Item: JAMS
Rating: 8
Author: David Wright

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

At WADOR in the Location Services and GIS Program, we use JAMS is used in 2 main types of flows;

Scheduled jobs that run single or multi-step sequences that check folders for uploads and if there is content found executes executables to process data in a managed space.
We have WebApps/WebServices that submit a job that kicks off another process that is a managed workflow that then submits other jobs that then submit the next job in the sequence at the right time.

So in this instance we are not only using the Scheduler to schedule and run known/pre-planned jobs but also for job orchestration based on complex workflows.

Pros and Cons

Running jobs/application in multiple languages, Python, Powershell etc..
Smooth UI to create and manage jobs
Flexible options for scheduling jobs and setting triggers

Inclusion of a better coding interface such as Visual Studio Code to improve the script development process and more easily debug jobs.
Improvement of the Authentication layer; to better integrate with Active-Directory/Azure-AD across the Desktop and Web-Interface to simplify access to managed groups.

Return on Investment

JAMS was not the most cost-effective solution to the original program we were implementing at my Agency; but we were able to expand on the services we do provide using it's power and flexibility to enhance other program areas.
The cost-model from MVPSI has been great in allowing us to deploy a DEVELOPMENT, STAGING, then PRODUCTION scheduler integrating the platform into our SDLC.

Scalability

Based on our use cases the application and services have the potential to scale well; but from our deployment the need to be more scaled or highly available has not been required.

The Customer Service team has truly been beyond belief; their flexibility to help troubleshoot job issues as well as to provide hot-fixes for issues that arise in a release has truly been a incredible experience.

Alternatives Considered

Not Applicable to our Agency/Division.

Key Insights

Do you think JAMS delivers good value for the price?

Not sure

Are you happy with JAMS's feature set?

Yes

Did JAMS live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of JAMS go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy JAMS again?

Yes

Other Software Used

ArcGIS, AutoCAD

Likelihood to Recommend

The best way to determine if/when you need service layer like this is; if you are in a place where you have to manage multiple job-streams that need to be both scheduled on various regiments as well as triggered ad-hoc then JAMS is a magnificent solution. The flexibility to run Command-Line apps, PowerShell Scripts, Python Scripts; in such a powerful way is really a driving factor towards this.

If all you need is to trigger a job every hour, or once a day; then Windows Scheduler would be much more cost-effective.

This Scheduler can surely help get you out of JAMS

Overall Satisfaction with JAMS