Skip to main content
A Central gives an agent a container with the command-line tools it needs. Each task that uses it gets its own temporary environment, without requiring a Host.

​
Choose the right tool

An agent can have a Host, several Centrals and plugins. Describe each Central’s purpose so that the task can choose an appropriate command environment. The tool selection guide explains when plugins fit better than shell commands.
Central is off by default. Ask your installation administrator to enable it through Feature toggles and prepare the execution environment. Administrators create configurations, activate versions and run checks. Users and auditors can inspect configurations and results in organizations they can access.

​
Create a configuration

1

Open Central

Choose Add Central and enter a name and description, such as Cloud operations and Tools for the production cloud account.
2

Start from an example

Choose Kubernetes example or Swarm example, or import your YAML or JSON manifest.
3

Choose your image

Use an image containing the required tools, pinned to its immutable SHA-256 digest.
4

Validate the draft

Choose Validate and correct any errors reported in the editor.
5

Save the first version

Choose Create Central. Saving does not start a container or test its tools.
The manifest supports one Kubernetes Pod, one Kubernetes Deployment template or one Compose service. Keep the example’s schema declaration and security settings. Multiple containers, custom startup commands, volumes and privileged settings are not supported. Validation checks the configuration format. It does not check registry access, image compatibility or whether commands can run.

​
Add credentials and packages

Use the credential picker to map an environment variable, such as GITHUB_TOKEN, to a saved Secret or Vault path, then choose Add mapping. The manifest keeps a reference to the credential, not its value. Do not paste tokens into the manifest. An image can already contain all its tools. Alternatively, declare exact package versions in the manifest; Additional packages shows those in the selected version. Packages are installed into temporary storage before task credentials arrive. No new image is published. The image must already contain the matching package manager. Use a prepared image for tools that need installation scripts or system services. Merge the matching fragment into your existing manifest, preserving its image and security settings. This example installs a Python package; choose the exact package and version your tools require.
Add the annotation to the top-level Pod or Deployment metadata:
Choose Validate, save the version and test it below.

​
Test and activate a saved version

1

Select the version

Choose a Saved version in the action bar. Unsaved manifest edits are not part of the test.
2

Choose where commands run

Leave Cluster (optional) at No cluster (default) for local execution, or select a configured cluster in the organization.
3

Activate the settings

Choose Save settings to use the selected configuration for new tasks.
4

Run the check

In Dry run, choose Test to test commands in a temporary container and check that it is removed afterwards.
The installation supplies the command runtime automatically. You do not need to enter another runtime image. The test uses no task credentials. Changing the selected configuration invalidates the previous result. A disabled test explains what is missing. Deployment requirements are separate: Kubernetes and Docker Swarm.

​
Assign agents

Create agents from Agents and select their Centrals. Assign to Central adds an existing agent without removing its other Central assignments. Host-based CSV and JSON exports exclude Central-only agents; manage these assignments in Command Center. A task starts its Central container when it first needs it, then reuses that container. Its selected environment remains fixed for the task, including continuations. Configuration changes apply to new tasks. Create a new task when changing an existing task’s command environment.

​
Keep versions and resolve failures

Save Changes creates a new version while preserving earlier versions. Compare with shows an older version alongside the editor. Export downloads the current editor content. If another administrator saved first, reload the saved version before trying again.
If a command’s outcome is unknown, check its effect before trying again. If container termination is unconfirmed, inspect the workload before recording termination evidence in Maintenance.

​
Execution limits

Output limits measure raw output. Interactive terminals and background jobs are unavailable in Central. Use a Host when the workflow needs those capabilities.