[JENKINS-39231] WinSW: Automatically terminate runaway processes in Windows services

[jenkins-infra-bot]

In Jenkins projects we have many users complaining that the slave/agent is "already connected", because they have a runaway slave/agent process. It happens when WinSW gets terminated without executing the process shutdown logic (force kill) or when WinSW fails to terminate the process.

As a part of WinSW 2.0, it would be great to create a logic, which...

• records PID of the created process to the disc
• performs status check of the previously spawned process upon restart
• terminates the runaway process if required

It can be done via WinSW 2 "plugin"
Issue: winsw/winsw#125

---

Originally reported by oleg_nenashev, imported from: WinSW: Automatically terminate runaway processes in Windows services

• assignee: oleg_nenashev
• status: Resolved
• priority: Major
• component(s): core
• label(s): winsw
• resolution: Fixed
• resolved: 2017-03-13T16:01:07+00:00
• votes: 4
• watchers: 7
• imported: 2025-11-24

Raw content of original issue

In Jenkins projects we have many users complaining that the slave/agent is "already connected", because they have a runaway slave/agent process. It happens when WinSW gets terminated without executing the process shutdown logic (force kill) or when WinSW fails to terminate the process.

As a part of WinSW 2.0, it would be great to create a logic, which...


	
records PID of the created process to the disc
	
performs status check of the previously spawned process upon restart
	
terminates the runaway process if required



It can be done via WinSW 2 "plugin"
Issue: winsw/winsw#125

1 attachment

• Slave errors

[jenkins-infra-bot]

• Remote links associated with this issue:

  • winsw/issues/125
  • WinSW Pull 133

[jenkins-infra-bot]

mariem_baccar:

• Original comment link
• Raw content of original comment:

  I have the same issue with the slave "agent is already connected"". you find attached the whole meassage. I think that this issue decreases the performance of jenkins because it consumes a lot CPU. We are waiting for your help!
  

I have the same issue with the slave "agent is already connected"". you find attached the whole meassage. I think that this issue decreases the performance of jenkins because it consumes a lot CPU. We are waiting for your help!

[jenkins-infra-bot]

oleg_nenashev:

• Original comment link
• Raw content of original comment:

  So there is a pul request for this feature: [Issue #125] Runaway process termination on startup winsw/winsw#133
  The pull request also references the release on GitHub with the binary file for evaluation: [Issue #125] Runaway process termination on startup winsw/winsw#133
  

So there is a pul request for this feature: winsw/winsw#133
The pull request also references the release on GitHub with the binary file for evaluation: winsw/winsw#133

[jenkins-infra-bot]

mariem_baccar:

• Original comment link
• Raw content of original comment:

  
  	
  This problem is related to JENKINS-39078: There is a problem in Docker Slave Plugin 1.0.5 (Fix: jenkinsci/docker-slaves-plugin@4519291). So, you can uninstall this plugin if it's not needed.
  	
  You must be careful. This plugin is also responsible of many other bugs (JENKINS-39214, docker compose fails after scrutation...)
  
  
  

• This problem is related to JENKINS-39078: There is a problem in Docker Slave Plugin 1.0.5 (Fix: jenkinsci/docker-slaves-plugin@4519291). So, you can uninstall this plugin if it's not needed.
• You must be careful. This plugin is also responsible of many other bugs (JENKINS-39214, docker compose fails after scrutation...)

[jenkins-infra-bot]

oleg_nenashev:

• Original comment link
• Raw content of original comment:

  mariem_baccar Not sure how your comment is related to Windows Service wrapper. Have you modified the wrong issue?
  

mariem_baccar Not sure how your comment is related to Windows Service wrapper. Have you modified the wrong issue?

[jenkins-infra-bot]

mariem_baccar:

• Original comment link
• Raw content of original comment:

  I am modifying the right issue.You will find below more explications for my problem related to slave:
  -Before installing the plugin "Docker Slave v1.0.5", the slave operates correctly without any problems.
  -After installing this plugin, I encountered many problems. One of them is about slave: I always get this message "slave agent is already connected". For more details, you find attached the whole message.
  Finally, I discover that this plugin recently installed is the source of all my new problems in Jenkins 2.19.1 LTS. After uninstalling this one, all problems are resolved.
  

I am modifying the right issue.You will find below more explications for my problem related to slave:
-Before installing the plugin "Docker Slave v1.0.5", the slave operates correctly without any problems.
-After installing this plugin, I encountered many problems. One of them is about slave: I always get this message "slave agent is already connected". For more details, you find attached the whole message.
Finally, I discover that this plugin recently installed is the source of all my new problems in Jenkins 2.19.1 LTS. After uninstalling this one, all problems are resolved.

[jenkins-infra-bot]

oleg_nenashev:

• Original comment link
• Raw content of original comment:

  mariem_baccar I'm pretty sure you're modifying the wrong issue. This is a Feature Request to the Windows Service Wrapper, which has nothing to do with the problem you describe. 
  
  If you see the "slave agent is already connected" issue only after the Docker Slaves installation, please comment in  JENKINS-28492  or create another issue to Docker Slaves plugin
  

mariem_baccar I'm pretty sure you're modifying the wrong issue. This is a Feature Request to the Windows Service Wrapper, which has nothing to do with the problem you describe.

If you see the "slave agent is already connected" issue only after the Docker Slaves installation, please comment in JENKINS-28492 or create another issue to Docker Slaves plugin

[jenkins-infra-bot]

krogan:

• Original comment link
• Raw content of original comment:

  Jenkins master is on 2.32.1
  Master and slaves running Win2012
  The symptoms sound very familiar to a problem where we've had a jenkins slave up.... then we reboot the windows server (slave).
  When the server returns and the slave is automatically started, it hangs around for about 30secs then terminates connection which kills our job.
  We've also witnessed the hosting windows service winsw 1.17 (which auto upgrades to 1.18) bombs out but leaves the java process running.
  The java process is still keeping the slave active to the master for an indiscriminate amount of time (anywhere between 20secs to 2hrs) before eventually dying of its own accord, with no fresh jobs sent or interaction with the windows service.
  

Jenkins master is on 2.32.1
Master and slaves running Win2012
The symptoms sound very familiar to a problem where we've had a jenkins slave up.... then we reboot the windows server (slave).
When the server returns and the slave is automatically started, it hangs around for about 30secs then terminates connection which kills our job.
We've also witnessed the hosting windows service winsw 1.17 (which auto upgrades to 1.18) bombs out but leaves the java process running.
The java process is still keeping the slave active to the master for an indiscriminate amount of time (anywhere between 20secs to 2hrs) before eventually dying of its own accord, with no fresh jobs sent or interaction with the windows service.

[jenkins-infra-bot]

oleg_nenashev:

• Original comment link
• Raw content of original comment:

  krogan Smells like another issue. 
  Anyway, makes sense to retest after the WinSW 2 integration. You can install the new Windows service wrapper manually
  

krogan Smells like another issue.
Anyway, makes sense to retest after the WinSW 2 integration. You can install the new Windows service wrapper manually

[jenkins-infra-bot]

scm_issue_link:

• Original comment link
• Raw content of original comment:

  Code changed in jenkins
  User: Oleg Nenashev
  Path:
   src/main/resources/org/jenkinsci/modules/windows_slave_installer/jenkins-slave.xml
  http://jenkins-ci.org/commit/windows-slave-installer-module/8dcf02da16e7c95c67c7de95fd078089a8ecf8df
  Log:
    JENKINS-39231 - Integrate the Runaway Process Killer extension to terminate runaway processes
  
  
  

Code changed in jenkins
User: Oleg Nenashev
Path:
src/main/resources/org/jenkinsci/modules/windows_slave_installer/jenkins-slave.xml
http://jenkins-ci.org/commit/windows-slave-installer-module/8dcf02da16e7c95c67c7de95fd078089a8ecf8df
Log:
JENKINS-39231 - Integrate the Runaway Process Killer extension to terminate runaway processes

[jenkins-infra-bot]

scm_issue_link:

• Original comment link
• Raw content of original comment:

  Code changed in jenkins
  User: Oleg Nenashev
  Path:
   core/pom.xml
   core/src/main/resources/windows-service/jenkins-slave.xml
   core/src/main/resources/windows-service/jenkins.xml
   war/pom.xml
  http://jenkins-ci.org/commit/jenkins/e698d1de41d4311bf5f8b1d2c40b591109e696e2
  Log:
    Update Windows Agent Installer to 1.7 and WinSW to 2.0.2 (#2765)
  
  
  	
  
  	
  
  		
  
  		
  
  			
  WinSW changes
  		
  		
  	
  	
  
  
  
  The update includes many fixes and improvements, the full list is provided in the [WinSW changelog](https://github.com/kohsuke/winsw/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md). There are several issues referenced in Jenkins bugtracker:
  
  
  	
  JENKINS-22692(https://issues.jenkins-ci.org/browse/JENKINS-22692) - Connection reset issues when WinSW gets terminated due to the system shutdown
  	
  JENKINS-23487(https://issues.jenkins-ci.org/browse/JENKINS-23487)- Support of shared directories in WinSW
  	
  JENKINS-39231(https://issues.jenkins-ci.org/browse/JENKINS-39231) - Enable Runaway Process Killer by default
  	
  JENKINS-39237(https://issues.jenkins-ci.org/browse/JENKINS-39237) - Auto-upgrade of JNLP agent versions on the slaves
  
  
  
  
  	
  
  	
  
  		
  
  		
  
  			
  Windows Agent Installer changes
  		
  		
  	
  	
  
  
  
  
  	
  Adapt the default configurations to pick fixes above
  	
  Slave => Agent renaming where possible
  
  
  
  
  	
  
  	
  
  		
  
  		
  
  			
  Jenkins core changes
  		
  		
  	
  	
  
  
  
  
  	
  Modify the configuration template, reference advanced options
  	
  Enable Runaway Process Killer by default
  
  
  
  
  	
  Update Windows Agent Installer to 1.7
  
  
  
  
  	
  Remove the obsolete jenkins-slave.xml file from the core.
  
  
  
  Now it is within windows-slave-installer
  
  
  	
  Use the deployed Snapshot for CI
  
  
  
  
  	
  Pick the release version of windows-slave-installer-1.7
  
  
  
  
  

Code changed in jenkins
User: Oleg Nenashev
Path:
core/pom.xml
core/src/main/resources/windows-service/jenkins-slave.xml
core/src/main/resources/windows-service/jenkins.xml
war/pom.xml
http://jenkins-ci.org/commit/jenkins/e698d1de41d4311bf5f8b1d2c40b591109e696e2
Log:
Update Windows Agent Installer to 1.7 and WinSW to 2.0.2 (#2765)

1. 1. 1. WinSW changes

The update includes many fixes and improvements, the full list is provided in the [WinSW changelog](https://github.com/kohsuke/winsw/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md). There are several issues referenced in Jenkins bugtracker:

• JENKINS-22692(https://issues.jenkins-ci.org/browse/JENKINS-22692) - Connection reset issues when WinSW gets terminated due to the system shutdown
• JENKINS-23487(https://issues.jenkins-ci.org/browse/JENKINS-23487)- Support of shared directories in WinSW
• JENKINS-39231(https://issues.jenkins-ci.org/browse/JENKINS-39231) - Enable Runaway Process Killer by default
• JENKINS-39237(https://issues.jenkins-ci.org/browse/JENKINS-39237) - Auto-upgrade of JNLP agent versions on the slaves

1. 1. 1. Windows Agent Installer changes

• Adapt the default configurations to pick fixes above
• Slave => Agent renaming where possible

1. 1. 1. Jenkins core changes

• Modify the configuration template, reference advanced options
• Enable Runaway Process Killer by default

• Update Windows Agent Installer to 1.7

• Remove the obsolete jenkins-slave.xml file from the core.

Now it is within windows-slave-installer

• Use the deployed Snapshot for CI

• Pick the release version of windows-slave-installer-1.7

[jenkins-infra-bot]

oleg_nenashev:

• Original comment link
• Raw content of original comment:

  Released in Jenkins 2.50. See the upgrade guidelines for more info
  

Released in Jenkins 2.50. See the upgrade guidelines for more info

[jenkins-infra-bot]

[Original is_duplicated_by from Jira: JENKINS-29825]

[jenkins-infra-bot]

[Original relates_to from Jira: JENKINS-24155]