CA Automic Automation

Basic information

Broadcom CA Automic Automation, previously known as CA Automic Business Automation Platform, Automic One Automation Platform, and UC4, is a market-leading enterprise automation solution. It provides a unified platform for driving automation across diverse IT landscapes, from mainframe to microservices, simplifying workload orchestration and enhancing visibility in hybrid cloud environments.

• Model: Automic Automation (formerly CA Automic Business Automation Platform, Automic One Automation Platform, UC4)
• Latest Stable Version: V24
• Release Date (V21): September 30, 2021
• Minimum Requirements: Designed for enterprise-level deployments, requiring robust server infrastructure. Specifics depend on the scale of managed systems.
• Supported Operative Systems: Broad support across mainframe, distributed systems (Windows, Linux, Unix), and cloud environments.
• End of Support Date (V21): September 30, 2025
• End of Life Date (V21): September 30, 2025
• Auto-update Expiration Date: Not explicitly stated for on-premises, but the SaaS model implies continuous updates and feature delivery.
• License Type: Agent-based licensing is common. Broadcom has introduced subscription-based pricing for its SaaS offering. Concerns exist regarding shifts to execution-based pricing models for some customers.
• Deployment Model: Available as an on-premises solution, Automic SaaS, and Automic Automation Kubernetes Edition (container-based).

Technical Requirements

Broadcom CA Automic Automation requires scalable hardware to support varying enterprise workloads.

• RAM:
  • 4 GB for deployments managing up to 1,000 systems.
  • 8 GB on a 64-bit operating system for deployments managing up to 5,000 systems.
  • 16 GB on a 64-bit operating system for deployments managing more than 5,000 systems.
• Processor: Intel Xeon 51xx 2.6 GHz or equivalent, or Intel Core 2 Duo 2.6 GHz or equivalent.
• Storage: 30 GB free disk space for the main installation drive, plus an additional 30 GB for databases, which can grow significantly based on usage.
• Display: Standard display for web-browser based user interfaces.
• Ports: Network Interface Controller (NIC) with 100 Mbps or more.
• Operating System: Supports various operating systems including Windows, Linux, Unix, and mainframe environments. Compatible with databases such as Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, and PostgreSQL (PostgreSQL is standard for Automic SaaS).

Analysis of Technical Requirements

The technical requirements for Automic Automation are designed to accommodate enterprise-scale operations, emphasizing scalability based on the number of managed systems and daily executions. The need for substantial RAM and processor power, particularly for larger deployments, underscores its role in handling complex and high-volume automation tasks. Adequate disk space for databases is critical, as database size directly correlates with product usage and historical data retention. The platform's flexibility in supporting various operating systems and database technologies allows for integration into diverse existing IT infrastructures. Organizations must carefully size their hardware based on their specific automation needs and projected growth to ensure optimal performance and stability.

Support & Compatibility

Broadcom CA Automic Automation offers extensive compatibility across various platforms and environments, coupled with ongoing support for its latest versions.

• Latest Version: V24 is the current supported version.
• OS Support: Comprehensive support for Windows, Linux, Unix, and mainframe operating systems. It integrates with major cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.
• End of Support Date (V21): September 30, 2025. Version 12.3 reached End of Support on January 31, 2024.
• Localization: As an enterprise-grade solution, it typically supports multiple languages, though specific localization details are not extensively documented in public sources.
• Available Drivers: The platform utilizes agents for connecting to various systems and offers integration packages for cloud solutions, storage, data transformation, and clusters.

Analysis of Overall Support & Compatibility Status

Broadcom CA Automic Automation demonstrates strong compatibility across a wide array of operating systems and integrates effectively with both on-premises and hybrid cloud infrastructures. This broad support is crucial for enterprises managing complex, heterogeneous IT environments. The clear end-of-support dates for older versions, such as V21, highlight the importance of regular upgrades to maintain access to vendor support, security patches, and new features. While the platform's technical compatibility is robust, some user feedback indicates concerns regarding the responsiveness and clarity of customer support, suggesting an area for potential improvement in user experience.

Security Status

Broadcom CA Automic Automation incorporates various security measures and actively addresses vulnerabilities to protect enterprise automation processes.

• Security Features: Includes enhanced intrinsic security, support for industry-standard TLS for secure communication, and stronger encryption and authentication methods in newer versions (V24). It provides comprehensive identity and security management.
• Known Vulnerabilities: Multiple vulnerabilities have been reported and addressed, including CVEs related to remote code execution, sensitive data access, privilege escalation, and insecure memory or input handling. Broadcom regularly publishes security notices and solutions for these issues.
• Blacklist Status: No public information suggests a blacklist status for the core product.
• Certifications: Holds SAP Business Technology Platform Certification for RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud. The platform also emphasizes deep compliance and audit support.
• Encryption Support: Supports industry-standard TLS for secure communications.
• Authentication Methods: Enhanced authentication methods are available in V24. Cloud integrations may leverage specific authentication mechanisms like service account keys and service principles.
• General Recommendations: Broadcom recommends implementing published solutions and upgrading to the latest versions (e.g., V24) to mitigate known vulnerabilities and benefit from enhanced security features.

Analysis on the Overall Security Rating

Broadcom CA Automic Automation maintains a proactive stance on security, regularly identifying and patching vulnerabilities. The platform's commitment to industry-standard security protocols, such as TLS encryption and robust authentication, along with its compliance and audit capabilities, makes it a secure choice for enterprise automation. However, the existence of multiple reported CVEs underscores the critical importance of keeping the software updated to the latest versions and applying all recommended hotfixes. Organizations must adhere to Broadcom's security advisories and maintain a diligent patching schedule to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of their automated processes.

Performance & Benchmarks

Broadcom CA Automic Automation is engineered for high performance and scalability to meet the demands of large enterprise environments.

• Benchmark Scores: Specific, publicly available benchmark scores are not detailed in the search results.
• Real-world Performance Metrics: The platform handles millions of jobs per month and manages substantial workloads efficiently. Automic Continuous Delivery Automation, built on the same platform, supports up to 500,000 deployment endpoints on a single clustered instance. Large configurations can manage up to 10 million executions per day.
• Power Consumption: Not directly applicable to software, but the system is designed to achieve high availability with less hardware, implying efficient resource utilization.
• Carbon Footprint: Not directly applicable to software.
• Comparison with Similar Assets: Competitors include Redwood RunMyJobs, ActiveBatch, Tidal, BMC Control-M, IBM Workload Automation, Stonebranch, Fortra's JAMS, AutoSys Workload Automation, Apache Airflow, Azure DevOps Services, Camunda, Ansible, UiPath Automation Platform, Azure Automation, and Dollar Universe Workload Automation. Some alternatives, like RunMyJobs by Redwood, claim improved performance and advanced architecture.

Analysis of the Overall Performance Status

Broadcom CA Automic Automation is a high-performance solution capable of orchestrating complex and high-volume workloads across diverse IT landscapes. Its ability to manage millions of tasks daily and support a vast number of deployment endpoints highlights its robust scalability, making it suitable for demanding enterprise environments. While direct comparative benchmark scores are not readily available, user feedback consistently points to its efficiency in handling large loads and complex dependencies. The platform's design for high availability with optimized hardware usage further supports its strong performance profile.

User Reviews & Feedback

User reviews and feedback for Broadcom CA Automic Automation highlight its strengths in enterprise-wide automation but also point to areas for improvement.

• Strengths:
  • Powerful engine and integration capabilities, enabling quick implementation of user requirements.
  • Robust stability and scalability, effectively handling millions of executions and complex business processes.
  • Extensive compatibility, integrating well with various environments, including SAP, non-SAP applications, mainframe, and microservices.
  • Flexible workflow automation and scripting capabilities for customization to specific business needs.
  • Intuitive user interface for batch job monitoring and administration.
  • Effective for complex security constraints, multi-user, and multi-environment setups.
  • Valuable for workload distribution across global teams and disaster recovery automation.
• Weaknesses:
  • Concerns regarding licensing and costs, particularly shifts to execution-based pricing models, which can lead to unpredictable expenses.
  • Inconsistent responsiveness and clarity in customer support, with some users reporting difficulties in getting clear answers or resolutions.
  • Platform complexity, with some users finding the user interface (AWI) less user-friendly or experiencing slowness.
  • Reports of software bugs, especially with new releases or specific configurations, requiring significant testing and adaptation time.
  • Challenges with integration, inconsistent documentation, and SQL performance issues.
  • Crash recovery can be problematic, sometimes requiring manual intervention.
  • API is not extensively utilized or monitoring-friendly.
• Recommended Use Cases:
  • Information Technology Process Automation (ITPA).
  • Batch job automation, especially for complex dependencies and high volumes.
  • SAP application automation, including pre- and post-processing of deployments.
  • Email automation, DWH/BI automation, and managed file transfer.
  • Workload distribution across global teams.
  • Disaster recovery automation and monitoring.
  • Multi-cloud orchestration.

Summary

Broadcom CA Automic Automation is a robust and highly scalable enterprise automation platform designed to orchestrate complex IT and business processes across diverse environments, from mainframe to microservices and hybrid clouds. Its key strengths lie in its powerful automation engine, extensive integration capabilities with various operating systems and applications (including SAP), and its ability to handle millions of tasks with high stability and reliability. The platform offers flexible deployment options, including on-premises, SaaS, and a Kubernetes Edition, providing agility and optimized total cost of ownership. Security is actively managed, with regular updates and patches addressing identified vulnerabilities, and support for industry-standard encryption and authentication methods.

However, user feedback highlights several areas for improvement. Concerns exist regarding the licensing model, particularly shifts to execution-based pricing, which can lead to unpredictable costs. Some users also report inconsistencies in customer support responsiveness and clarity, and find the platform's user interface to be complex or less user-friendly compared to alternatives. Technical issues like crash recovery and API utilization have also been noted.

Recommendations: Enterprises seeking a powerful, scalable, and broadly compatible automation solution for complex, hybrid IT environments will find Broadcom CA Automic Automation a strong contender. Its capabilities are particularly well-suited for batch job automation, SAP integration, and multi-cloud orchestration. Organizations should carefully evaluate the licensing models, especially for on-premises deployments, and consider the SaaS or Kubernetes editions for potential cost optimization and simplified management. Prioritizing regular upgrades to the latest versions, such as V24, is crucial to benefit from enhanced security features, bug fixes, and continued vendor support. It is advisable to engage with Broadcom support channels to clarify any concerns regarding platform complexity or support experiences.

The information provided is based on publicly available data and may vary depending on specific device configurations. For up-to-date information, please consult official manufacturer resources.