IBM Workload Automation Reviews

The solution comes with a scheduler. It contains a file for receiving things from external sources. We trigger the file, on which basis the subsequent business practices are kicked off, one after the next. This means that there is dependency on the file dependency. The subsequent steps in the business practices kick off, automatically, once the file is loaded. 

The performance of the previous versions could be better. We encountered certain issues with the lower version of it, the 9.2. Things have greatly stabilized since then. However, as with any IBM tool, things are a bit tricky. I would give a rating of four or five out of ten, as we encountered certain issues with the domain controller with the lower versions. 

It would be nice if we could get support for earlier versions. Generally speaking, IBM insists that we move on to their latest one. 

In respect of the dependency diagrams, the job dependencies across the business process should be improved. 

I have been using IBM Workload Automation for three or four years. 

The project we worked on involved the running of nearly 24,000 job instances in a single day, so I would say that the solution is stable. 

We do not have plans to increase the number of users of the solution.

We regularly reach out to technical support when dealing with issues that are beyond our control. 

We did not use a different solution prior to IBM Workload Automation. 

While the installation is fine, it requires the involvement of an IBM engineer. The solution is easier to install for those who are well versed in the IBM world, but this is a bit difficult for someone who has a background in application development. The process is easier for someone who has experience working with IBM tools. 

One can handle the installation on his own. 

Including management, fewer than seven people are needed for the deployment and maintenance. This will always involve an administrator. There will also be a program manager involved, the rest of the team consisting of developers. 

The contract is with the customer with whom we are working, so IBM is not directly involved in this. 

There are approximately 50-plus users making use of the solution in our organization. 

My advice is that the implementation be handled by someone with the requisite knowledge. This will be difficult for someone who is not properly acquainted with IBM products. It should be done by someone who knows the IBM environment, who would find the process much easier to handle. 

I rate IBM Workload Automation as an eight out of ten. 

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.

This solution does have bugs and could be improved in this regard. However, these bugs are resolved relatively quickly. 

We have used this solution for more than 10 years. 

This is a stable solution. 

This is a scalable solution and they have documentation on how to scale the product. We're running thousands of jobs per day across many agents in the cloud, as well as in the data center. 

I highly advise anyone that's using the product to ask about the lab advocacy program that IBM has. They're on the developer side to support customers. If you are delving deep into the core code of what they can do, having a lab advocate is very helpful in helping you go down that path.

Positive

It seemed complex so we worked with a vendor called Sirius, and they helped us with the setup. Once they walked us through the process, it was fairly simple.

We transitioned from a server license to per job license, and that saved us a lot money.

We have experience using Contol-M and Robot but preferred Workload Automation because it is easy to use. We have requested certain features that have later been developed and released. One of these features was the ability to manage version control. 

IBM provides methods where you can test the product before purchasing it, either in the cloud or on site. They're willing to come out and set up a demo for you. This is a good way to be able to test something before you make a decision.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten. 

The whole product is valuable because it is a tool for batch automation.

There should be more custom documentation, specifically around Java APIs. There should also be more training.

In terms of features, we are currently using only 50% of its features. We don't use all features that are available, but there is always room for improvement in all of the tools. 

I have been using this solution for 15 years.

It is very stable.

It is extremely scalable. We run more than 80,000 jobs a day across multiple platforms.

Their technical support is fine. We have a contract with them to assist us.

It is simple to install.

It is about one-third of the cost of a controller.

I would rate IBM Workload Automation a seven out of ten.

I  used IBM Workload Automation within the past 12 months

The support from Cisco is very good. I was with them as a company for 40 years.

The configuration of IBM Workload Automation has some challenges. We have a difficult time customizing it, but it is similar to other solutions. However, it is easy to set up.

I would advise others to push their marketing representatives to give a simplified licensing solution, or if you outsource, to an IT vendor, have them deal with the complexities of the process.

I rate IBM Workload Automation an eight out of ten.