--- title: "Introduction to Agents" slug: "introduction-to-agents" description: "This document provides an introduction to Agents and how they can be used by Decisions to communicate with a client-server that is secured by firewall. Downloading the Agent onto both the local server and the client-server, will allow Decisions access to files on the protected server, without having to configure firewall settings. The document provides a diagram of the two servers communicating, and explains how the process works through a \"How it Works\" section. " updated: 2026-04-07T19:30:22Z published: 2026-04-07T19:30:22Z --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://documentation.decisions.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Introduction to Agents ## Overview **Decisions****Agent**allows communication with a **Client**-**server**that is secured via a Firewall. The **Agent**is downloaded onto a local server and then installed on the **Client****server**. This allows Decisions access to the files from the Client machine via the Agent. Where applicable, in instances where a Firewall is present, it will not need to be adjusted.Upgrade NoteUpgrading from Decisions v8 to v9 does not require recreating the Agent. Only the matching ASP.NET Core Hosting Bundle must be installed on the Agent machine. --- ## Server – Client communications with Agent The following diagram demonstrates communication between a****Decisions server and a Client machine when an **Agent** is installed. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/image-1692884788161.png) --- ## How It Works **Administrators**can define a **Decisions Management Agent** on a particular Decisions server. Doing so creates an install package in the form of a .**zip**file that contains an executable **File DecisionsAgent.msi** file, as well as the **AgentSettings.xml** and **PortalPublicKey.key** files. This executable can then be run on a target machine to install the Decisions Management Agent. The Agent contains the **IP****address**of the Decisions server where it was created; the Agent contacts that Decisions server via **TCP/IP** to listen for instructions. The Decisions server can then tell the Agent to do a particular Active Directory task, such as fetching the Users or Groups. The Agent receives the **Active Directory** server information from the Decisions server. It must connect to the Active Directory server as a machine on the Active Directory domain. A username and password combination, referred to as "Elevated" credentials, would be input by the Active Directory Administrator to allow the Agent to make its requested queries of the specified Active Directory domain server. The **Elevated User Name** is stored in the Decisions database, and the **Elevated User Password** is stored in encrypted form in the Decisions database, but it is unencrypted in RAM when being used. The Agent carries out the Active Directory request and returns the resulting output to its Decisions server via an API call to the Decisions server's AgentService. ## --- ## Port Communication - The Agent uses Port 4502 to talk directly to its Decisions host server. The reverse communication path (Agent client to Decisions Application Server) is what needs to be opened. On the Decisions Server, a Firewall Rule should be added to allow incoming connections on Ports 4502-4534. Once that is in place, restarting the Agent should put it in Live Connection mode. If the Agent cannot connect to its HostServer on Port 4502, then it will use a polling mode on Port 80/443 instead. - The Client Machine communicates with the Server through Port 80 (if the server is set up for HTTP), or the Client Machine communicates through Port 443 (if the Server is set up for HTTPS). Therefore, Port 80 or 443 should be open for outbound connections on the Client's Firewall. - The server communicates with a Client through the range of 4502-4534 Ports (the first in the range that is not in use). Decisions Management Agent local service on the Client Machine must have permissions for the inbound connections on the Client’s Firewall. --- | Feature Details | | --- | | **Introduced in Version** | -- | | **Modified in Version** | 8.11 | | **Modifications** | **LogSettings.json** file is moved from ***C:\Program Files (x86)\FileStorage\**********Primary\Settings*** to ***C:\Program Files (x86)\Decisions Agent***. | ## [Logs](/v8/docs/logging-overview) To help Users track and identify any issues with their **Agents**, the **Decisions****Agent**Folder provides a **Log**tracking system. Users can also use **LogSettings.json** located at ***C:\Program Files (x86)\Decisions Agent*** to control the behavior of logging events at the Local level within the File System. Log Category Settings, like Category Name or Level, can be adjusted in this file. For more information, refer to [LogSettings.json](https://documentation.decisions.com/docs/logging-overview?highlight=log%20sett). ![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/2021-04-30_10h51_23.png) Similar to other Logging in Decisions, Agents display Logs in the order of **LogNumber**, **TimeStamp**, **Level**, **LevelName**, **Category**, **Message**, **ThreadId**, and details of the **Exception**. These elements can be read and used to understand why there may be any problems with the Agent or any of its processes. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/2021-04-30_10h48_50.png) --- ## Accessing Agent Logs from Decisions Note on ExampleThe following example requires that a User has set up and is using an Agent. For more information regarding Agent setup, see [Agent Setup and Testing.](https://documentation.decisions.com/docs/agent-setup-and-testing) If a User wishes to access the **Agent****Logs**from within **Decisions**, they must: 1. From the **Decisions****Studio**, navigate to**System > Designers > Agents**. 2. Open the respective Agent's **Folder**. 3. From the Agent's Folder, right-click one of the items in the **Deployed Agents Report**, then select **Get Agent Log**.![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/2024-11-22_13h20_52.png) 4. After selecting Get Agent Log, view the resulting Logs by navigating to the Folder View for the Agent by clicking the **FOLDER VIEW** tab. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/2024-11-22_13h23_57.png) --- For further information on Integrations, visit the [Decisions Forum](https://community.decisions.com/categories/Integrations).