ActiveBatch Makes the Complex Less So

System software solutions provider Advanced Systems Concepts, Inc. (ASCI) has released ActiveBatch 7.0 with new dynamic SOA and Web services capabilities. The improvements make it possible to unify and incorporate any number of processes on distributed systems with one job scheduling application.

“Many organizations seek to simplify and improve business processes through the use of Web services. ActiveBatch Version 7.0 masters this environment through its new dynamic SOA, Business Process Automation module, and expanded job libraries that feature adapters for Web services-based applications,” says Jim Manias, vice president of marketing and sales for Advanced Systems Concepts. “By doing so, ActiveBatch becomes even more valuable as a universal solution for applications and database functions on Windows, UNIX and OpenVMS platforms,” he says.

ActiveBatch’s new dynamic SOA will allow organizations to more easily and dynamically incorporate inbound and outbound Web services. Through its SOA, ActiveBatch will trigger and modify applications and business processes not only within the enterprise, but also outside with apps supporting WSDL.

ActiveBatch 7.0 also debuts a Business Process Automation (BPA) module that supports a customizable “information chain” of processes to better manage service level agreements and other business goals. The module addresses the need of businesses to quickly address new customers, markets, technologies, and/or government regulations.

A newly expanded Job Library supports adapters for all applications using Web services. The capability is augmented with a powerful new interactive designer that supports “drag and drop” integration of applications and ActiveBatch services.

In addition to its Web services and SOA/EDB capabilities, two other improvements are debuting in Version 7.0 that make ActiveBatch more responsive to today’s enterprise processing needs.

To make it easier to update and manage ActiveBatch objects, Version 7.0 supports the creation, comparison, modification, and updating of objects from one environment to another. Version 7.0 also introduces a “green” power management feature that allows idle machines to be placed in a Hibernate or Suspend state, to save on power consumption and potentially take advantage of rebates or passing carbon credits. The dormant systems can be reactivated either at a specific time or via the hardware’s “Wake-On-LAN” function.

“ActiveBatch V7, due to its powerful event-driven architecture, is helping users reduce processing times by eliminating latency,” notes Manias. “Errors resulting from manual operations are also reduced, thanks to the increased use of templates in our Job Library. These templates allow for the quick and reliable implementation of workflows across servers, databases, and packaged applications,” he says.