JAMS Reviews

Name: JAMS
Brand: Fortra
Rating: 4.4 (35 reviews)

4.4 out of 5

35 reviews
97% willing to recommend

What is JAMS?

JAMS offers efficient automation and scheduling with strong capabilities in planning, dependency management, and multi-platform support. Its intuitive interface and robust tools assist in managing complex workflows for enhanced resource allocation.

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JAMS is the #5 ranked solution in top Workload Automation solutions. PeerSpot users give JAMS an average rating of 8.8 out of 10. JAMS is most commonly compared to Control-M: JAMS vs Control-M. JAMS is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 59% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 17% of all views.

Helped 851,491 peers since 2012

Featured JAMS reviews

Rob Grafrath

VP, Enterprise Systems at Capio

The extensibility feature, i.e., the custom execution method ability, is the most valuable feature. We can write a C# interface using the JAMS libraries. We copy the DLLs for the client interface over to our remote desktop and JAMS servers. Then, any of our JAMS users can open up a job definition and see the control developed by our developers. When the job command is issued, it executes our developers' code. I am happy with the exception handling, for the most part. When an exception occurs on one job inside of a series of jobs, it can make that series of jobs stop running, sending an email to someone to let them respond. There is also a monitor view where you can see everything that is currently running and any of the jobs that are currently in an error state. You can find them and try to rerun the job, or cancel it if the job doesn't actually need to be run. JAMS will attach the console logs from anything that has an error on the email that goes to the operators. Also, inside of the job monitor, you can go to the logs and dig down into the details to see what went wrong. It has the ability to use PowerShell to schedule jobs, enable, or disable triggers. The fact that they have JAMS PowerShell cmdlets is useful. This is not central to our use of JAMS, but I appreciate it. While they have extended PowerShell and created cmdlets, I tend to use that when I have to do things like kill all the jobs currently in the schedule, if something catastrophic has occurred. I use them on my test server more than production. On my test server, if I am running a bunch of tests and jobs, but I just want to wipe out the whole scheduler, then I can use a PowerShell command to do that. From time to time, a job is executed and gets stuck in a loop. It gets hung. Maybe the remote system freezes up. Something abnormal happens. It is pretty easy to deal with those. You can see them inside the JAMS monitor because JAMS will automatically calculate the average time that it takes for a given job to execute as long as it has had a few successful runs. The JAMS Scheduler can predict what should take five minutes to run. If it is running for 30 minutes, there is a percentage that shows inside the scheduler that the job is now at 600% of the normal run time. So, you will see this big number, 600% and climbing inside the monitor. You can research that. You can go find the hung process on the source system and respond accordingly. You can set up jobs such that they send alerts or have runaway job limitations. I personally don't tend to use the runaway feature. Our operators notice and respond accordingly to long-running jobs.

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Patrick Norton

Manager of Reliability Engineering and Security Operations at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees

JAMS support has been among the most helpful and knowledgeable we've ever worked with. They're always eager to assist and quickly find solutions. While a few minor issues required escalation, we've been able to resolve them all within the current version of JAMS. After initial misuse, we have optimized the use of several agents deployed in our environment. This improvement was made possible through collaboration with internal stakeholders and guidance on JAMS best practices. While agents might appear to directly solve user problems due to their ability to perform custom tasks on machines, in our cases, they operate behind the scenes, unseen by users. JAMS handles exceptions well, especially when calling PowerShell scripts, successfully bubbling up errors. It centralized our job and orchestration management functionalities into a single control plane, providing visibility into previously siloed work. This consolidation streamlined operations and enhanced oversight through a unified dashboard. Additionally, JAMS empowered us to build advanced processes by effectively managing retries, workflows, and sequences. Without JAMS, replicating this functionality would have been manual and inefficient, lacking the comprehensive visibility and control JAMS provides. Data Slack refers to delays in data pipelines caused by disparate and siloed processes. Using JAMS, while powerful for scheduling and orchestration, can exacerbate this issue if teams break down processes into isolated tasks within different tools. This fragmentation leads to data sitting in queues and folders, awaiting processing. To improve efficiency and timeliness, it's recommended to consolidate these fragmented processes entirely under JAMS. This allows JAMS to execute the entire workflow from start to finish within a single execution, eliminating data slack and ensuring timely data delivery. JAMS has helped save IT staff time by automating tasks previously performed with scripts, and its scheduling feature has been particularly useful.

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Chris Waring

Sr. Vice President, Managed Services and Delivery at Powwr

The most valuable feature is the basic core of the software itself. That is just the level at which you can set scheduling and dependencies between jobs, how everything can be set and scheduled based off of one another, and the ability to run jobs across 25 to 30 different virtual machines. It gives the ability to be able to run jobs on all those servers as well as have them all be visible. In the schedule from one centralized JAMS client location, we can bring up the client interface and see everything that runs across our entire infrastructure, which is really invaluable. We can instantly access all the log files for anything that happens, e.g., if we get any job errors. That is definitely what is most valuable to us. There are some different batch queue features, e.g., we can quickly change the servers where jobs are running. When we made a full move to Azure to be fully cloud based, we had to change all our jobs and the servers that they were going to be running on. The way it had been originally set up was that we used batch queues, where each job would run on a particular server and it would be assigned to the queue, which had the agent definition in it. That told it what server to run on, which was very easy. We didn't have to go through and change thousands of jobs. We only had to go through and change about 20 to 25 different queues, then just point them at different servers. Therefore, it was a very quick and easy change. We have used some of the built-in PowerShell FTP capabilities within JAMS as well as some of the other PowerShell capabilities. We also use the triggers a little bit, when we are watching for files to appear in a particular directory, etc. The exception alerting process is reliable; it works. We don't do anything really fancy with it, and it is mostly based on the actual jobs themselves. For example, if an SQL job, some Windows executable, or an SSIS package that we're running returns an error exit code, JAMS certainly handles that and lets us know. It then does, with the rest of the job surrounding it, what we have configured it to do. From that perspective, it is great. We have some specific instances where if jobs run too quickly or take too long to run, we use the exception alerting process on probably a few dozen different jobs that we have that are really important. The few times that it happened. It has saved us a lot of headaches because it is able to report those exceptions to us. We use a fairly decent amount of the log file exceptions, where you can go in and parse the JAMS job log file for specific entries as it goes through. Then, it can actually error the job out for a job that otherwise might not end in an error. In our case, we wanted to be alerted and have it halt a process if some specific text string shows up in the job log. We have that set up on a number of different jobs, which saves us from a lot of headaches. It has worked out pretty well for helping us handle complex scheduling requirements. We use it in one specific instance where our customers interact with our web-based platform. It has a section where our customers can go in and run one-off versions of their specific processes. So, they will go in and upload a new file, then they want to basically process that file into the system. What they can do is go to the page, upload their file, and then there is a button there that allows them to process it. That button actually links directly into our JAMS server using the JAMS APIs. That will kick off the jobs within JAMS directly. We have it set up so it only allows it to run it during certain times a day. It can check and monitor to see if an instance of a job is already running for that client. If it is, it returns back and tells them that they need to wait for the current one to finish. It returns the actual history from JAMS so they can see all the previous instances of their jobs that have run. This is a really nice feature that our customers really appreciate. It also saves us a lot of time. What would happen in the first couple years before we implemented this, our customers would upload their file, but then they would send in a support ticket for us to run their processes during the day and all our customer processing happens mostly overnight. Therefore, they would want this intraday update of the process. As soon as we implemented this for all of our clients, those support tickets just disappeared. It made a big difference in our ability to support customers.

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JAMS mindshare

As of May 2025, the mindshare of JAMS in the Workload Automation category stands at 1.9%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Workload Automation

PeerResearch reports based on JAMS reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Workload Automation	May 19, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	May 19, 2025	Download
Comparison	JAMS vs Control-M	May 19, 2025	Download
Comparison	JAMS vs Automic Automation	May 19, 2025	Download
Comparison	JAMS vs Redwood RunMyJobs	May 19, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Control-M	4.4	21.8%	98%	122 interviews Add to research
MuleSoft Anypoint Platform	4.0	6.0%	92%	58 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

JAMS' standout features include robust planning capabilities, ease of use, and powerful job dependencies. Users value its automation, job sequencing, and natural language scheduling. Its metrics, PowerShell integration, and disaster recovery readiness enhance operational efficiency. Interactive Agents, exceptional error handling, and comprehensive logging streamline troubleshooting. The extensive execution methods and platform compatibility support diverse requirements, making JAMS a reliable tool for complex scheduling and automation tasks, with strong customer support and flexibility.

"The most valuable feature of JAMS is its user-friendly interface, especially after upgrading from version six to seven."
"JAMS has helped save IT staff time by automating tasks previously performed with scripts, and its scheduling feature has been particularly useful."
"I appreciate JAMS for its readily available templates that allow me to create and deliver stand-up presentations within minutes quickly."

Room for Improvement

JAMS users suggest improvements in simulation, search capabilities, and intuitive web interfaces. The client and UI could enhance ease of use and error messages. Improved documentation, better exception handling, and enhanced automation features are needed. Users express the necessity for advanced reporting, security permissions, and built-in integrations. Global search functionality is lacking, and a more efficient learning curve is desired. Notifications for hung jobs need enhancements, and a comprehensive audit feature is essential for compliance.

"The monitoring of the JAMS product and its performance is an area of concern for me."
"The monitoring of the JAMS product and its performance is an area of concern for me."
"The error messages from JAMS often need clarification, hindering our ability to resolve issues swiftly."

ROI

JAMS frees up staff by automating batch monitoring and failed batch remediation, delivering significant cost and time savings. Its use has eliminated the need for additional staff despite increased job processes and client intake. Organizations have seen reduced costs compared to previous systems. JAMS saves time, enhances productivity, and provides better process visibility. It integrates well across platforms, growing with companies and offering substantial value for the money invested.

Pricing

JAMS pricing is generally seen as competitive and cost-effective for enterprise solutions. Users highlight a straightforward licensing structure, often based on the number of jobs or agents, with flexibility in scaling usage. Initial costs are reasonable, with maintenance fees ranging annually. Compared to competitors like Control-M and Tivoli, JAMS is described as more affordable while providing extensive functionality. Some users noted recent price hikes and complexity with Fortra's new subscription model, yet overall satisfaction remains high.

"Fortra's JAMS pricing structure has deteriorated significantly since its acquisition by Fortra."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"The licensing model for JAMS is straightforward and based on the number of agents, not the number of jobs you run. It's cheap and fairly simple."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations primarily use JAMS for workflow and batch automation. It schedules various tasks including SSIS and SQL jobs, Python scripts, and custom executions. JAMS supports file transfers, FTP jobs, and centralized job management across different environments. Users include IT, finance, and educational sectors, employing JAMS for data management, SFTP tasks, and automation of repetitive processes. It's implemented across cloud and on-premise environments, supporting diverse scheduling needs and facilitating enterprise-level task coordination.

Service and Support

Customers find JAMS service and support exceptional, highlighting quick response times and knowledgeable staff. They appreciate the proactive and supportive team, often rating them highly for resolving issues efficiently. Although some mention minor delays or escalation needs, the overall sentiment is positive, with references to comprehensive assistance and resourcefulness. JAMS is recognized for its high-quality service, prompt responses, and effective problem-solving, making the support experience highly satisfactory for users.

Deployment

Users found JAMS's initial setup straightforward and manageable with proper guidance and documentation. Deployment times varied from an hour to several weeks depending on the complexity and number of jobs. Some users experienced minor challenges with unclear instructions and SQL permissions, but support was readily available when needed. Migrating and converting jobs was largely smooth, with some users utilizing professional services. Learning to leverage JAMS's full capabilities was occasionally time-consuming but ultimately rewarding.

Scalability

JAMS demonstrates impressive scalability, accommodating tens of thousands of daily jobs without issues. It benefits from flexible agent deployment and works well in varied environments. Multiple organizations manage extensive tasks with ease, noting potential for greater usage with additional resources. Many users experience smooth scaling across departments. While certain limitations exist in licensing and server usage, most find it meets their organizational demands effectively, with some exploring further expansion and integration possibilities.

Stability

JAMS exhibits exceptional stability according to various sources. Users find the current version more reliable than its predecessors, citing zero downtime and minimal issues. Reports indicate incidents were typically due to external factors like system resources or misconfigurations. Upgrades have enhanced dependability; the desktop version scored higher in stability than the web version. Clients appreciate JAMS' performance during heavy workloads, finding it dependable over extended periods and praising consistent performance improvements.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our JAMS Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

15%

Healthcare Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Energy/Utilities Company

Non Profit

Insurance Company

Photography Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Logistics Company

University

Government

Hospitality Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Construction Company

Outsourcing Company

Performing Arts

Legal Firm

Pharma/Biotech Company

Media Company

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Transportation Company

Music Company

Mining And Metals Company

Marketing Services Firm

Compare JAMS with alternative products

Learn more about JAMS

JAMS stands out for its blend of automation and scheduling capabilities, making it suitable for handling complex workflows across platforms. Its features such as batch scheduling, natural language scheduling, and interactive agents promote seamless integration with other tools like PowerShell. The focus on metrics and notifications ensures users are informed about operational efficiency enhancements. While JAMS is effective in many areas, users report a need for improved simulation for termination processes and a more intuitive client setup. They see potential in enhanced search functions, better exception handling, and greater transparency in custom execution. The current setup challenges like disappearing options and mobile accessibility can affect user satisfaction. Including a fully web-based client and improving documentation could add value.

What are JAMS' key features?

Planning and Scheduling: Coordinates workflows efficiently with advanced scheduling techniques.
Dependency Management: Ensures seamless operation by managing inter-task dependencies.
Interactive Agents: Integrates with PowerShell and other tools to enhance automation.
Natural Language Scheduling: Simplifies job creation with intuitive language use.
Multi-Platform Flexibility: Operates across diverse environments ensuring robust performance.

What benefits should users consider?

Operational Efficiency: Reduction in manual oversight with robust scheduling and integration tools.
Resource Allocation: Efficient management of workflows across multiple timeframes and platforms.
User Satisfaction: Seamless user experience with intuitive interfaces and integration capabilities.
Visibility: Centralized management provides comprehensive oversight over tasks.

Organizations using JAMS for workflow and batch job automation leverage its capabilities for SSIS, SQL procedures, and Python scripts. JAMS supports file automation and managed file transfers across environments like AWS and Azure. Users employ JAMS for data management, reporting, and integration tasks, including handling holiday-aware scheduling for improved task coordination.