IBM Workload Automation Reviews

Workload automation (WLA) these days is no static business. It’s all about running the right workload sequence, at the right time, often triggered by a variety of possible (combination of) events. For instance, we use this principle for running a daily Oracle backup workload batch, which (per backup) involves different systems that in real time have to exchange certain real-time information to be able to successfully end and register the backup in RMAN. Therefore, we use complex event rules that monitor events during the backup process, take care of passing the desired info from one system to the other, and dynamically submit certain jobs that cannot not be defined in advance.

ERP (SAP) connectivity: Thanks to this technology, we were able to fully integrate SAP OS, ABAP and BI (proceschain) workloads with non-SAP workloads, so that a complete business process involving SAP and non-SAP systems could be modelled within one TWS batch. Example: a non-SAP MFT job delivering data @ SAP-PI; in-time PI channel trigger modifies the data for next job; SAP ABAP job works the data into the system involved.

Conditional Branching: WLA often is about critical paths that determine if a batch will be able to end just in time. For instance, C.B. makes it possible to dynamically decide if parts of a predefined batch can or should run in sequence or parallel, depending on the outcome of a certain measured condition, therefore able to meet end-time requirements, even when parts of the batch encounter delay.

HA-DR implementation: No system engineers are required to realize value from these resources @ the application level. TWS makes it possible to use resources, provided at the Application Management level, to meet business requirements for high availability and disaster recovery (HA-DR). We use these resources a lot, not only in case of disaster (e.g., scheduling plan breakdown on master manager; switch to backup-master manager management), but also when TWS management systems in one DC need technical maintenance. In that scenario, we simply switch all our TWS management activities to backup counterparts in another DC, that silently have received up-to-date data from message broadcasts within the TWS network.

The tool made it possible to automate the technical workflow within complex business process models, within a heterogeneous network hierarchy, consisting of fault-tolerant distributed agents, managed by (master-)management agents.

The tool made it possible to fully automate actual job-workflows that represent complex end-to-end business process models (BPM’s). Those workflows run on systems that reside in a distributed, heterogeneous, logical agent-network (fault-tolerant, ‘extended’, SAP R/3, SAP BI and even cloud/dynamic (e.g. Salesforce, Microsoft SQL) brooker agents).

This agent-network itself is managed by (master-)management fault-tolerant agents that periodically provide all the agents in the network with a static (predefined) scheduling plan for a certain future period of time, and also house a so called event-processor, that is able to have the master-management agent submit just-in-time defined workload into the actual running BPM, as a result from detected events within the network.

We are using IBM Workload Automation to run batch operations. The development teams batches, and the team that makes a plan and schedules the batches to be executed, and keep track of the summary of the batches. So we can say that we use it for batch operations in bulk.

I think stability and running the batch apps while keeping track of them, since otherwise, it is impossible to keep track of them easily, are the valuable features of the solution.

The event notification feature is beneficial since it allows for prompt and immediate notification in relation to any errors occurring in the system.

The IBM scheduler allows for easy and seamless execution of the automated tasks in order to ensure data processing.

We use the solution for network automation.

Your teammates handle all BMC products. IBM also offers API features, but you can't easily write scripts in Python or JSON like you can with Control-M. In Control-M, you can use languages like C++, Visual C++, Python, or others to create APIs. You can also easily convert those APIs into plugins.

• Seamless integration with different applications like Oracle, SAP, Hadoop, JMS etc.
• Web console with single sign on feature.
• TWS as a tool has features that integrate with different applications and backend technologies, as mentioned, to run the jobs more native to the platform. Say, for example, if I would like to trigger a SAP job from TWS scheduler, I can specify most of the parameters from the TWS forms. As an enterprise scheduler, I have more control over most of the enterprise applications to which it is connected to.

Improved migration/upgrade features helped us to reduce the time of upgrade.

• Support for multiplatform workload automation in a single solution
• Versatility of plan-based and event-triggered scheduling in a single solution

Our firm supports batch processing across many platforms from mainframe to iSeries and open systems. TWS enables consolidation of disparate workloads in a single database, removing the need for engineered interfaces between platforms and enabling simpler job to job dependencies and end to end management and monitoring of workloads.

As a business we are slowly transitioning from legacy type apps and scripts jobs to web running jobs, via web services. IBM Workload Automation has supported us in making this transition.

This solution has a request feature where users can request the added features they need to have developed. Based on client voting for those features, these are developed and released.

Product administration with minimal scheduling usage these days. Installing, configuring, and administering distributed agents and integration with multiple services and applications.

Provides a robust, full spectrum enterprise-wide WLA platform. I have practical experience with all of the major "Enterprise" WLA products (Control-M, CA-7, and Zeke). None of them have the functionality and ease of use of TWS.