What happens when multiple agent configuration files are created and put alongside the main configuration.yaml?

The Instana agent is designed to support a modular configuration by using multiple YAML files. The agent processes these files in a specific, deterministic order. It always reads the main configuration.yaml file first. After that, it reads all other .yaml files located in the same directory in alphabetical order. This sequential loading process effectively merges the settings. If a configuration key is defined in more than one file, the value from the last file read will be the one that is used.

A. This is incorrect because the main configuration.yaml is always processed first, regardless of its alphabetical position relative to other files. The remaining files are then processed alphabetically.

B. This is incorrect. The agent is explicitly designed to find and process all .yaml files in its configuration directory to build its final configuration.

D. This is incorrect. The ability to use multiple configuration files is a documented feature of the Instana agent, intended to improve the manageability of complex configurations.

1. IBM Documentation for Instana Observability: Configuring the Host Agent. In the section describing the configuration.yaml file, the documentation states, "It is possible to split the configuration into multiple files for better manageability... All .yaml files in this directory will be merged in alphabetical order. The main configuration.yaml file will be loaded first, and then other files will be loaded. If the same key exists in multiple files, the value from the last loaded file takes precedence." This confirms that files are read sequentially (loaded) in a specific order (main first, then alphabetical) and that later values override earlier ones.