An Instana host agent deployed in a corporate network cannot reach the on-premises backend because all outbound HTTPS traffic must pass through an authenticated proxy server. The agent is installed on Linux. Where must the proxy configuration be specified to ensure the agent routes its traffic correctly?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation and Infographic
The Instana host agent reads proxy settings from its own configuration.yaml file, where administrators can specify the proxy hostname, port, and authentication credentials for proxies that require them. Relying solely on system environment variables such as HTTP_PROXY may not work reliably because the agent service process may not inherit those variables depending on how the systemd service is configured. Using the agent configuration file guarantees that proxy settings are applied at the agent application level regardless of the service startup method.
Full explanation below image
Full Explanation
The Instana host agent reads proxy settings from its own configuration.yaml file, where administrators can specify the proxy hostname, port, and authentication credentials for proxies that require them. Relying solely on system environment variables such as HTTP_PROXY may not work reliably because the agent service process may not inherit those variables depending on how the systemd service is configured. Using the agent configuration file guarantees that proxy settings are applied at the agent application level regardless of the service startup method. The correct answer is 'In the Instana agent configuration file located at /opt/instana/agent/etc/instana/configuration.yaml'. The incorrect options — 'In the system-wide /etc/environment file using the standard HTTP_PROXY and HTTPS_PROXY environment variables', 'Using iptables NAT redirect rules to transparently forward agent TCP connections to the proxy', 'In the Java startup flag overrides within the Instana agent systemd service unit file' — are wrong because they do not align with IBM Instana's architecture or recommended practices for this scenario. Understanding this concept is essential for the Domain 3: Installation domain of the IBM Instana Observability certification.