Control-M Job Workflow and Dependencies Explained | Generated by AI
Great question! Let’s break it down step by step.
Control-M is a popular Workload Automation and Job Scheduling tool developed by BMC Software. It helps automate batch processes, job pipelines, and workflows across multiple systems and applications in enterprises.
Job Dependency in Control-M
A dependency defines conditions that a job needs to meet before it can run. These could include:
- Another job finishing successfully (Job A must end “OK” before Job B runs).
- A file arriving at a specified location.
- A time condition (e.g., job can only run at 10 AM).
- A resource being available (e.g., a database connection).
- External conditions (such as an acknowledgment from another system).
So, job dependencies ensure proper sequence and integrity of batch processes.
Control-M Workflow
In Control-M, a workflow is a series of dependent jobs organized together into a folder. This represents a process flow.
- Folder – A container that holds related jobs. Folders can represent an application or a business process (e.g., “End of Day Processing”).
- Job – A single task that Control-M runs (like a script, file transfer, data pipeline, or ETL job).
- Dependencies – Jobs are linked with conditions so that control flows in a specific sequence.
- Execution – Control-M’s scheduler orchestrates the run based on the conditions and triggers.
Task and Folder in Detail
- Task (Job Task): The smallest execution unit. A task could be:
- A script/job (shell script, batch file, etc.).
- A database query.
- A file transfer.
- An API call or cloud workflow trigger.
- Folder: A logical container for multiple jobs/tasks. It:
- Groups together related jobs.
- Represents end-to-end workflow logic.
- Allows setting overarching parameters (like calendars, run-time properties).
- Supports Smart Folders, which apply common rules and conditions across all jobs inside.
Example of Workflow
Imagine an ETL process:
- Job A: Extract data from source → Job B depends on A finishing successfully.
- Job B: Transform data → Job C depends on B finishing successfully.
- Job C: Load data into data warehouse.
- Job D: Send completion email (dependent on C).
All four jobs are placed inside a folder named “Daily_ETL_Process”. Control-M manages dependencies, retries, and failures automatically.
✅ In summary:
- Job = individual unit of execution.
- Folder = container grouping related jobs.
- Dependency = condition(s) defining when jobs can run.
- Workflow = sequence of jobs (in a folder) connected by dependencies.
Do you want me to also include a diagram of a sample Control-M workflow (with jobs and dependencies) so you can visualize it better?