Horizontal scaling of database agent

Question

According to the release notes for 9.X we are supposed to install the database agent on a job server with the update role. That forces only one database agent to run in the system. In the knowledge base article support.oneidentity.com/.../database-agent-is-required-for-9-0-lts , it is mentioned that we can have multiple job servers deployed with a database agent for resiliency purposes. Which one is correct here? Does running multiple database agents, if possible, also mean that you are horizontally scaling? 
 
 Thanks, 
 
 Rodney

Andreas Finsterbusch · Accepted Answer

The release notes are correct. 
 The database agents purpose is to orchestrate the data processing. The processing itself is done by the SQL Server. There is no horizontally scaling across multiple database agents as they are only managing the data processing. 
 If you run multiple instances of the database agents, only one will obtain the proper locks and be the active one. The others will continuously try to obtain the locks. Every time the locks are released a race between the instances for the new locks will start. This causes the logs of the active instance to be scattered across all instances.

Horizontal scaling of database agent

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