Leon’s WA Waypoints : Comparing OCLI and Conman/Composer in IBM Workload Automation

Introduction

IBM Workload Automation provides multiple command-line interfaces for managing and monitoring workload execution. The OCLI (Orchestration Command Line Interface), introduced in version 10.2, allows dynamic agents to execute commands similar to Conman/Composer. While Conman and Composer have been essential tools for managing workload scheduling, the OCLI was developed in response to customer demands for a similar capability on dynamic agents. This article explores the key differences and similarities between these interfaces by comparing four commonly used commands.

Historical Context

• Conman (Console Manager): Used primarily for real-time workload management.
• Composer: A direct descendant of Maestro, the original Workload Automation solution from the 1990s. This lineage explains the term symphony file.
• OCLI: Introduced with the Orchestration Monitor in Dynamic Workload Console (DWC) 10.2 to bring Conman-like functionality to dynamic agents.

Command Comparisons

We will compare the following four commands in both interfaces:

1. Show all job statuses.
2. Show all workstation statuses.
3. Dump all job definitions from the database.
4. Dump all job stream definitions from the database.

1. Show Status of All Jobs

Using Conman/Composer:

conman sj @/@#@/@.@

• @ acts as a wildcard.
• # separates the workstation from the job stream.
• . separates the job stream from the job name.

Example (without folders):

conman sj @#@.@

Potential issue: Omitting folders may lead to incomplete results.

Using OCLI:

ocli plan sj @#FINAL.@

Comparison: OCLI follows a similar syntax but is optimized for dynamic environments.

2. Show Status of All Workstations

Using Conman/Composer:

conman sc

This command provides a list of all workstation statuses in the current plan.

Using OCLI:

ocli plan sc

Comparison: The OCLI command structure remains intuitive and closely matches Conman’s syntax.

3. Dump All Job Definitions from the Database

Using Conman/Composer:

composer create /tmp/leonjobs.txt from jobs=@#@

This exports all job definitions into the specified file.

Using OCLI:

ocli model display jobs=@#@

To get output in JSON format:

ocli model display jobs=@#@ -format json

To redirect the output to a file:

ocli model display jobs=@#@ > /tmp/leonjobsocli.txt

ocli model display jobs=@#@ -format json > /tmp/leonjobsocli.json

Comparison: OCLI provides additional flexibility with JSON output formatting.

4. Dump All Job Stream Definitions from the Database

Using Conman/Composer:

composer create /tmp/leonjobsched.txt from sched=@#@

This command extracts job stream definitions into a file.

Using OCLI:

ocli model display sched=@#@

To get output in JSON format:

ocli model display sched=@#@ -format json

To save the output to a file:

ocli model display sched=@#@ > /tmp/leonschedocli.txt

ocli model display sched=@#@ -format json > /tmp/leonschedocli.json

Comparison: OCLI again offers JSON support, making it easier to integrate with modern automation frameworks.

Conclusion

Both Conman/Composer and OCLI provide powerful ways to manage IBM Workload Automation environments. While Conman and Composer have long been the go-to tools for workload administrators, OCLI brings similar functionality to dynamic agents with added flexibility like JSON formatting. Organizations leveraging dynamic scheduling will benefit from learning and integrating OCLI into their operations.

For users transitioning to OCLI, the syntax remains familiar, making it easier to adapt while unlocking new capabilities.