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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Control-M

    Score9.4 out of 10
    N/AControl-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

    Ansible

    Score9.1 out of 10
    N/AThe Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform (acquired by Red Hat in 2015) is a foundation for building and operating automation across an organization. The platform includes tools needed to implement enterprise-wide automation, and can automate resource provisioning, and IT environments and configuration of systems and devices. It can be used in a CI/CD process to provision the target environment and to then deploy the application on it.

    $5,000

    per year

    Pricing
    Control-MAnsible
    Editions & Modules
    On-Premise
    Contact Sales
    SaaS
    Starting at $29,000
    per year
    Basic Tower
    5,000
    per year
    Enterprise Tower
    10,000
    per year
    Premium Tower
    14,000
    per year
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Control-MAnsible
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Control-MAnsible
    Considered Both Products
    BMC Software Inc.
    Chose Control-M
    I was not involved in product selection.
    Incentivized
    Chose Control-M
    The use of Control-M supports effective scheduling links between various systems and its user interface enables the Workload Automation team to maintain the batch schedule and to effectively monitor the progress of the
    Incentivized
    Chose Control-M
    We use the Windows Task Scheduler for all those tasks that CTM cannot handle. The problem we are having is when working with foreground software. When something is launched from CTM, it considers it to be in the background and is not able to interact with tools that require a …
    Incentivized
    Red Hat
    Chose Ansible
    Extensive automation: from the operating system to the application layer.Agentless, simple, and secure management.An IT-centric solution, compatible with DevOps, but understandable by infrastructure teams.Full enterprise support and certifications.
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    99%
    Would buy again
    138 Answers
    99%
    Would buy again
    265 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    97%
    Delivers good value for the price
    108 Answers
    96%
    Delivers good value for the price
    210 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    99%
    Happy with the feature set
    138 Answers
    98%
    Happy with the feature set
    263 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    97%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    90 Answers
    97%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    166 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    95%
    Implementation went as expected
    112 Answers
    89%
    Implementation went as expected
    201 Answers
    Features
    Control-MAnsible
    Workload Automation
    Comparison of Workload Automation features of Control-M and Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform
    Feature
    Control-M
    9.1
    181 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform
    -
    Ratings
    Multi-platform scheduling9.6178 Ratings00 Ratings
    Central monitoring9.4166 Ratings00 Ratings
    Logging8.7169 Ratings00 Ratings
    Alerts and notifications9.2170 Ratings00 Ratings
    Analysis and visualization8.8163 Ratings00 Ratings
    Application integration8.9164 Ratings00 Ratings
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    Control-MAnsible
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    Salt
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    Apache Airflow
    Score8.7 out of 10
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    Score8.5 out of 10
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    User Ratings
    Control-MAnsible
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.4
    (184 ratings)
    8.8
    (292 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.6
    (32 ratings)
    9.2
    (8 ratings)
    Usability
    9.2
    (141 ratings)
    8.3
    (184 ratings)
    Availability
    9.1
    (10 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    8.7
    (10 ratings)
    8.7
    (5 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.1
    (25 ratings)
    8.0
    (5 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    9.1
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Online Training
    8.8
    (6 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.8
    (16 ratings)
    8.0
    (2 ratings)
    Configurability
    9.1
    (10 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    7.7
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    9.1
    (8 ratings)
    8.6
    (5 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    9.1
    (10 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Professional Services
    8.8
    (7 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    8.8
    (10 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    8.9
    (9 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Control-MAnsible
    Likelihood to Recommend
    BMC Software Inc.
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Red Hat
    I think it's the best defacto orchestrator for automation because it's so easy to integrate in other tools to it (dynatrace, cyberark, terraform, etc). It is a lot for a new or smaller team to use so I wouldn't recommend it to a new team using Ansible, in that case using Ansible navigator is a better start to understanding playbooks/inventories before diving into the complexity of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform. EDA also takes a lot of connectivity between Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform and target systems to get working which can be difficult in very locked down envs unless you have approval from many other teams like networking and security.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    BMC Software Inc.
    • 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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Red Hat
    • Standardize controls and visibility for automation.
    • Provide RBAC and Vault for improved automation security and support.
    • Job Scheduling is much more effective than Cron or other home-grown solutions.
    • The Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform API is one of the best features as it makes automation accessible from any other platform.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    BMC Software Inc.
    • 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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Red Hat
    • Ansible is still not truly declarative like Terraform.
    • Simple automation is fine, but creating complex, scalable automation scripts is very difficult to learn.
    • For a higher number of nodes, Ansible consumes a lot of resources. It needs the paid version of AAP, which requires a cost.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    BMC Software Inc.
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Red Hat
    We are extremely happy with the use of AAP. It's better than expected, There is almost no limit when thinking of automation. The only problem is that the day to day is consuming a big part of our time. Patching and checking vulnerabilities are virtually killing us. But we can only improve with AAP.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    BMC Software Inc.
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Red Hat
    Everything has room for improvement, but Ansible is the best tool out there for what it does and what it can do. There are plenty of features and capabilities that can be added, but it's just a matter of time before it happens.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    BMC Software Inc.
    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.
    Read full review
    Red Hat
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    BMC Software Inc.
    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
    Read full review
    Red Hat
    Great in almost every way compared to any other configuration management software. The only thing I wish for is python3 support. Other than that, YAML is much improved compared to the Ruby of Chef. The agentless nature is incredibly convenient for managing systems quickly, and if a member of your term has no terminal experience whatsoever they can still use the UI.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    BMC Software Inc.
    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".
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Red Hat
    There is a lot of good documentation that Ansible and Red Hat provide which should help get someone started with making Ansible useful. But once you get to more complicated scenarios, you will benefit from learning from others. I have not used Red Hat support for work with Ansible, but many of the online resources are helpful.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    BMC Software Inc.
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Red Hat
    No answers on this topic
    Online Training
    BMC Software Inc.
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Red Hat
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    BMC Software Inc.
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Red Hat
    I spoke on this topic today!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    BMC Software Inc.
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Red Hat
    AAP compares favorably with Terraform and Power Automate. I don't have much experience with Terraform, but I find AAP and Ansible easier to use as well as having more capabilities. Power Platform is also an excellent automation tool that is user friendly but I feel that Ansible has more compatibility with a variety of technologies.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    BMC Software Inc.
    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
    Read full review
    Red Hat
    No answers on this topic
    Scalability
    BMC Software Inc.
    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
    Read full review
    Red Hat
    No answers on this topic
    Professional Services
    BMC Software Inc.
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Red Hat
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    BMC Software Inc.
    • 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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Red Hat
    • First, it keeps our entire server infrastructure aligned with our standards and reduces the time and effort needed to maintain our systems.
    • Automate routine IT tasks to save time, reduce errors, and ensure every server is configured and updated consistently.
    • Tasks that used to take our teams weeks to complete manually now run automatically and reliably, with full visibility, making our infrastructure management more effective and our compliance tracking much easier.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
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