What is our primary use case?
AppWorx is basically a scheduling tool. Users use this as an automation tool. It’s a scheduler where jobs and changes run automatically for the user. Things get automated at their end. We are sort of the AppWorx admins here. We manage the AppWorx setup and everything while the users create, develop, and plan their jobs. They deploy their jobs and handle all the settings, but we are the admins. That's how it goes.
How has it helped my organization?
AppWorx is an automation tool. It eases the work of users. For example, in a plant, manual tasks can take a lot of time. Automating these tasks with AppWorx simplifies the work.
It's a scheduling tool, so job changes and user loads on the AppWorx environment automatically get triggered. Users don't have to manually check again and again. They just schedule their jobs and changes for a particular time, say 12:00 PM tonight, and it will automatically trigger; there is no manual intervention.
Workload automation simplifies things in a much better way. With AppWorx, we can give confidence to the customer/user that we can handle their workload in a secure and private environment. They shouldn't have to worry about their production being impacted or losing money.
AppWorx gives us a sort of surety that their plant and their loads are safe with us. It's a very secure environment.
AppWorx has simplified things, making them easy not just for the AppWorx admin, but also for those who are new to it. For instance, if people request jobs and chains, and they encounter difficulties or issues, we have a team call to explain how things are done and how to understand AppWorx. This is how we manage it.
What is most valuable?
First of all, AppWorx isn't limited to Unix or Linux. We can set it up in Windows, AWS, or Azure environments. It's not dependent on any one particular environment.
There are many internal features in AppWorx. For example, there are agents on different servers. Users can have multiple applications and teams, like 10 to 20 applications teams, to run their jobs and chains running on the same master.
Previously, this wasn't possible, but now many users can deploy the App Engine jobs simultaneously. It can run thousands of jobs in a day. Users can choose to share the master or use it independently, which makes handling it very easy. In short, it's easy to handle.
AppWorx leverages AI to improve automation:
We have SOAP agents, also known as AI tools. We create jobs and chains and link them to an AI tool. The triggers happen on our end, but the automation, the workload for which those tools were created, is reflected at the application site.
For example, if they want to move a shipment from plant 'A' to plant 'B', it's done systematically and automatically with the help of AI linked with AppWorx, without manual intervention. It's done securely, with no manual intervention that could breach the privacy of the application or its users.
What needs improvement?
Currently, we download a client file from a URL and set up the master. I'd like to see a return to the previous functionality where we could just enter the URL in the browser, and the entire master setup would appear.
The current setup process can be a bit much for users, especially since they have to create a new setup for each master. This can make them hesitant and uneasy.
Other than that, I don't find any issues with AppWorx. It's a good tool.
For how long have I used the solution?
I still work with it and have about three years of experience.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In general, it's stable. But because it's technology, we also have issues on our side sometimes.
Sometimes, there are connectivity issues, which aren't the fault of AppWorx but rather server-related. It takes about five to ten minutes to reboot and get things flowing again. So it's good, but at times, we feel things could be improved.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable product.
In AppWorx, we have around 13 to 14 people. In our workload, we are the only AppWorx admin team. However, there are many other application teams across the world for whom we are the AppWorx admin.
How are customer service and support?
Broadcom's technical support has been really good. Whenever we've had an issue and raised a case, they've come to our support, whether it's day or night, 24/7.
How was the initial setup?
Deployment is not complex, but it requires knowledge to ensure you're on the right path. It comes with experience, and Broadcom provides helpful manuals that are easy to understand.
The documents provided by Broadcom are very useful. If we have any doubts, we can go through those documents. If we encounter an error, we can often find that Broadcom has resolved it in the past for other teams.
While technology can be complex in every sense, once you get used to it, it becomes easier.
Deployment model:
We have a variety of sources. Some are on the FTDC (data center), and some are on the workload. We have a mix of everything, and we don't experience any problems with this setup.
Deployment time:
The deployment time depends. Sometimes, different teams want to go through each process with a deadline, so it might take a week or even three weeks. But at our end, if something comes up, it usually doesn't take more than a day or two.
Deployment resources:
One or two people are more than sufficient to deploy, if it's within their shift or timeframe.
In our environment, we have databases running on AppWorx, along with other Unix/Linux features. We also establish AppWorx connectivity with other applications. It's easy to use in combination with Splunk services, Dynatrace, or other AI tools.
Maintenance:
Every server and tool requires monthly maintenance, if not weekly, to maintain uptime and ensure things run smoothly and efficiently. AppWorx is no exception and requires maintenance.
What was our ROI?
There's the migration feature. We have a lower environment (testing) and a production environment. Users don't need to recreate what they create in the lower environment in production.
The automation of jobs and chains saves a lot of time for users during development, testing, and production. This migration feature simplifies work and is very time-efficient, safe, and secure.
It saves a lot of time. Without it, users might have to create their jobs in the lower environment for a week and then test it out for another week. It sort of easifies and simplifies things and makes them more time-efficient so everything can be done in a day or two, rather than taking a month.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's good. I haven't heard any complaints. It's a very cost-efficient tool with high availability, so no issues there.
What other advice do I have?
AppWorx is a good option if you want to:
- automate your workload,
- make things more time-efficient,
- make things to be more secure, and with minimal manual intervention,
- want things to be done at varied times. For example, if you have a sort of shipment which has to go at twelve o'clock, and because of this, some of the reason it's going at one o'clock. So, AppWorx maintains that if something has to be triggered at twelve, then it will get triggered at twelve.
So, I would suggest anyone to give AppWorx a try. It's very efficient and time-efficient.
Overall, I would rate it a ten out of ten, with one being worst and ten being best.