HCL Workload Automation vs Xi-Batch
HCL Workload Automation
hcl-software.comXi-Batch
xisl.comSide by side
| Figure | HCL Workload Automation | Xi-Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Job Scheduler Software | 8.6 (#4) | 7.4 (#17) |
| Integrations | Documented integrations include Jira, ServiceNow, RESTful APIs, JSONata, and IBM Robotic Process Automation. | Jobs can use shell scripts and command processors such as Perl and SQL, and an API makes functionality available programmatically. |
| Purpose | The product orchestrates, initiates, runs, and manages digital business processes from legacy environments to cloud. | Xi-Batch schedules, sequences, and controls batch work across a network of servers as a replacement for cron. |
| Support | HCL’s product documentation page links to HCLSoftware Support, a knowledge base, a community, and a product ideas portal. | Support for customers on a maintenance contract is available by telephone and email, with email treated at the same priority as a call. |
Plans
In their own words
HCL Workload Automation
HCL Workload Automation is software for defining, scheduling, managing, and monitoring critical batch processes. It groups scheduled jobs into job streams and supports dependencies, time constraints, and automatic recovery procedures. Graphical views, embedded analytics, and customizable dashboards help teams follow jobs and streams. Event rules can trigger jobs, respond to prompts, notify users of anomalies, or invoke an external product when conditions occur. Documented integrations include Jira, ServiceNow, RESTful APIs, JSONata, and IBM Robotic Process Automation; HCL says Automation Hub provides over 100 plugins at no additional cost. Tasks can run through local agents, without agents, or through APIs, and the product supports container and hybrid deployments, including Docker, Red Hat OpenShift, and a cloud-native service in a customer-chosen cloud. Pricing is available on request, and HCL advertises a 90-day free trial. From version 10.2, customers need their own WebSphere Application Server Liberty and Db2 licenses to keep using them.
Xi-Batch
Xi-Batch is a self-hosted scheduler for sequencing and controlling batch work across servers, positioned as an alternative to cron. Scheduling variables coordinate serial or parallel job chains across hosts. Calendar rules account for month ends, weekends, holidays and daylight saving time, while file monitoring can trigger jobs when files are created, deleted or amended. Administrators assign load values and queue ceilings to limit which job combinations start. Interfaces include command-line, full-screen character, Motif, GTK3 and a programmer API. Jobs can use shell scripts and processors such as Perl and SQL. User definitions and permissions control submission and visibility. Queues recover automatically after restart, and aborted jobs can go to operator action or automatic recovery. Xi-Batch supports Linux and Windows; Windows server support uses optional client modules. It is designed for trusted networks or one host, not untrusted exposure.