---
title: Agent Cache Mechanism
slug: kronpam-how-to-guides/agent-cache-mechanism
docTags: 
createdAt: 2025-03-18T12:06:25.248Z
---

The AAPM Agent is designed to securely manage passwords between applications. It enables
 applications to access secure and dynamically updated passwords instead of hardcoded
 credentials. This enhances security while centralizing password management.

The agent functions as a layer between the application and the Kron PAM Password Vault. It can
 be installed on Linux and Windows environments or deployed as a container on Kubernetes &
 OpenShift platforms.

To report its operational status, the agent communicates with Kron PAM at regular intervals via 
heartbeat logs. This allows the agent’s status to be monitored directly from Kron PAM.

Instead of sending every request to Kron PAM, the agent utilizes a caching mechanism to serve 
requests based on stored cache data. The cache duration is determined by the application’s 
request. When an application requests access to an account, the agent retrieves the password 
from the Kron PAM Password Vault on the first request. Subsequent requests are then served 
directly from the agent’s cache.

The validity status of the cached password is checked based on configurable parameters. There 
are two modes for status validation. The first is **Regular mode**, which periodically verifies the 
password's validity at set intervals. The second is the **Intensive mode**, which increases the 
frequency of validation checks as the password change time approaches. Both modes can be 
adjusted based on parameterized time intervals. The transition to Intensive mode is determined 
by the** bufferInSeconds** parameter.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/g9cApVza9NIhSh0pjZYtA/eDyflv6SxOK2cZLDrEdz__image.png "Password Status Check")