SmartBatch Product Overview and Editions


SmartBatch provides an affordable, best-of-breed, integrated solution for job scheduling and management. With ease, jobs can be logically organized and executed using the simplest or most complex user defined schedules. Jobs can also be configured such that errors are recovered/logged and "on-call" operators are notified of events via email, text message or pager. SmartBatch can assist you in managing programs, .bat files, and various scripts scattered across your systems by acting as a repository. SmartBatch with its clean design and impressive graphical user interface, is simple for all users. And, with advanced features like a .NET programmatic interface for even the most technical programmer, it proves to be both sophisticated and flexible. SmartBatch can support the simplest processing, or the most complicated. Standard features include: dependencies, parameters, scheduling/calendaring, reports, notification, Windows integrated security and much more.

Three editions of SmartBatch are offered: the Lite Edition, Standard Edition and the Enterprise Edition. The Lite Edition offers entry level pricing while providing a complete and robust solution.  The Standard Edition meets the need of most organizations that need a single computer solution.  The Enterprise Edition includes all the functionality of the Standard Edition, but is designed specifically as an enterprise solution providing the ability to distribute processing to any number of comptuers.. Use the links to the left to get more detailed information on each of the SmartBatch product editions.

Scalable Distributed Processing
The Enterprise Edition provides a scalable, distributed, load-balanced, fault-tolerant solution with the use of Remote Agents. With the Enterprise Edition, jobs can be executed to run on any Windows system in the network, but centrally controlled from one Executive Server. The Executive Server coordinates the activity of Remote Agents depending on the configuration. The Enterprise Edition allows for the use of Application and Computer Groups. Application Groups provide the ability to separate application processing. Computer Groups provide the ability to distribute processing amongst any number of computers running a SmartBatch Remote Agent.
 
End User Scheduling  

SmartBatch provides a web forms based end user interface.  This allows the nontechnical users the ability to submit jobs when needed.  The browser based user interface shows them only the jobs they are authorized to run.  Of course they can see the status and history for their jobs.  SmartBatch takes care of the rest.  

Scalability,
Distributed Processing,
Load-balancing and 
Fault-tolerance
The Enterprise Edition allows Operations (an Operation is any script or program you want to run), Steps, and Jobs to be scheduled and executed on any Windows computer in your network centrally controlled from one Executive Server.  Each Operation can specify the name of the computer or name of a Computer Group where the Operation should execute.  When the Executive Server processes the Operation, it contacts the specified computer and send the request to that computer.  If a Computer Group is specified, the Executive Server will determine which computer or computers should process the Operation.  The SmartBatch Remote Agent is sent the request to process the Operation via a message queue.  The Remote Agent monitors the Operation for completion and notifies the Executive Server indicating the success or failure.  If either the Executive Server or Remote Agent becomes unavailable after the request has been sent to the message queue, the request will be processed when the computer becomes available.
 
Diagram Views Sophisticated environments need sophisticated tools to help manage the relations amongst objects.  A Diagram View of your object makes it easier to configure and manage the simplest to the most complex environments.  The ability to display a Diagram View of Operations, Steps and Jobs along with their associated objects is provided.  In addition the ability to create a Diagram View of File Watch, File Existence and Object-To-Object dependencies is included.
 
Application Groups Application Groups provide a way to separate processing into a named group.  This provides for better manageability of your processing especially in large configurations where the number of objects can be in the hundreds or thousands.
 
Computer Groups A Computer Group is a set of computers that are assigned a type.  Three types of Computer Groups are available that help distribute processing in different ways.  Each computer in a Computer Group must have a SmartBatch Remote Agent installed.  The Executive Server will send requests to computer in a Computer Group based on the Computer Group type, processing resources of the computers and availability of the computer.  If a computer in a Round Robin or Application Grid Computer Group is not available another available computer in the Computer Group will be selected.  The All computer Group provides the ability to setup an Operation one time and have it execute on many computers simultaneously.
 
 Support for Major Database Products While SmartBatch is not dependent on a specific database product, the Enterprise Edition allows the SmartBatch database to be placed on SQL Server, Oracle, DB2 and MySQL.  The Standard Edition can use the desktop version (Express Editions of these database products).  
 
Custom Programmatic Interface The Enterprise Edition also offers an extensible .NET API that will enable users to extend the processing of the Executive Server.  For example, status messages can be sent to network management systems such as Computer Associates' Unicenter or IBM's Tivoli.
Free Edition All of the features listed below are available in the Free, Lite and Standard Editions of SmartBatch.  The Free Edition has the same features as the Standard Edition however the Free Edition is limited to 20 Operations.  An Operation is any program or script you want to automate.
   
Lite Edition All of the features listed below are available in the Lite and Standard Editions of SmartBatch.  The Lite Edition has the same features as the Standard Edition.  The Lite Edition is a low cost way to automate up to 50 Operations.
   
Flexible Scheduling Operations, Steps, and Jobs can be scheduled to execute:  immediately, on specific dates calendar, every "n" minutes, every day, every week, or every month.  Exception dates and "extra" dates that a process should or should not run are also supported.
   
Error Detection and Recovery Errors can be detected by exit codes, run threshold periods, and/or key word found in user specified application log files.  The matching used to indicate success or failure can be any regular expression.  Regular expression support is provided by SmartBatch  through the .NET framework.
   
Reliable Notification On-call operators can be notified by Email, text message, pager, etc. of start, success, and failure events.  Notification messages are formatted as either regular text or html.
   
Operators Any number of operators along with their available hours can be configured for proper notification.
   
Hierarchical Organization To support related processing and complex environments, Operations can be logically grouped into Steps and Steps into Jobs.
   
Sequencing Operations, Steps, and Jobs can be executed in a specified order.
   
Dependencies Dependencies can be configured to ensure that processing only occurs when necessary conditions are met (e.g.  file exists) or left unsatisfied (e.g.  program failed to complete).
   
Object to Object Dependencies An Operation can be dependent on another Operation simply by putting both Operations into a Step.  The Operations will be executed in the order in which they are configured in the Step.  This same sequencing is supported for Steps in a Job.  Further, any object (Operation, Step or Job) can be dependent on any other object (Operation, Step or Job).
   
Events Events such as a file being created or change to a file attributed can trigger the start of an Operation, Step or Job.
   
History Chart History information can be charted to get a graphical view of processing.
   
Schedule Resource View Determining what days and time your scheduled activity occurs is much easier with a the Schedule Resource View.  This shows a graphical layout of your objects, their schedules and run times.
   
Parameters Parameters are supported so that users can properly manage information that may change such as filenames and paths.
   
NET programmatic interface Technical users can take advantage of the .NET programmatic interface (API) with SmartBatch.  For example, they can use the API to schedule an object in SmartBatch from their application.
   
Windows Service Capability The Executive Server is installed under Windows as a Windows Service allowing scheduling and notification to occur without the need for a user to be logged onto the system.  Users may modify the configuration so that they run in manual mode.
   
Windows User Interface and Web User Interface SmartBatch supports a clean, straightforward GUI using the latest UI Windows forms design.  A Web browser user interface is also available for monitoring and controlling the environment.
   
Application Independent SmartBatch is not specific to any application.
   
Database Independent SmartBatch is not dependent on a specific database management system.  SmartBatch uses a Microsoft Access or SQL Server for storing its configuration information.  Your applications can use any database managment system without any conflicts with SmartBatch.  The Standard Edition of SmartBatch can use MS Access or the Express Editions of the database products.  The Enterprise Edition of SmartBatch is required to use other database editions (e.g., SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008 or Oracle 10g).  The Lite and Free Editions of SmartBatch can only use the MS Access database.
   
Security Windows integrated security has been implemented to provide a secure solution using concepts you are already familiar with.  SmartBatch provides for role based security based on a set of Windows roles/groups that are created when the product is installed.
   
Status Status is provided to determine what activity is occurring at any point in time.
   
History Activity can be written to the SmartBatch history, the Windows Event Log, or both.
   
Runbook Users can enter information and instructions about processing for other operators to use and maintain the environment.
The SmartBatch Remote Agent provides the ability to distribute processing amongst many computers.  This off loads the work from the computer where the Enterprise Edition is installed providing flexibility, scalability, distributed processing, load-balancing and fault-tolerance to the Windows Automation processing environment.

The Remote Agent is an small efficient software component that must reside on each computer that requires this functionality. The Remote Agent accepts requests from the Executive Server via a message queue to process Operations. This may be a single Operation, an Operation that is being run as part of a Step or an Operation that is part of a Step in a Job. The Operation is monitored until it completes. Once completed the Remote Agent determines if the Operation ran successfully based on the Exit Code expression value, Key word expression value and Application Log File. The Remote Agent then reports back to the Executive Server via a message queue. The Executive Server provides status, control and history for all Remote Agents centrally.

The Remote Agent runs as a Windows service and optionally can be run on the desktop.


The Remote Agent responds to the requests it receives via a message queue and responds to the Executive Server via a message queue.  All processing done by a Remote Agent is based on requests from the Executive Server. 

Product Unit Price (USD) Additional Information
SmartBatch Lite Edition $595 Current release.
SmartBatch Standard Edition $1495 Current release. 
SmartBatch Enterprise Edition $2495 Current release. 
SmartBatch Enterprise Edition Cluster $2895 Current release. 
SmartBatch Remote Agent $1495 Per computer. Requires at least 1 Enterprise Edition license.
SmartBatch Administrator $495> Not a stand-alone product.  Additional client licenses to configure and manage SmartBatch from a remote system.
SmarSmartBatch Web Administrator $495> Not a stand-alone product.  Client licenses to view and execute SmartBatch objects from a web browser interface.
Annual Software Maintenance and Support (required) 25% of total licenses subjected to a min charge of $300 Includes minor upgrades and technical support on an annual basis.
Software Services $225 per hour plus expenses OnLine ToolWorks offers full implementation services to help assist you with implmenting SmartBatch or to come on site (or remote) to automate your environment for you.  A statement of work will be provided based on your requirements. 
Quantity Discounts
QuanQuantity discounts apply to SmartBatch Standard Edition, SmartBatch Enterprise Edition, Remote Agents, and SmartSystemTools.  Quantity discounts are only applicable to products purchased on the same purchase order.  The higher discount is applied to all units on the purchase order.  For example, if you purchase 10 SmartBatch licenses, you will receive a quantity discount of 15% on units 1 - 10 (not 5% on units 5 - 9 and 15% on the tenth license).
Units Quantity Discount
5 - 9 5%
10 - 19 15%
20 - 29 20%
30 and above please contact us directly for a corporate site license
Site Licenses
Site licenses are available.  Please contact OnLine ToolWorks Corporation for more information.
 
Ordering
To place an order you contact OnLine ToolWorks Corporation directly; or, you may purchase through one of our resellers.  We accept purchase orders and most major credit cards.   Please see the Order Form for more information. 
 
Return Policy
We provide an unconditional 30 day return policy.

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