The Power of Simple: Whats New in BMC Control-M 8

Editor's Notes

• #3: Do more, more quickly, with less training!Single UI.Login dialog with multiple environmentsPlanning, Monitoring, History, Forecast, ToolsEach domain has a “Home” with info about work in progress or available functions/viewsConsistent layouts. Describe panes in Planning, Monitoring, Forecast and History. List displays all common (Alerts, Services, etc.). In all views when item is selected, the detail is presented in synopsis on right.PlanningWorkspace conceptJob PaletteDrag and Drop Folder contextJob Synopsis and PropertiesCondition Editing
• #5: After installation, there is now a single icon for the combined Workload Automation User Interface.CCM and Reporting are still separate and are available from the Start->BMC Software -> BMC Control-M menuThe Login dialog now provides the ability to define multiple environments simultaneously such as Test, Dev and Prod.Select the desired environment, enter an ID and Password to launch the new UI.One of the goals for Control-M 8 is to be easier to learn. One of the first features users encounter is easy-to-access, context sensitive help and instructional videos.Here we see an example of the initial dialog that informs users that videos are available. Also notice the pop-up in the lower right hand that lets you know there is a Service alert that you may wish to investigate.You can watch instructional videos from this initial welcome screen or from Help at any time.NOTE TO SELF: This is the place to describe the general properties of the new UI.
• #6: When you select a “domain” (Planning, Monitor, History, Forecast, Tools) from the navigation pane, you get the “Home” page for that domain that contains information about your recent work, options to select or functions to perform.Here we see a list of Planning Workspaces. As you hover the pointer on an item, its description and “stats” are automatically displayed. Some of the general characteristics: There is a Ribbon that is specific to the domain. When you select a domain, the domain icon appears in the upper left hand corner as the “current”. In the screen shot here, it is “Planning”.Each domain is multi-tabbed (except for History).Click one to open it or select “Blank Workspace” to start from scratch.
• #7: NOTE: Screen shots of the other domains appear later in this deck.Talk about the elements of the layout:Multi-tabbedTree view, network overview, detailed pane, job synopsisAll job elements are fully synchronized so navigation in one occurs in the other. Info updates in one appear in the other.Tree, Network and Synopsis can be collapsedNavigation Pane can be collapsedRibbon can be collapsed (<Ctrl> + <F1> just like in Office>Detail Pane can be zoomed (currently there is a bug with the slider. Use <Ctrl>+ mouse wheel to zoom)The Network Overview is also multi-tabbed. When validation or Check In is performed, the status messages appear in a separate tab here.Some domains have lists (alerts, services, etc.). These too all have a consistent look & feel and when an entry is selected, its details appear in a synopsis on the right. This synopsis can also be collapsed.Find Toolbar[Build]“Detach to Separate Window” is available in all domains to allow the current “view” to be “undocked” into a separate window [Build]This new window can be resized, moved, etc. so that several windows and objects can then be viewed side by side or together as necessary.
• #8: The Workspace concept in Control-M 8 is a significant re-working of and simplification of the job authoring process.The user no longer has to be mindful of the fact that there is a database at the EM level and a different database at the Control-M server level and that job definitions have to be managed between these two environments. Now, Control-M takes care of this automatically.Terminology and functions have been updated to reflect this change.Tables are now called Folders. This reflects their function as simply a grouping of jobs rather than an object/entity in a database.There is a new entity called a Workspace.It is maintained in the EM databaseIts life is from Check Out to Check In (more on that soon)It can be accessed by the creator/author and others who have authorization to do so.It can contain multiple folders and their jobsThe process now operates as follows:If you want to just look at jobs, or in preparation for working on them, you still “Load” jobs. This is done either as part of creating a Workspace or afterwards using the Load function available in the Ribbon.If you decide to make changes, you then Check Out these foldersIf you wish to create a new folder modeled on an existing one, you can “Open as a Copy” --This is BIG Deal!You can then work on changes with all the Workspace capabilities (will discuss further)If you take a break (have to work on other things, go on vacation, etc.) you can save the Workspace.Jobs in the Workspace do NOT have to be fully composed. This enables you to save “work in progress” even if it is not syntactically correct/finished.Your peers (based on Authorizations) can take over your workspace and work on it in your absenceYou can “Validate” the Workspace any time and any number of times). This checks syntax and identifies any missing mandatory fields.You can FORECAST a Workspace (this operation is performed against the “Saved” copy in the database)When you are done and ready to promote your work, you CHECK IN. Validation is done as part of the Check In.Check In writes the Workspace to the EM database. BIG DEAL!!!! If a folder has 10 jobs and you update only five in the Workspace you are checking in, Control-M updates ONLY the five you changed!!!!!!!!Depending on your Synchronization option, jobs will also be pushed to the Control-M Server database. If the Control-M Server is not currently connected, the Check In process will report this error. It will either be corrected automatically (during New Day for that Datacenter) or you can correct it manually via the Folders function.Common Terminology:FolderSub ApplicationOutputVariablesHostOrder MethodWorkspaceCheck OutCheck InRun AsPrerequisitesActions
• #9: Now let’s talk about how we build and modify jobs in this new environment.We open a Blank Workspace.We select a folder or job type from the Palette and drag it onto the “canvas”. The details for this object appear in the synopsis where we can “enrich” it. We now have a folder and something in it (unless we just started with a folder. In any case, this current folder has a context (Control-M, Application, Sub-Application.We can now drop other jobs and folders into this one and they inherit this context.
• #12: Functionality mainly unchanged but many look & feel/ organization changes:Home:List of ViewpointsNext Build: This shows all panes and elements visibleNote the Pie ChartNext Build: NONE of the elements visible except for primary (detail) pane. The collapsed elements include the Reibbon, Navigation, Tree, Network and Synopsis panes.Next Build: This is the Analysis and Synopsis forms. The Synopsis, when visible, always shows the currently selected job. If you wish to see multiple jobs or the logs or output of multiple jobs, you can open the Analysis form and select the desired info from there.Next Build: Job Properties with a new option called “Modify”. This is a single-step combination of Hold+Zoom&Save+FreeNext Build: The FIND dialog is new. It is available in all domains. It is by default, case insensitive (Advanced can change that) so when there are mainframe/distributed jobs, FIND will find both, and you can very quickly skip through all the occurances.
• #13: A Separate Domain makes functionality more visible and accessibleThe list of available data is organized by dateAnd once an archive is open, the Ribbon also makes available functions easier to see especially Playback
• #17: JOBRC is a new keyword (operation) on the JCL JOB card that allows users to define how the “Job Return Code” should be determined.