Cayosoft Administrator processes running

Summary: This article explains why Cayosoft Administrator has multiple Cayo.PolicyManager.exe processes running.

Applies to: Cayosoft Administrator 8.x or later

Overview

By default, in the Task Manager Processes tab, you can see up to 6 Cayosoft Administrator processes running on the machine where Cayosoft Administrator Service installed. On the Task Manager Details tab, the process name is Cayo.PolicyManager.exe.

The process that starts first and has the Cayosoft Administrator Service child process is the Main process.

• The Main process handles changes in product configuration, validates connections to external systems, performs access checks, coordinates and controls rules, web queries, and web action executions by other processes.

• The Main process also caches frequently used information and serves these caches to other processes.

• To validate connection settings, the Main session hosts the PowerShell execution engine, loads all required PowerShell modules, and opens connections to all the connected systems like Active Directory, Entra ID, etc. except to those that strictly restrict the number of possible connections.

Other processes handle rules executions and are called Client Sessions.

• The Client Session process hosts the PowerShell execution engine, loads all required PowerShell modules, opens connections to all the connected systems, and executes reporting and automation rules, web queries, and web actions on schedule or when requested.

• Full Client Session can execute a rule that operates with any connected systems. In a typical hybrid environment, these rules operate with on-prem Active Directory, Entra ID, Microsoft Graph, Exchange Server, and Exchange Online, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, etc.

• Limited Client Session can execute a rule that only operates with a limited set of systems. In a typical hybrid environment, these rules operate with on-prem Active Directory, Entra ID, Microsoft Graph.

RAM Requirements

Depending on the number of enabled extensions and the size of the environment, the Main process typically consumes 500MB of RAM or higher, and the Client Session typically consumes 250MB of RAM or higher, Thus, the minimum RAM requirements for Cayosoft Administrator is 16 GB, with up to 32Gb recommended on bigger environments, see Hardware Requirements.

RAM consumption would go up and down, depending on the rules executed by the Cayosoft Administrator Service and the number of objects to process. For example, many hybrid rules like AD Users | Enforce License have to pre-load required cloud users with their assigned licenses to map to on-prem user accounts and compare current licenses with the licenses configured in the rule. Another example is the Analytics Collection runbook which also loads a lot of data.

RAM Consumption Control and Session Process Recycling

Cayosoft Administrator has built-in mechanisms to prevent memory leaks and ensure optimal performance. Since the product relies on multiple external modules, these modules may occasionally introduce issues or defects, leading to excessive RAM usage. To mitigate this risk, Cayosoft Administrator includes safeguards to manage RAM consumption and keep the Administrator Service responsive, even if a specific function or rule begins to use excessive memory.

The service continuously monitors RAM usage for both the Main and Client Session processes, comparing it to the total available physical RAM. If consumption exceeds a defined threshold, the service automatically restarts either the Client Session or Main process to prevent further degradation. When a restart occurs, the system logs events 6221 and 6222 in the Application event log, providing an audit trail for these actions.

Related articles

• How to configure Cayosoft Administrator and AD Domain Controllers for increased parallel web actions