To introduce a static runner to the server, it goes through the Adoption Workflow. This allows the operator the ability to approve static runners before they're sent jobs to run.

Waypoint static runners can exist in various states depending on how they are initially installed into a platform. Most will move from Pending to Adopted to Rejected states during their entire lifecycle.

Preadopted Static Runners

When creating a new static runner, it is possible to generate the runner token and install a static runner with the token on its initial installation. These runners are then able to immediately recieve jobs from the Waypoint server when they start. They also skip the Pending state to directly enter the Preadopted state.

Preadopted static runners may be moved into the Rejected state like other runners by issuing the waypoint runner reject command. If a preadopted static runner is rejected, a new runner token must be created for the runner before it is allowed to receive jobs again.

Pending Static Runners

The Pending runner state is the default state which newly installed static runners will be in, as they have yet to receive a runner token from the server. Static runners in this state can talk to a Waypoint server but will not receive jobs to run. Static runners will also show up in this state if they are forgotten about by the server with the waypoint runner forget command.

When in the Pending state, static runners may be moved into the Adopted state by issuing the waypoint runner adopt command with the desired Runner ID.

Runners automatically skip this state if they are in the Preadopted state.

Adopted Static Runners

Static runners adopted with waypoint runner adopt will store a runner token received by the server in their configured state directory, which is local to the static runner itself. Once a static runner has been adopted, it may start receiving job assignments from the Waypoint server as usual.

Rejected Runners

When a user rejects a Waypoint runner with the waypoint runner reject command, the rejected runner is no longer able to receive job assignments from the Waypoint server.

Rejected runners will continue to appear in the list of runners that the server knows about so that subsequent requests by this same runner are ignored.

Rejecting a runner does not invalidate its token. If a rejected runner is forgotten the previously rejected runner may reconnect to the server as long as its token is not expired. This runner will be able to accept jobs as if it were never rejected in the first place.

Runner Tokens

Runner tokens are special tokens which can only be used by runners to recieve job assignments from the Waypoint server. These tokens cannot be revoked, only rejected through the waypoint runner reject command. By default runner tokens are valid for 30 days and upon expiring they will need to be recreated with waypoint runner token. Runners must then be restarted with the new token to receive job assignments again. Token expirations may be altered when generating a runner token with waypoint runner token.

The Waypoint runner will look for the token in two places before requesting a new token from the Waypoint server. First, the runner will look in its state directory for a token file containing a Waypoint runner token. If a token file doesn't exist then the Waypoint Runner will look in the WAYPOINT_SERVER_TOKEN environment variable. If both of these locations do not contain a token then the Waypoint Runner enters the Pending state and an adoption request is sent to the server for a user to manually adopt. Runners adopted store the received token within the token file in the runner's state directory.

See Additional Runners for more information about Waypoint Runner installation.