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Control-M is an enterprise workload automation software developed by BMC Software Inc. that enables organizations to automate and manage their IT workflows and business processes, including batch processing, file transfer, and application integration.

Control-M provides a centralized platform across diverse IT infrastructures, allowing users to embed workflow orchestration in their CI/CD pipeline. 

Users can automate workflows across hybrid and multi-cloud environments with AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform integrations.

We will explore some alternatives to the BMC Control-M API that can help streamline and automate job management in a Control-M environment.

Why Do You Need Alternatives to BMC Control-M API?

While Control-M has been a popular choice for workload automation, there are various reasons why organizations might consider alternatives. 

Licensing and maintaining Control-M can be expensive, particularly for smaller organizations. 

Also, Control-M lacks intelligent resource optimization and machine load management features. Due to Control-M’s licensing model, many features, such as Change Management and database automation, are only available through add-ons or plugins. 

Workload automation tools like Redwood offer a wide range of features in their core license without requiring additional add-ons or plugins. Furthermore, regular health checks can improve the tool’s reliability, allowing for proactive issue resolution.

Unfortunately, such features are absent in Control-M, highlighting the need for exploring Control-M alternatives.

Critical Features of Workload Automation Software

When evaluating alternatives to Control-M, it is important to consider the following key capabilities of workload automation software:

  1. Scheduling and Job Management: Scheduling and managing jobs across multiple platforms and environments, including cloud, on-premises, and hybrid.
  2. Workflow Orchestration: Automating complex workflows that involve multiple dependencies and integration points.
  3. Monitoring and Alerting: Monitoring job performance, detecting errors, and sending alerts to the appropriate stakeholders.
  4. Reporting and Analytics: Generating detailed reports on job performance, resource utilization, and compliance.

Workload automation software provides numerous benefits to organizations, increasing efficiency, reducing human errors, and improving compliance, ultimately leading to enhanced productivity and cost savings. 

Here are some of the top alternatives to Control-M:

  1. RunMyJobs by Redwood
  2. ActiveBatch
  3. Broadcom
  4. Stonebranch
  5. AutoSys

When selecting an alternative to Control-M, it is important to consider your organization’s specific needs. Here is a comparison of some of the best Control-M alternatives based on key capabilities:

1) RunMyJobs by Redwood:

RunMyJobs by Redwood is an enterprise job scheduling and workload automation software developed by Redwood Software. It allows businesses to automate and streamline their IT and business processes, reducing the need for manual intervention and increasing efficiency.

RunMyJobs provides a central console for managing and monitoring jobs across the enterprise, enabling users to create, schedule, and monitor workflows from a single interface. It supports various job types, including batch processes, file transfers, database updates, and more. RunMyJobs also integrates with other enterprise software systems like SAP and Salesforce to automate end-to-end business processes.

Key features:

  • Cloud-based job scheduling and workload automation platform
  • Supports cross-application and cross-platform workflows
  • Offers a centralized dashboard for managing and monitoring job schedules and workflows
  • Provides real-time insights and alerts on job status and performance
  • Enables easy integration with third-party applications and systems
  • Supports custom scripting and coding for complex workflows
  • Offers a drag-and-drop interface for building and configuring workflows
  • Provides built-in security and compliance features for data protection and governance
  • Supports event-driven and time-based scheduling for jobs and workflows
  • Enables self-service job scheduling for business users
  • Offers a RESTful API for integration with external tools and services.

Explore how Redwood’s workload automation solution can help your business go beyond entry-level automation with enhanced features, advanced analytics, and simplified management.

2) ActiveBatch:

ActiveBatch is an enterprise job scheduling and workload automation software developed by Advanced Systems Concepts, Inc. It provides a centralized platform for managing and automating complex IT processes and workflows across various systems and applications.

ActiveBatch offers many features, including job scheduling, event-based triggers, file transfers, workload balancing, dependency tracking, notification and reporting capabilities, and support for various technologies and platforms. The software also includes a drag-and-drop visual interface and a pre-built library of job steps and templates, making it easier for users to design and automate their workflows.

Key features:

  • Drag-and-drop workflow builder with an Integrated Jobs Library with hundreds of pre-built job steps and actions
  • Visual dependencies for complex job workflows
  • Dynamic scheduling with predictive analytics and automated workload balancing
  • Cross-platform and cross-application job scheduling and automation
  • Centralized job monitoring, management, and reporting
  • Advanced job failure and recovery options, including automatic retries and escalation procedures
  • Integration with various enterprise systems and applications, including databases, ERP systems, and cloud services
  • Compliance and audit reporting capabilities
  • Proactive support with a dedicated customer success team and knowledge base within the application.

3) Broadcom

Broadcom Automic Automation (formerly CA Automic) is an enterprise-grade workload automation software that allows organizations to automate business processes and IT tasks across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments. It provides a centralized platform for managing and monitoring job scheduling, application deployment, and infrastructure provisioning. The software is designed to streamline and optimize complex workflows, reduce manual errors, and improve operational efficiency.

Broadcom Automic Automation includes many features, such as job scheduling, workload automation, application release automation, and IT process automation. It supports various platforms, including Windows, Linux, UNIX, and mainframes.

Key features:

  • Self-service automation with a customizable web interface
  • Integrated support for IT operations management, including service level agreement (SLA) monitoring and reporting
  • Support for multiple platforms, including cloud, mainframe, and hybrid environments
  • End-to-end visibility and reporting with customizable dashboards and analytics
  • Intelligent automation with machine learning and predictive analytics capabilities
  • Audit trail and compliance reporting for regulatory requirements
  • High availability and disaster recovery options
  • Scalable architecture for enterprise-level workloads
  • Flexible deployment options, including on-premises, cloud, and hybrid deployments.

4) Stonebranch:

Stonebranch is a workload automation software company that provides tools for orchestrating, automating, and monitoring IT business processes. Their flagship product, Universal Automation Center (UAC), is a modern automation platform that offers a unified approach to hybrid IT automation.

With Stonebranch, organizations can centrally manage and automate complex business processes across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments. UAC is designed to simplify IT automation and make it more accessible to business users while still providing advanced features for IT operations teams.

Key features:

  • Multi-platform and multi-cloud support
  • Easy-to-use GUI and drag-and-drop functionality
  • Real-time monitoring and reporting
  • Role-based access control and secure communication
  • Dynamic job and resource allocation
  • Compliance and audit trail capabilities
  • Integrated file transfer and managed file transfer
  • High availability and disaster recovery
  • Integration with third-party tools and applications.

5) Autosys

Autosys is a job scheduling and workload automation software owned by Broadcom. It enables organizations to schedule, monitor, and manage critical business processes across heterogeneous environments, including on-premises and cloud-based systems. 

Autosys allows users to define jobs, set up dependencies, and schedule them to run at specific times or in response to specific events. It also provides comprehensive job management, including reporting, monitoring, and alerting capabilities. The software can be integrated with various third-party applications and platforms, including databases, business intelligence tools, and more. 

  • Advanced scheduling capabilities like time dependencies, date conditions, and calendar-based scheduling 
  • Web-based graphical user interface (GUI)
  • Supports Unix, Linux, and Windows platforms and integration with popular enterprise applications and databases like Oracle and SAP
  • Supports job dependencies, restarts, notifications, and failure handling, ensuring job success and minimizing downtime
  • Multi-lingual support and role-based access control for enhanced security
  • An agent-based architecture for distributed job processing and centralized management

Key BMC Control-M API Integrations and Tools

While the Control-M interface provides a wide range of workflow management features, it’s important to note that the BMC Control-M Automation API offers even more flexibility and automation capabilities.

Control-M/Agent

The Control-M/Agent can automate jobs requiring access to local resources or running on a remote machine. This is a great option for businesses that have a distributed workforce or need to manage jobs on remote servers.

Jobs-as-Code

Jobs-as-Code is an emerging trend in the DevOps community that involves writing job definitions as code. This approach stores job definitions in source control repositories such as GitHub or GitLab, allowing for version control and collaboration. This is a great option for businesses that have adopted DevOps practices and want to manage their Control-M jobs as code.

Python and Java

Python and Java are two popular programming languages that can automate Control-M jobs. Both languages have robust libraries for working with JSON and CLI tools, making them ideal for automation scripts. These languages also strongly support job-as-code and can be used to create complex workflows.

Authentication and Connection Profiles

Control-M environments often require authentication to access job definitions and run jobs. Connection profiles store the connection information required to access the Control-M environment. When using alternative tools, it’s important to ensure that authentication and connection profiles are properly configured to avoid security vulnerabilities.

Control-M Reports

Control-M Reports provide insights into job execution and performance. While the BMC Control-M interface provides robust reporting capabilities, there are also alternatives to generate reports using tools such as SQL and Hadoop. These tools can extract data from Control-M job logs and generate custom reports based on specific business requirements.

Docker and Enterprise Manager

Docker and Enterprise Manager are two additional tools that can be used to automate Control-M jobs. Docker is a containerization technology that allows users to create isolated environments for running jobs, whereas enterprise Manager is a centralized tool for managing Control-M environments and job execution.

How to Choose The Right BMC Control-M Alternative For Your Business

Choosing the best BMC Control-M alternative depends on several factors, including your budget, specific requirements, and the size and complexity of your IT environment. 

It’s also essential to evaluate the vendor’s reputation, track record, and availability of training and support resources. 

Conducting a thorough evaluation of different alternatives, including trial periods, and researching feedback from users and industry experts can help your organization decide which alternative will best meet your needs.

Conclusion

In evaluating alternative solutions, organizations should consider the key capabilities of workload automation software, including scheduling and job management, workflow orchestration, monitoring and alerting, and reporting and analytics.

The top five alternatives to BMC Control-M API are RunMyJobs by Redwood, ActiveBatch, Stonebranch, AutoSys, and CA Automic Automation, each with its own unique features and capabilities.

When selecting an alternative, consider your specific needs and choose a solution that aligns with your long-term goals and objectives.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is BMC Control-M?

BMC Control-M is an enterprise workload automation software that enables organizations to automate and manage their IT workflows and business processes, including batch processing, file transfer, and application integration. Control-M (Control-M/Enterprise Manager) provides a centralized platform across diverse IT infrastructures, allowing users to embed workflow orchestration in their CI/CD pipeline. Users can automate workflows across hybrid and multi-cloud environments with AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform integrations.

The BMC Control-M Workbench is an integrated development environment (IDE) that provides a graphical interface for designing and testing Control-M workflows, and allows developers to manage and version their workflows in a local environment before promoting them to the Control-M production environment.

Discover how workload automation can streamline your business processes and increase efficiency.

Can I use Git with BMC Control-M?

Yes, BMC Control-M integrates with Git for version control of workflows in the Control-M Workbench.

Thinking about migrating to Redwood? Don’t let the fear of migration hold you back.

Read our article to learn how to overcome common migration challenges.

Can I configure Control-M to meet my specific needs?

Yes, BMC Control-M is highly configurable and can be tailored to meet your organization's unique requirements, including customizing job types, creating custom calendars, and integrating with external systems.

Read about the benefits of workload automation and how it can transform your business.