Control-M from BMC is a platform for integrating, automating, and orchestrating application and data workflows in production across complex hybrid technology ecosystems. It provides deep operational capabilities, delivering speed, scale, security, and governance.
$29,000
per year
Dell Avamar
Score 5.4 out of 10
N/A
Dell Avamar is a hardware and software data backup and deduplication product. It provides protection and recovery through a complete software and hardware solution when paired with Dell Data Domain for virtual environments, remote offices, enterprise apps, NAS servers, and desktops/laptops.
Anytime you have a process that has to do multiple things, transfer data, interact with other systems, Control-M is critical. Not only does it provide the insight to what is going on, but it also lets you keep tight audit controls over access, reduces the need to spend large amounts of time tracking down issues, reduces the need to write custom "code" to do integrations with other systems and helps you better manage and track critical SLAs for workflows across the business.
This software is well suited for companies that want to be very in control of their backups but need a simple tool. It could be convenient for them to just buy their own node, locate it in a different location, and set up the jobs for their machines to backup to the cloud with the specific plugins. However, it would not be convenient for companies looking to have a tool that needs to be secure and compliant, and that need to have different other options for business continuity.
The good thing is that there are so many connectors available. Control-M provides lots of features, and we are using almost 60 to 70% of them. Control-M is providing us with so much capability to use during our daily problem-solving.
Most of the job creation is very simple and quick and worked as per expectations.
Testing and debugging are also very easy, and you can test multiple scenarios using temporary changes during job runs.
Log and output presentations are also very good, short and detailed.
To monitor specific job net, we can create viewpoint, which can be use on daily basis.
Avamar performs data deduplication on the remote host. This greatly reduces the amount of traffic that each backup requires. This even applies to the virtual environment through change block tracking. Backup times are reduced from hours to minutes.
The management interface makes it easy to configure and maintain data retention periods. Many times certain data must be kept for an extended period of time. There is a specific menu for managing retention periods.
The system is able to recover itself from a hard failure with virtually no loss of backups. There is a checkpoint taken each day that provides a recovery point in the event of a catastrophic failure. Since this is a node based system, the loss of more than one node could require a recovery be performed.
While another grid must be purchased, the replication utility allows all backups to be replicated to another grid at a remote location. This ensures the resilience of the backups in the event there is the loss of the primary data center.
Also works on HCI devices performing image-level backups as in our primary data center environment
There is also now an All-in-One appliance for smaller locations
I haven't come across too many spots where I'm not happy with the product. Most of the shortfalls were in my knowledge of the product as opposed to the actual product. Currently we're having a little bit of an issue with the deployment of the software to the servers, but it's more of an "us" problem than a product problem. I can't really give any good examples of shortfalls of the product that I've found so far.
The client interface has constant JAVA issues and can be slow and chunky. We have often had issues with current versions of JAVA breaking it so it will not even run.
The backup clients are split out for function. Although this makes them light, it also makes it cumbersome to upgrade clients. The naming scheme can also be confusing for the clients.
It is one of the best solutions on the market, in terms of innovation, reliability and stability. Control-M provides security when used by the largest companies in Mexico such as banks, department stores and logistics. It has proven to be able to integrate with new technologies on the market and provide almost 100% availability, thanks to its automatic FailOver scheme.
I have been using the product for over five years. This has performed so well that with the current system reaching its End-of-Life with EMC next year, I have proposed replacing it with the latest version of the product. Now that it integrates with Data Domain, the cost has been greatly reduced. Instead of the need to purchase many nodes, one Data Domain can replace them creating a significant cost savings.
User experience is meeting my expectations. We had a manual checklist, which Control-M Reports has now replaced, that helped us check the jobs without any issues. So, being fair with the work, the ratings should also be fair. More to come as the AI progresses; this will not only help motivate the Control-M Developers but also lead to the development of advanced technology.
The system overall is easy to monitor and see your backup/restore status. The user interface could use updating as it relies on Java and any updates to Java cause the interface to stop working need to be reinstalled
Secondary Instances: Control-M supports the installation of a secondary instance of the entire Control-M environment, Control-M/EM, or Control-M/Server.Automatic & Manual Failover: In case of a failure on the primary host, Control-M can automatically failover to the secondary host if using Oracle or MSSQL databases. Manual failover is also an option, enabling a controlled switch during planned maintenance.Fallback: After resolving the issue on the primary host, you can easily fall back to it, or even designate the secondary host as the new primary. Database Replication: For high availability, Control-M leverages database replication from the primary site to a disaster recovery site. While replication is essential, its implementation and maintenance are the user's responsibility.
good page load times, efficient report completion, and minimal impact on integrated systems. Specifically, the well-designed GUI contributes to a positive user experience, and the platform's ability to automate various stages of the workflow, including Big Data processes, is highlighted as a key strength. Fast Page Loads: Control-M is reported to have a responsive user interface with fast page load times, allowing users to quickly navigate and manage their workflows
Support is generally excellent. Getting lower priority ones resolved can take a while, but it's rare for something to have to be dumped in the "unfixable" bin. If you end up speaking to Houston or Tel Aviv, then you know you've got a "live one".
Support is very convincing, always eager to solve issues from the root rather than workaround, don't hesitate to take webex, describe the issues to the core and recommend configuration to avoid further issues. We can ask few questions other than the main issue. They don't hesitate to answer.
Very knowledgeable instructors provide a hands-on, collaborative learning experience and can interact directly with instructors to develop our Control-M skills. This format allows for immediate feedback, in-depth discussions, and tailored guidance, leading to a deeper understanding of Control-M concepts and practical application. Face-to-face interaction fosters higher engagement and a more dynamic learning environment.
Simple and easy to use web based, well paced. Available any time. All online courses are simple and easy to access and use. Very practical everyday use scenarios and solutions. Incorporates software simulations, learning games, and built-in assessments to enhance comprehension and engagement. Online subscriptions are regularly updated with the latest product information, ensuring users have access to the most current knowledge.
As HA we have depend on the external DB, why don't we have HA feasibility with embedded DB. As with external DB, there are performance issues and fine tuning the DB. As if its embedded DB, Control-M it self take care of the functionality.
Control-M: Known for its comprehensive workload automation capabilities, handling complex job scheduling, dependency management, and IT process automation. TWS: Traditionally strong in Batch processing and job scheduling, focusing on high-performance computing environments. TIDEL: Offers a combination of workload automation and IT process management, often used in mainframe environments.AutoSys: Provides job scheduling and workflow management with a reputation for scalability and performance.
Avamar has simplied the back up approach in their VE edition and is much easier to use than Data Protector. Backing up multiple VMs takes minutes instead of hours now. Creating policies, retentions, and schedules, is vastly improved and much easier.
While Control-M offers flexibility with usage-based and subscription-based pricing, some users might prefer more predictable, upfront costs, especially for large-scale deployments. A potential area for improvement could be offering more options for fixed-term contracts with predictable pricing based on factors like the number of agents or jobs, providing a clearer budget for long-term planning
awesome product.Control-M delivers advanced operational capabilities easily consumed by Dev, Ops, data teams, and lines of business.Control-M Workflow InsightsApplication and data workflow observability: Increased confidence that SLAs are being met for Control-M users and IT leadersComprehensive control and management capabilities: Enhanced dashboards and reporting with constant telemetry and intelligent analysis on executing workflowsSelf-service visibility: In-depth reporting to help teams work autonomously
Strengths: The vendor provided strong post-sales support, timely issue resolution, and effective onboarding. Their technical team was knowledgeable and responsive, ensuring smooth integration and minimal disruption. Training resources and documentation were comprehensive. Areas for Improvement: While overall service was excellent, occasional delays in advanced customization or escalations slightly impacted timelines. More proactive optimization suggestions could further enhance value.
Since centralizing all our workflows in Control-M, we've cut end to end processing time by nearly 30%
Before Control-M we were babysitting scripts, manually rerunning failed jobs, and chasing ghost errors. With automated recovery, smart notifications, and fewer failures slipping through the cracks, we have saved 3 hours a day across teams
Our workflows success rate sits at 99.95% and when things do fail, they are pinpointed immediately
