Fortra's JAMS Reviews

We utilize Fortra's JAMS to automate tasks within our banking organization.

We utilize a range of jobs for different tasks. Specifically, I possess 1,500 jobs that handle file movements. Additionally, we have approximately 600 SQL jobs, consisting of SQL commands, SSI jobs, and various other types of jobs. Our jobs run on Linux and Oracle, and perform functions such as encryption, decryption, zipping, unzipping, and uploading or downloading through SFTP or FTPS. Furthermore, we employ some visual basic jobs.

Fortra's JAMS enables us to identify and address common issues that may impede the execution of our jobs. This is of great significance to our organization.

The interactive agents are critical components since we cannot use a JAMS server for SQL jobs due to permission issues. Therefore, we delegate this task to another server. However, this causes the job to be offloaded from JAMS' scheduler, hence the need to distribute the process to another server.

We centralize all of the tasks in our bank, which include Microsoft Windows tasks, scheduled tasks, batch jobs, and scripts. This is a replacement for the SQL job that we previously scheduled across approximately one hundred servers. By centralizing and scheduling these tasks together, the entire process is visible to everyone in the bank. This is critical because if the system goes down, it would affect all banking processes, including ACS payments, ATM, reporting, and other functions. This software is essential for the bank's operations, and without it, we cannot function properly.

Fortra's JAMS helped us centralize job management across our platforms and applications. This is critical because we schedule tasks across multiple applications and operating systems, using triggers and start dates to coordinate their execution. Managing permissions has always been an issue, but we've now centralized permissions for all jobs based on department.

Code-driven automation assists us in managing complex scheduling needs. The system includes a built-in template form. Fortra's JAMS provides the ability to improve the form within the code. This feature is beneficial because we can create our own custom scripts and add them to the system. However, it would be even better if we could add additional forms to the system.

Fortra's JAMS helps to eliminate data inconsistencies across our applications. Essentially, all of our activities occur at the system level, primarily through batch processing. We are not end-users and they do not directly access our system. Instead, we upload reports to SharePoint or similar systems, from where end-users can access them. However, end-users access our reports indirectly and not directly through the JAMS server. We typically share our reports with customers via email, by sending attachments, or by uploading them to SharePoint, OneDrive, or a shared folder. End-users do not directly access our system.

Fortra's JAMS saves us time when troubleshooting. Using the sequence log I have 14,000 jobs running every day.

Fortra's JAMS streamlines our monitoring processes by centralizing scheduling and management, eliminating the need for multiple tools.

Fortra's JAMS freed up the time of our IT staff. Previously, we had 20 servers, each running a different type of application. However, we have now consolidated all of these applications into one system.

Fortra's JAMS saved us the costs of a few full-time employees.

All the features are valuable and we utilize all critical features of the solution, such as scheduling, automation, and notifications.

It is important to receive notifications if a charged job fails and SQL is halted. JAMS does not provide halted notifications by default, which is a critical feature that needs to be added.

Fortra's JAMS has an encryption code, but they are not compliant with the open-source GPG program, which is a requirement. They are planning to add the GPG program by customizing and bundling it with JAMS, which would be great. Currently, we are using open-source software, and it begs the question of why we are using JAMS. JAMS has an encryption code, but it lacks a PGP engine in the server or an extra connection. They have added it, but version 7.3 is not functional. However, version 7.5 offers more job features, increased connections to the store, and enhancements to the cloud base, such as Azure, which makes it easier to access the cloud.

I have been using Fortra's JAMS for nine years.

Fortra's JAMS stability is great.

Our requirements are met by Fortra's JAMS, and we have not experienced any scalability issues.

The technical support is great. They respond quickly even after hours and are knowledgeable.

Positive

Before we switched to Fortra's JAMS, we utilized a MOVEit SQL Server. However, we found that JAMS is a superior solution.

The initial setup is straightforward. A single server can be set up within a few hours while deploying multiple servers may take a few days to complete.

The implementation was completed in-house.

We have seen a great return on investment with Fortra's JAMS.

There are no additional costs other than the license for Fortra's JAMS which is affordable.

I reviewed several solutions online before going with Fortra's JAMS because of the features and price.

I give Fortra's JAMS a nine out of ten.

There are 50 users in our system, but only my team has administrative privileges. This means that while all users can access the JAMS client and run, release, or cancel their jobs, they cannot delete or modify anything. The remaining 46 users are simply managing their own jobs, whereas my team of four has the ability to modify settings.

I used Fortra's JAMS successfully across a variety of jobs and it is highly recommended. The solution saved me a significant amount of money, time, and effort through effective monitoring and other features. Overall, I believe Fortra's JAMS is a great product that can benefit many people.

I have come to understand the importance of centralizing management within our organization for the benefit of both the company and its employees. This facilitates prompt troubleshooting and efficient communication of notifications.

We run thousands of tasks for various purposes, including data manipulation, human resources, data flow, data management, and scripting. We use the solution for any task involving data management that must be scheduled.

The product gives us an excellent idea of what is happening and when. We have much control over job scheduling, and the workflows work very well. We've also built a lot of complex processing in the workflows where we can configure tasks to run at certain times or only when specific conditions are met, such as if another job succeeds or builds a particular file. The control JAMS gives us is outstanding.

JAMS helps centralize the management of jobs on all our platforms and applications, as it's all in one console. This is very important because we don't need to go to 50 different servers to get the big picture; instead, we can see it from one.  

The solution helped eliminate data slack across our applications; we have much control over the timing and sequencing of jobs, so the data is available precisely when needed. If we can determine when data is required, JAMS can help facilitate that. This availability is essential as data timing is central to many critical applications. 

JAMS saves us time when troubleshooting stall jobs because it's a centralized console where we can see all the failed jobs together and access the logs. Occasionally, we have situations where 20 or 30 jobs fail simultaneously, and we can manage it all in one place, which works very well. The time saved is about four hours per day. 

The product helped free up our IT staff's time, and the team would be larger if we didn't have it, which also frees up time. Using JAMS saves approximately 50% of our time.  

The most valuable feature is the easily accessible data in the database because we run a lot of SQL scripting against the database.

The workflows are easy to build, and we have a lot of control over how, when, and where jobs will run, which gives us a lot of flexibility. We've been able to do everything we want in JAMS at an excellent price. We've used the solution on many different servers for many applications, so that worked well.

JAMS helps us be aware of and handle common issues that can prevent our jobs from running. We receive emails that show logs from the application, which gives us a good picture of the situation in a failure, with essential information, including the problem and what we need to do about it. 

The solution's ability to handle exceptions is complete, and we have no problems at all with that. 

The tool's code-driven automation for helping us handle complex scheduling requirements is fantastic. It addresses advanced scheduling in our workflows very well and allows us to factor in sequencing, time, dependency on other jobs, etc., giving us great flexibility. This is important to us and a significant part of the solution's capability. If we didn't have JAMS, we would have to build our own mechanisms to manage job sequencing, but JAMS provides that capability in a straightforward WYSIWYG interface that works well. 

When looking at a folder in JAMS with many jobs, it would be good to have better information in the list display of what's inside those jobs. We get some information, but other important details are missing.

Sometimes it's difficult to find which workflow or workflows a job is in which could be improved.

I've been using the solution for about ten years. 

Overall, the solution is stable, and that improved over time. We had the occasional issue, but those were more to do with factors on our end than with JAMS. For example, we had the JAMS database running on a very slow server, and we sometimes ran out of server space, which isn't an issue with the solution. When we run out of room, we have to restart JAMS, and it doesn't recover particularly well, but this doesn't cause too much of a problem.

JAMS is highly scalable; we run tens of thousands of jobs daily, and there seems to be plenty of room for more. We have about 50 total users in our company. 

The tech support is fantastic; they're highly responsive, skilled, and knowledgeable. We usually get a good response within an hour when we contact them. We contacted them by phone and used screen sharing when encountering nasty problems. In one case, they spent several days assisting us through a big issue by phone. They've been very supportive and knowledgeable, so I rate them ten out of ten.

Positive

I don't remember what product we were working with before JAMS, but when we switched, it was like a breath of fresh air, as the previous solution was very difficult to work with. 

The initial setup was very complex as we had a lot of jobs, and we worked with JAMS Professional Services. The most significant factor is the learning curve. Now I'm familiar with the product, I could go into a new site and set it up within a few hours; experience is an important element. One staff member is sufficient for maintenance. 

I haven't been involved in the financial side for several years, but we buy one host and unlimited agents, and we get a reasonable price for that. We're happy with the amount we pay and the scalability it provides.

I rate the solution ten out of ten. 

JAMS eliminated virtually all our other monitoring tools, as 99.9% of what we do is with the solution. We do a few minor tasks in Linux for crime jobs, and we have to use Task Scheduler in a few situations because we can't have centralized processing. We use JAMS 100% where we can.

My advice to those evaluating the solution is to set up your server to run the jobs you need to run beforehand. Those are generally already in place if you're switching from another tool. JAMS is a very lightweight application, so you don't need a lot of processing power. Dictate a host and a failover host server, and you can build a development environment. Still, it is optional as there are decent ways of promoting code from development to production. The solution is relatively straightforward and lightweight.

JAMS streamlines our programming job scheduling. It handles both C# projects and PowerShell scripts, allowing us to categorize and schedule critical and non-critical tasks. JAMS also alerts us via email of any job failures. While JAMS boasts features for complex, load-balanced environments, our setup is simple. Everything runs on a single production server with a backup, eliminating the need for a client-server structure.

JAMS effectively alerts us to potential job disruptions, enabling us to address issues proactively. We rely on it for timely problem notifications and monitor it daily. The Runaway feature is invaluable for identifying jobs that take too long to complete, preventing backlogs. We can effectively manage and resolve these issues by configuring the runaway limit, ensuring smooth job execution.

JAMS is highly versatile in handling exceptions. We can easily prevent a job from running on specific dates by creating exceptions within the scheduler. For instance, we can configure an exception if we don't want a job to run next Wednesday, July 4th. Additionally, JAMS allows us to skip specific dates and times or even run jobs hourly if needed, providing the flexibility to accommodate various scheduling scenarios.

JAMS centralizes job management across all our platforms and applications. We can install the JAMS client on any machine to manage it directly, and some programmers, including myself, have done so. I have the client installed on my laptop and can access all features from there. Alternatively, users can connect to the JAMS server and run the client remotely, limited to one or two people at a time. I prefer having the client installed for convenient and unrestricted access.

JAMS significantly reduces troubleshooting time for stalled jobs by providing a centralized monitor. Instead of manually checking the status of numerous jobs, we can quickly assess their progress on a single screen. While it's difficult to quantify the exact time savings, it's evident that monitoring hundreds of jobs individually would be far more time-consuming than glancing at a single monitor for a few minutes daily.

JAMS has replaced our previous homegrown program scheduler, which was used to monitor job success. Considering this legacy system, we adopted JAMS as our new monitoring and scheduling tool, eliminating the need to develop and maintain the outdated program further.

JAMS is a scheduler, so setting up a new job is easy. Once we configure it, it doesn't take much time. We create jobs all the time. We have over 200 jobs running. So, if we need a new job, creating it in a few minutes is easy, saving us time. We don't have much time to set up a new job. It's swift to do, saving us time for other projects.

The user-friendly and adaptable scheduler allows us to manage various scheduling scenarios. JAMS offers valuable features such as Runaway job settings, enabling easy pausing and scheduling for maintenance periods. It provides a complete job history and effective notification options. Overall, it is simple to use, versatile, and exceptionally reliable, meeting all our scheduling needs without issue.

JAMS notifications for hung jobs could be improved. A hung job can remain on the monitor for days without a configured Runaway Limit, preventing scheduled resumptions. Ideally, the system should proactively notify users when a daily scheduled job is imminent but the previous day's job is still running and unlikely to be completed. Currently, this information is only available with a Runaway Limit configured. Implementing automatic notifications for Runaway Limits exceeding the scheduled timeframe would be a valuable enhancement.

I have been using Fortra's JAMS for five years.

JAMS is a stable solution with no lagging or crashing that we have experienced.

JAMS is a scalable solution, but our current needs are limited. We only run a few hundred jobs, which JAMS handles without issue. If our workload doubled, we could quickly expand the system by adding more servers and agents. JAMS supports load-balancing and distributed architectures, allowing for seamless growth, but we haven't needed to utilize these features yet.

JAMS's technical support is excellent. They worked with us during our initial set-up, and we will contact them again for another installation on our development servers. They are easy to get a hold of and offer good documentation. The support team is accommodating, which is one of the areas we like about JAMS.  

Positive

We switched from a homegrown solution to JAMS.

The initial deployment is straightforward because JAMS offers excellent support.

While someone unfamiliar with JAMS will likely require assistance with the initial setup, the platform's support system ensures users can obtain the necessary help. Although I didn't handle the original installation, I successfully upgraded JAMS with minimal difficulty thanks to the documentation and support resources provided. While individuals without a technical background might encounter challenges, JAMS' support is designed to guide users through the process, making it accessible to many users.

While I wasn't involved in the initial deployment, it likely took several days due to the extensive decision-making required for the initial structure. We developed a specific framework with defined sections for critical and non-critical jobs, further categorized into nine types such as financial, business intelligence, programming, and database roles. This structure was designed to be flexible and adaptable to various scenarios, requiring careful consideration but ultimately easy to implement by following guidelines.

The pricing is reasonable.

We looked at a couple of different schedulers, and they gave us the free trial software. We tested it out, and we liked JAMS enough to purchase it.

I advocated for Windows Task Scheduler because it was free and met most of our needs. While it lacked monitoring capabilities, I developed a proof-of-concept program to address this. However, the programming team manager preferred a more enterprise-grade solution instead of our homegrown approach using Windows Task Scheduler as a foundation. They aimed to eliminate the perceived custom-built nature of our solution.

I would rate Fortra's JAMS nine out of ten.

We currently do not use agents, though we understand the possibility of deploying them in a client-server environment across multiple servers for job scheduling. However, we've opted against this approach due to the increased complexity, server requirements, and associated costs. Instead, our scheduling agent resides on the same server as the JAMS scheduler, providing a consolidated solution. As a backup, we leverage a development server capable of executing jobs. We have implemented several contingency plans, including scheduling on the development server, manual execution, or utilizing Windows Task Scheduler. After careful consideration, we believe this configuration adequately meets our needs without the overhead of managing additional client servers or agents.

We don't use workflows or similar processes. As developers and programmers, our programs are designed to function independently once initiated at the correct time. Creating a workflow to manage these tasks isn't necessary because our programs are particular in their objectives. We primarily develop in C# but occasionally use PowerShell scripts. We experimented with workflow tools but ultimately determined they weren't essential for our needs.

Migrating from our old solution to JAMS was not a straightforward integration; we moved jobs manually, one by one. This process has been time-consuming due to the many jobs, and some require specific software or configurations that are not easily transferable. Unlike a typical migration, we cannot simply export jobs from the old system to JAMS; we must carefully assess each job's requirements and ensure the necessary conditions are met on the JAMS server before moving it. While this has been a lengthy process, we are steadily progressing and anticipate completing the migration to JAMS soon.

JAMS provides good documentation and support for use. The solution is straightforward, but if users need hand-holding, that is a good place to start. 

I've used the solution across three employers. I've used it in the context of government, tech services and health care. Everything is IT-related, so everything from ordering supplies to finance applications, everything gets filtered through JAMS. It helps with automation. 

At my previous employer, we were working on a project with the tax controller of our state. And the company I worked for was providing a tax solution for them. Part of that was us being able to provide a solution, but they also had to have their own users be able to interact with the software solution that we provided them. That required them to have their own user accounts and privileges and all that for JAMS, and it was all tied into an SQL database. Instead, if someone joined the controller office or they changed positions or roles, typically, someone would have to go to that SQL database and manually update those records. What I did was I created a series of JAMS jobs that would allow someone just to run a job. It would ask for the basic stuff: their name, their role, and their privilege, and it would update that for them. It made something that was really complicated and annoying super easy.

I really like PowerSchool scripting. It's really easy for me to produce some really cool code. People will ask if a certain job is possible to do with JAMS and I tell them it is. 

The JAMS database offers a lot of flexibility in tapping into it. It's good at offering additional functionality. 

The automation aspect is fundamental to what JAMS is for. If you want to schedule something to run every Monday at 8 AM or whatever, it will work without fail.

The code-driven automation is good for helping us handle complex scheduling requirements. That's a cool thing. JAMS has a lot of flexibility with being able to automate. You can just use the built-in features to run a job. However, you can also just code that into a job using PowerShell. I lean more into writing codes rather than relying on built-in functionality. That is really big for me.

Currently, we use both Windows and Linux servers, and that creates a lot of issues when it comes to talking between two different operating systems. But we're able to get by with that since JAMS has built-in capabilities to call Oracle directly and it can also call SQL. It doesn't really matter what operating system you're running on. 

JAMS is good for helping us be aware and handle common issues that prevent our jobs from running. I have jobs I've built and checked on. I can look at the state of servers to foresee if there are going to be any issues. If we have critical processes that run at 5 AM and the server is offline, then the job will fail. However, we can check-in, or it will give us alerts so that we can see what's going on and fix the issue before the job can fail. 

The solution's ability to handle exceptions that we have created has been sufficient.

JAMS helped eliminate data slack across our applications. We get these reports in, and they need to be run from a Windows server into a Linux server and ingested there. I just created a job this morning that would transfer these files to the Linux server, and then we would run some sort of features that would load them up. It's easy to do that.

The built-in triggers are great. If a file comes in, someone doesn't have to manually look for it. We just have jobs that will scan folders to see if files come in or if they're removed. It makes remedial tasks obsolete as they can just be automated. We've freed up about 20% of staff time as there have been a lot of opportunities to automate manual effort.

JAMS has built-in reporting. I've never really used it. I tried using it a few years ago and I couldn't figure it out. It was wonky. It could be improved upon.

There's a projected schedule pipeline that's never really worked for me. They could fix that and make it more user-friendly. 

I've used the solution for about nine years overall. 

It's an absolutely stable product. While I don't mean to sound negative about the web version, I will say the desktop client version has been rock solid. I'd rate stability seven out of ten since the web version skews a bit slow. If we were just talking about the desktop version, I'd rate the stability ten out of ten. 

The scalability is good. I'd rate it nine out of ten.

About 20 people use the product in my current organization.

JAMS support is fantastic. I've been bothering them for years, and they always get back to me right away. They're amazing.

There was a different solution in place that the company chose not to use. My current company migrated all of the jobs over to JAMS.

The initial setup is straightforward. We did a migration and were able to set it up in one to two hours and five people were involved. The migration itself was finished within a month's time. The main issue was handling the volume of everything they had to migrate.

There isn't really any maintenance needed. There are just some backend things, like whenever a job runs, it creates a log file, and those need to be cleaned up. Otherwise, they begin to build up. Then, every once in a while, you may have to do an update. That's about it. 

Resource-wise, we've definitely witnessed an ROI. 

The pricing is completely reasonable. 

The solution has positively impacted productivity. The ability to able to automate manual tasks and being able to check on file transfers, et cetera, has been great. It helps tremendously.

Right now, we're using version 6 of the solution; however, we're actively talking about getting version 7 this summer. 

I'd rate the solution ten out of ten. 

We use JAMS for managed file transfer and job scheduling with Fortra's diverse enterprise application. The managed file transfer is both internal and with external third-party vendors.

JAMS has streamlined our job management across all platforms and applications by offering a centralized, single-pane control. This allows us to easily view, test, and manage all job connections, reruns, and schedules in one place. Instead of relying on older, manual scripting methods, JAMS provides a clear visual interface that shows exactly which jobs are running and when.

The centralized control and visual clarity have greatly improved our workflow. When troubleshooting stalled jobs, the error-handling feature helps pinpoint failures quickly, allowing us to retrieve delayed information or identify processing issues. As a result, we've reduced troubleshooting time by 10 to 25 percent.

Previously, we manually managed file transfers by writing scripts, but the automated MFT feature has been a game-changer for our company. It allows us to track where files are going and detect errors if anything fails, ensuring seamless connections with third-party vendors.

If a file between vendors is missing, JAMS quickly locates it. It also alerts us if a connection is lost, helping us resolve the issue before attempting a file transfer. Effective error handling is crucial in job scheduling, and while some scripting is needed to properly view errors, JAMS supports PowerShell commands, making error navigation straightforward and helping us identify job run issues.

JAMS handles exceptions well, though each error must be configured based on specific customer needs. Once set up, it provides the data we need in the desired format.

Code-driven automation is one of JAMS' most critical features. We run nearly 3,000 jobs daily across various time slots, with some scheduled on specific days, such as the first day of the month. How we schedule and run these jobs is vital to our operations.

JAMS currently lacks the ability to implement SOX controls, which is a limitation for us as a company listed with Stock Exchange, where all transactions are audited. While it offers a feature to save files for a month, it doesn't segregate data between finance and SOX-related compliance.

Incorporating SOX-related features would save us from manually reviewing last year's data and gathering evidence for audits. A more robust audit feature within JAMS would be a valuable enhancement.

We have been on the JAMS platform for almost 18 months now.

We had some initial issues with JAMS because we had trouble understanding the number of connections we expected JAMS to handle. We undersized our servers with a lower CPU and memory, so the server was always at 90 percent utilization. Once we provided them with adequate resources to process the data, we did not see any issues. Rightsizing the server and understanding your workload will help you know what your end product should look like.

We are still evaluating this and don't think it will be difficult.

I rate Fortra support eight out of 10. We've contacted technical support about concerns and enhancements, and we've received a positive responses. There's some room for improvement, and once they make those improvements, I will change it to a nine. 

Positive

We had a homegrown SFTP solution that required updates whenever we wanted to do something new, so we switched from a manual SFTP method to an automated MFT system. It has helped us a lot because of the automated monitoring and alert system. It sends emails to users when jobs end or fail. 

The initial setup was fairly simple. We had a misunderstanding about how it should be set up that took some time to correct, but it was fairly easy once we understood how it should work. 

The core configuration was completed in a couple of days, but configuring the applications and vendor took almost six months. This was not due to the product, but because of the limitations we had working with different vendors and switching from one system to another. That switching took time.

It requires a little maintenance every week or every couple of weeks. We recycle the servers to free up the connections. All Java connections need some maintenance. We haven't seen any instability. It's effective and comfortable to use.

Initially, we sought help from a JAMS consultant. Their technical representative was available every time, and their support team was great. Whenever we had any questions or doubts during the initial days of implementation, they were very responsive. They helped us through the process of getting it running.

The licensing model for JAMS is straightforward and based on the number of agents, not the number of jobs you run. It's cheap and fairly simple.

We looked at two or three other products, like BMC Control-M and the AWS MFT solution.

We rate Fortra JAMS a nine out of ten. One important consideration is file retention. If you need to keep files for more than 30 days, you’ll need to archive them elsewhere to avoid losing them. Maintaining job history beyond 30 days is crucial to us, especially for SOX and audit purposes, so it’s important to plan for that.

Additionally, if you don’t want to expose your JAMS implementation to the internet, it’s necessary to set up a DMZ and establish a secure connection between the DMZ and JAMS to protect it from external threats.

We use JAMS for technical and workload automation. It's sometimes used for transfer, but it's mostly for workload automation.

We did a POC for one of our customers recently. Our client had some SSIS packages that were hard to automate. They had to be manually executed periodically. They didn't have any automation. When I introduced JAMS, we learned how to integrate their SSIS packages. The solution made a great impression on the company.

We had a good session with the company and having or upon them having these JAMS. They have 500 different SSIS packages that need to have separate schedules. I showed them how easy it is to convert and store at a large scale. We can use code-driven automation to address complex scheduling requirements. It enables you to integrate multiple applications and API connections. If you need different kinds of schedules, you can accomplish this using the command list. That's helpful to our current and upcoming clients.

JAMS helps centralize job management because I can orchestrate different job types across multiple kinds of operating systems, including Oracle jobs and SQL jobs like the SSIS packages. Multiple types of scripts can be collected into one application. It provides a single pane of glass in its monitoring view. That's another advantage JAMS has over other solutions. The monitoring console provides the administrator with a broad overview of those channels.

When the data is ready to go wherever I need it, JAMS ensures the specific job should be executed on its given schedule. We can provide different notifications or set up recovery in case the job fails. We can always ensure there are other retries. We can configure it to run a set number of retries if needed. If the data still hasn't been transferred after several attempts, we can send an email notification to the administrator to take action. 

JAMS saves us time troubleshooting job failures. The logs are helpful, and you can select the verbose option so JAMS can provide lots of information about the issue.  It also reduces the number of monitoring tools we need. Its ability to integrate with various operating systems using its agents and database connectors eliminates the need for other monitoring tools.  Job scheduling in Linux and Windows can be orchestrated and monitored through a single pane of glass.

I didn't know about JAMS because I don't have a person with any challenges with the purchase administration. The feature or the user interface is user-friendly because of the readable icons or very descriptive icons. Although I'm a beginner user of JAMS, I did not have any issues using it. 

Whenever we propose JAMS to one of our clients, we always highlight its ease of use. The interface for scheduling jobs is user-friendly. I also appreciate its strong integration with Fortra's other tools. You can integrate it with the other products to create a total automation solution. 

I rate JAMS 10 out of 10 for its ability to make us aware of and handle common issues that can prevent jobs from running. I rate JAMS nine out 10 for exception handling. You can configure exceptions to the rules in the scripts. For example, the process might not be executed on specific national holidays or days the offices are closed. 

Our clients are impressed with JAMS's ability to operate across platforms. Most of them use Linux with a combination of SSIS or Oracle packages. If it's a Windows-only solution, the support will be very limited, but most customers do not use Windows anymore. Most of them are on the Oracle and Linux side. The fact that it's a multi-platform system helps us scale up our clients.

JAMS is highly flexible in terms of error recovery and job dependencies. That's something I typically stress in our demos. The use of workflows is easy to understand. While I don't have any experience with other workload automation solutions, I think JAMS can provide this high-end feature, where you can accumulate multiple jobs at the same time with different requisitions. 

I am also supporting and reselling Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT and am interested in Genesys' file-transfer solution of Genesys. Compared to GoAnywhere, Genesys has limited options. The tabs in the JAMS file transfer could be clearer. It would help us demonstrate to our client that JAMS not only automates jobs but also does fast transfers, and it's an alternative that supports and filters different kinds of platforms. Filtering file transfers will be highly beneficial to them.

We have used JAMS for almost a year 

I rate JAMS nine out of 10. The software is stable, but it depends on the resources of the system where it is deployed. 

I rate JAMS 10 out of 10 for scalability. Most of our clients are small or medium-sized businesses, but we have used this for government clients, so we're confident it can scale. 

I rate Fortra support nine out of 10.  The support could be better. I have a favorite support engineer, and I wish the others could be like him. When I send an email, he responds in less than an hour. With some of their other technicians, it may be 24 hours. They are very responsive whenever I send questions or technical issues to their support team.

Positive

JAMS can be installed through Active Directory integration, so it's all straightforward. Any technical team or data center manager would not have any challenges installing JAMS. Typically, we can have it running in under a week. We needed two or three personnel to deploy it. The project manager handles it and there are one or two technical staff to assist. Afterward, we need to train every person who will be working with JAMS. 

I rate Fortra JAMS nine out of 10. We recommend JAMS to all our existing clients. We have 10 to 15 GoAnywhere MFT users, but by the year's end, I expect to demo JAMS to at least half of our current base so they can see how powerful this solution is. They can have GoAnywhere for their file transfers and JAMS for their workflow automation. 

Our GoAnywhere MFT clients need to automate commands, batch file transfers, and PowerShell scripts. JAMS gives you better insights and more options than natively executing commands in Azure MFT. 

I use JAMS to run repetitive tasks that I need to do each day, like loading database entries, performing backups, and building daily reports. The organization uses it for complex workflows, sequences, and ad hoc jobs.

We aren't using JAMS for much complex scheduling. We schedule tasks on weekdays, but we aren't using a calendar to specify holidays. That is something on the to-do list. We want to have it scheduled to run on the work week except for holidays or other exceptions. However, it can run jobs based on sets of schedules and sequences. 

We consolidated several Windows scheduling servers into the dev and production JAMS environments. A few servers still have custom-scheduled tasks, but we moved most jobs from Windows Task Scheduler to JAMS.

JAMS helps us troubleshoot stalled jobs. For example, if I get a work ticket to check out a failing job, it's easy to look at the log file tab on the job and quickly get the details I need. Error logs are verbose and well-written, so I know what is wrong, whether it's the credentials or a file that can't be found. 

If a job fails or there's a trigger for a bad read text pattern, JAMS will send an email alert. I usually don't hear or see the functions, and I don't know if anybody is watching the monitor tab in the scheduler to see if there are any failing jobs. Aside from any email alerts when a job fails, I have found no real dashboards—at least not with 7.3. It may not be the case with the latest version.

It hasn't enabled us to eliminate monitoring tools so far. Only a few teams use JAMS to send custom monitoring reports, and additional software comes with the VM build. It hasn't been removed. All of the organization-wide tools stay, but some of them might be utilized less. If those teams are using custom JAMS reports more than other tools, it's probably because they could tailor their JAMS script to display the information that's most relevant to their team's needs. 

JAMS provides some flexibility in that aspect. They can run jobs to check the status of the database or Windows services. It gives them the freedom to build those tasks into a sequence or a workflow and get that report back fast instead of using a tool like SolarWinds. You'd need to create a dashboard and find an admin person, and that'll take time, whereas they can just do this quick job, and it gives them the exact information they want. JAMS frees up some at-instance time. Job automation, scheduling, and the ability to pause while other jobs finish saves time. 

I like how you can add new execution methods on the fly. It isn't overly complex to add Python script support to an execution method in the JAMS system. The scheduling is excellent. You can schedule a maintenance window and take that resource unit out of everything. It halts all of the jobs. 

We did that when we upgraded the last time. It's helpful because we don't need to worry about upstream and downstream jobs or any triggers and kickoffs. I also like that the JAMS uses PowerShell and has a PowerShell module. 

Regarding JAMS' exception handling, I will say that the person scripting a job should try to catch those exceptions and do their own internal logic for it. JAMS will generate an error if I write a script with an exception, and it'll display that error in the log. JAMS catches it. 

I would like to see the ability to interface with Microsoft group-managed service accounts, but they're still in the research phase. They need to ensure everything's legit and safe. The report designer and dashboards could also be improved. We're running 7.3, so I don't know if they have updated the reporting in 7.5, but I think the reports and dashboards could be better.

If I open one of JAMS' pre-installed reports but don't launch it on the server where the scheduler's installed, it will take forever to load through our VPN connections. It may be related to how we have our servers set up. I don't know if that's an issue with JAMS or not, but I need to be careful about where I open the report designer. Otherwise, I will sit there with an endless blue circle. I can open it on my workstation or use a remote desktop to access the server and open it via that. 

It would be helpful if the data in that report designer could be leveraged in Power BI. I don't know if they have that already, but that could be one way to improve the reporting and dashboards. Maybe there's already a way to do that. I should look at their website first or contact support because Fortra's support is fantastic and always super helpful.

The company has been using JAMS for about two years, but I've only used it for a year and a half. 

JAMS has been pretty stable. We have a single instance, so we're not running high availability, and the uptime has been solid. We have only had to go down to do scheduled reboots for server patching.

It's easy to scale the VM vertically where JAMS is deployed. To scale horizontally and install more agents, we would need to buy more licenses for the agents. It's a matter of contacting support and having the money to buy more licenses. It isn't too difficult to contact our account rep. We don't have problems buying licenses for additional agents. 

It would be cool if we could install multiple agents and have the scheduler server ensure we only use the number of licenses or agents allotted under our licensing agreement. For example, if our prod environment has licenses for three agents, we could deploy six agents that are available to run jobs, but the scheduler would ensure that only three agents are active simultaneously within that environment. That would be an interesting feature.

I rate Fortra's support a ten out of ten. The turnaround is always quick when I email them. They're knowledgeable about it. I can send them a few screenshots and logs, and they respond with some suggestions. They typically resolve the problem on the first try. I haven't used their telephone support, but other people have told me that works just as well.

Positive

I wasn't around for the initial installation when the company first purchased JAMS, but I was indirectly involved with the upgrade from version 7.2 and to 7.3. The upgrade process was extremely straightforward. Fortra's support provided a Wiki article to walk us through it. We backed up the files and performed the steps. You go through the installer to upgrade it.

I rate Fortra's JAMS a ten out of ten.

We use Fortra's JAMS as a job scheduling tool for state agencies across the country. We primarily use it for scheduling jobs and development tasks related to taxation processes.

I find the historical tracking feature of JAMS invaluable for reviewing past events. Customizable workflows with dependencies and variables allow for more complex task management. Additionally, notifications through JIRA and excellent customer support enhance the overall experience with the software.

Improvements could be made in the service desk's knowledge and communication skills among engineers to better address customer needs and ensure issues are fully resolved. Additionally, reintroducing or offering a mobile platform could enhance accessibility and usability for users.

I have been using Fortra's JAMS for almost nine years.

We haven't had any stability issues with the solution so far.

Scalability in JAMS could be improved by enhancing word-of-mouth marketing and providing more training or demo videos for new users. Additionally, incorporating performance monitoring features could help users better scale their usage of Fortra's product.

Tech support for JAMS is generally good, with responsive and helpful engineers. However, there have been instances where the initial engineer wasn't able to address the issue and needed to escalate it to another resource. Overall, I would rate the support as an eight out of ten.

Positive

The deployment of JAMS was straightforward once we bought the solution. Additionally, the sales team responsible for handling licenses and project costs was also easy to work with.

I rely on JAMS to help me identify and address common issues that may prevent jobs from running smoothly. I typically start by checking their support site and documentation for solutions. If I can't find a solution, I search for existing tickets or create one myself. It would be beneficial if JAMS provided a community forum where users could share and resolve issues together, enhancing support for all customers.

Agents are crucial for our organization as they enable us to scale and balance processes across multiple servers. They effectively bridge the gap between structured batch automation and tasks happening on desktops and web browsers. However, we encountered an issue with a specific server's agent, which was initially challenging to diagnose. While JAMS eventually identified the problem as a database issue, there was some initial uncertainty about the cause. Overall, while agents are valuable, there can be challenges in fully understanding and addressing issues related to them.

JAMS handles exceptions effectively, but it requires users to have programming knowledge to implement them. It is not a no-code or low-code product, so users need to understand programming languages to utilize its full capabilities. Simplifying this aspect could make it more accessible and user-friendly.

Centralizing job management across all platforms and applications is highly important to our organization. It ensures that schedules and processes are properly handled, which is critical for both our customers and the public, especially for public-facing processes. Effective management reduces the risk of errors and enhances accountability for all stakeholders.

JAMS's code-driven automation is beneficial for handling complex scheduling requirements. While the website documentation may not cover all scenarios, support tickets allow engineers to assist. However, the quality of the response can vary based on the engineer's experience, leading to different levels of resolution.

JAMS saves us a significant amount of time when troubleshooting stalled jobs.

JAMS has helped us eliminate the need for monitoring tools like AutoMate. AutoMate was a simpler tool we used in the past, but JAMS provided more advanced features and functionality.

JAMS has helped free up our IT staff's time by automating tasks, which reduces the need for manual QA and troubleshooting efforts.

Before purchasing JAMS, new users should consider the scale of their operations, including the number of jobs, servers, and agents needed. Understanding these factors will help determine the budget and ensure the system meets their requirements.

Overall, I would rate Fortra's JAMS as a nine out of ten.