropped support for Oracle, MySQL, and SQL Server 2008 database types
Customers that use the Oracle, MySQL, or SQL Server 2008 database types will not be able to upgrade their environment. These database types are no longer supported.
New .NET Framework requirement for Dispatcher
.NET Framework 4.6.1 is required on Dispatcher machines to be able to install a new Dispatcher or update an existing Dispatcher.
Data compression for active jobs and job history
In large environments, with complex and large jobs, Ivanti Automation can take a lot of disk space on the SQL server. In 2020.1, data compression was implemented for active jobs and jobs history. The column imgTasks and imgOrgTasks now contain compressed data in tblJobs, tblMasterJob (tables used for active jobs), respectively tblJobsHistory and tblMasterJobHistory (tables used for job history).
Compression ratio of ~ 90% were measured during tests.
Please be aware that new jobs or job history generated using 2020.1 will not be readable if a downgrade to a lower version is executed. Using 2020.1, compressed and uncompressed data can be processed and presented to the user in Console and Management Portal.
Added support for a new licensing method (prototype)
In the Setup > Licensing we have introduced a new tab, Ivanti License Server, where the user can configure the settings for a new licensing method. This feature is a prototype and should not be configured for the moment.
New Linux agents were added
There's now Linux agent support for SUSE v15.1 (ppc64le), CentOS v7 and v8, RedHat v8 (x86, x86/64, and ppc64le)
Extended the “View trace content in Console” functionality
Traces for the Unix/Linux agent can be enabled in the Console now. More information about the files is presented in the Console. The trace content is transferred and saved in the database server in a compressed format. More information about the trace is presented, like trace size and date modified. Also, in the Agents view in Topology, a column as added to signal if tracing is enabled on an agent.
Search by GUID in the Library view
Users can search for a Module, Project, Runbook or Resource using its GUID in the search screen.
Custom job invoker in Dispatcher webAPI
A new filed was added to the POST Jobs method - JobInvoker. Users can fill in a custom value that will be presented in the job results view in the Console, under the Who Invoked column. If no data is passed in this field, the user that authenticated the API call will be reported in Console.
Also, for jobs scheduled from Console, the Who Invoked field will report the actual user that scheduled the job. Until now the only information available was in the Job Invoker column that had a generic value of "User" when a user was scheduling a job from the Console.
Tree-view like global variables menu
If the number of global variables is greater then 20, the context menu in various places (like tasks) will no longer present the list of global variables. Instead, you can click the See more... context menu option to show a tree-view list of global variables.
Search can be done in the new global variables screen just by start typing a variable name.
Category name behaves like a folder that can be closed or expanded with a double-click.
Evaluator for Local User task
The evaluator tab was introduced for the "Local User (Query)" task. We are planning to introduce the evaluator tab to other tasks that query for data, like Printers and Registry Settings.
Extend Firewall task to accept port ranges
The Firewall task can make use of port ranges. Currently we create a new configuration entry in the Windows Firewall for each port that is part of the port range configuration. We are working in the future releases to be able to create a single Windows Firewall entry for the configured list of port and port ranges.
Lowered the default value for PowerShell output width
The PowerShell task is using a new default value for output width, 256 instead of 16386 as it used to be in previous releases. Using such a large value can generate issues if large amounts of data are saved in an output parameter.
Enhanced the WebService Invoke task
Authentication type can now be configured. The supported types are: Basic Authentication, No Authentication, Negotiate Authorization, and NTLM User Authentication. In older versions, only Basic Authentication, if security context was used, and No Authentication, if no security context was used, were the supported authentication types.
Invoke Web Service - Allow dynamic Host name
In this version of Ivanti Automation, we have introduced the possibility to make use of WSDL files that reference the web service host using a global variable. This allows for flexibility in using the configuration based on this task in other environments that make use of the same web service. Just make sure the other environment has the same Ivanti Automation global variable, having the value of another web service instance host. The Ivanti Automation Console and Ivanti Automation Agent+ will make use of the variable value while using the Test button or running the job.
Improved search for agents
In 2019.3, a new column was added in Console in the Topology view, Last Contacted Dispatcher. When a search was performed, the new column was automatically take into account, but if an agent was also installed in the dispatcher machine, the search results would return all the agents that are connected to that Dispatcher, which is not ideal if you are looking for the agent only.
In this version we have introduced a new checkbox, Include “Last Contacted Dispatcher”, by default unchecked, to have the search functionality as it was before 2019.3. If you want to see the agents connected to that Dispatcher, the new checkbox should be checked.
Various database improvements
New indexes were created, and some queries were optimized to improve the Console interaction with the database server. Related to this, we have introduced some tweaks/improvements in the Console also.
Searching for agents is limited to 500 records. A pop-up will be presented to the user, informing that only the first 500 records will be displayed, to avoid DB hammering, and suggest a filtered search that would generate less then 500 agents.
New global settings are available, Auto load large data and Auto update Agent. For more information, see the documentation for these items in Other settings.
The database revision level was updated to 77
There was a database revision level update for this release.
Ivanti Automation 2020.0 release notes
Known issues
None.
Resolved issues
Ivanti Automation Console has no option for force protocol encryption with certificate validation
Enhancement: The information about the Automation database size is better specified
Installing a Dispatcher on a machine fails from a Console with Protocol Encryption enabled
Removing Job History with the build-in task Delete Automation Jobs will not delete jobs scheduled via an external tool
Running a PowerShell command via Ivanti Automation to get the windows build numbers returns wrong information
Passwords are visible during scheduling when used in the Execute Command line
Unix/Linux Automation Agents goes offline in the Ivanti Automation Console
Ivanti Automation Linux Agent 10.9.* uses sudo to execute shell /command scripts
Already finished Job stays active in the Automation Console for several minutes
The Query Database Statement task is not executed when the password is filled in by using a Parameter or Variable
Download Unix/Linux resource fails while downloading a large resource to an Ivanti Automation 2019 or higher Unix/Linux Agent
The Automation Console can't be started if it's installed via the Deploy Automation Component task
Resizing the Ivanti Automation console changes the number of active agents
Ivanti Automation Linux agent appears offline when downloading a large resource
Sorting the scheduled jobs on Tags in the Management Portal results in the error: 'Object reference not set to an instance of an object'
What's new
MSOLEDBSQL driver support for Protocol Encryption
As per Microsoft’s statement, support for Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server (MSOLEDBSQL) was introduced in 2020.0. Stating with this version, this will be the prerequisite for being able to use the Force Protocol Encryption feature.
Having only Microsoft SQL Native Client on the machines running the Consoles and Dispatchers will keep the feature functional, but not configurable.
Starting with 2020.0, the Management Portal can also be configure to use Protocol Encryption.
View trace content in Console
Starting with 2020.0, agent traces can be activated, obtained, and deactivated from Console. This feature is available for windows agents having version 2020.0 or higher.
To use the feature, open the Agent properties, select the new tab called “Traces” and click on the “Enable” button. This will enable tracing on the selected agent. Press F5 to refresh the list of gathered trace files from the agent.
New command line option for unix/linux agent (--help or -h and –version)
In 2020.0 we have introduced a new command line option for the Unix/Linux agent.
Use “./resamad --help” or “./resamad -h” to get the help content. Use “./resamad –version” to see the agent version.
New task for changing team membership for agents
In 2020.0, a new task was introduced to change team membership for the configured agent(s). Input fields: Agent Name, Action (Add/Remove), Team(s) Name, Primary Team (Yes/No). Agent Name and Team(s) Name supports a text parameter. The parameter must be a GUID that corresponds to the Agent or Team.
New task to query team membership
In 2020.0, a new task was introduced to query the agents that are members of the specified team(s). Input fields: Team Name, Show offline agents. Output: a table with Team Name, Team GUID, Agent Name, Agent GUID, Agent State. Team Name input field supports a text parameter. The parameter must have a value of a Team GUID.
Changed default options for the command execute task
Starting with 2020.0, any new “Execute command” task will have the options “Execute command using the Windows command interpreter”, “Redirect standard output and standard error to logfiles”, and “Fail task if error log is generated” enabled by default.
Enhanced the Dispatcher WebAPI functionality (remove an agent from environment, change team membership, retrieve output parameters for a job)
Use the “removeagent” POST method to remove an agent from the environment (with or without its job history). More info can be found on the help page of the Dispatcher: http(s)://<dispatcher_address>/Dispatcher/SchedulingService/help/operations/RemoveAgent
Use the “agentmembership” POST method to change the team membership for agents. More info can be found on the help page of the Dispatcher: http(s)://<dispatcher_address>/Dispatcher/SchedulingService/ help/operations/AgentMembership
Use the “teammembership” POST method to change the agent members for a the specified team(s). More info can be found on the help page of the Dispatcher: http(s)://<dispatcher_address>/Dispatcher/SchedulingService/ help/operations/TeamMembership
Use the “outputparameters” GET method to get the output parameters for a specific job. More info can be found on the help page of the Dispatcher: http(s)://<dispatcher_address>/Dispatcher/SchedulingService/help/operations/GetOutputParms
The database revision level was updated to 75
There was a database revision level update for this release.