Advanced ETL Processor Execution Agent runs scheduled packages, transformations, imports, and SQL scripts as a Microsoft Windows service. Use it when ETL work must run unattended, especially on servers where nobody should be logged in just to keep a job alive.
What You Will Learn
- Understand what Execution Agent runs in Advanced ETL Processor Enterprise.
- Install or reinstall the Agent Windows service when needed.
- Check the service account, licence, and repository access before unattended runs.
- Use UNC paths instead of mapped drives for files and logs.
Before You Start
Confirm repository access, service permissions, and file paths before unattended execution. A scheduled job cannot click through a surprise login prompt.
Execution Agent Docs
The Execution Agent documentation explains how the Agent runs scheduled packages, transformations, imports, and SQL scripts as a Windows service in the Enterprise edition.
For setup, review installing Execution Agent and command line installation. Advanced ETL Processor uses aetlagent.exe /INSTALL to register the service.
If the service is already installed and needs a clean setup, use the uninstall instructions first. Run install and uninstall commands as administrator, because Windows services are not impressed by polite requests.
Before relying on unattended execution, check Agent status, licence availability, and the Windows user running the service. The docs also note that mapped drives should be replaced with UNC paths.
For scheduled production work, pair this page with Understanding Scheduler and the Execution Log.
Need Advanced ETL Processor First?
Download the Advanced ETL Processor trial before following the tutorial, or review Enterprise if you need scheduled unattended execution.