Organizations are increasingly reconsidering their existing workload automation tools, with many actively exploring or transitioning to new solutions. Migrating to a newer workload automation system can provide immediate gains in scalability, reliability, and integration capabilities.
We define workload automation (WLA) migration, best practices, what to pay attention to, and the differing approaches from different vendors.
What is WLA Migration?
WLA migration refers to the process of transitioning an organization’s job scheduling and automation workflows from one workload automation solution or job scheduler to another. This migration is often undertaken to replace legacy scheduling tools with more modern solutions that can better meet current business needs.
It is also a strategy to ensure 24/7 operations: most companies run complex, business-critical processes on their schedulers, and moving to a more robust platform helps meet growing demands for automation and real-time processing. In short, WLA migration is not just a technical upgrade—it is a business enabler that aligns automation infrastructure with current and future requirements.
Why Organizations Migrate Workload Automation Tools
Legacy job schedulers often struggle to orchestrate processes in modern IT landscapes. For example, older WLA systems may not be able to run jobs seamlessly across both on-premises infrastructure and multiple cloud platforms, making it difficult to manage hybrid-IT workflows. Other common drivers for migration include:
- Digital transformation initiatives: Companies undergoing digital transformation often find that their existing automation tools lack the agility and integration capabilities needed for new projects.
- Cloud adoption and hybrid environments: Many older schedulers were not built for hybrid cloud orchestration, prompting a switch to tools that are cloud-ready. See hybrid cloud job schedulers.
- Scalability and performance: Businesses today handle larger volumes of data and processes. Modern workload automation tools are designed to scale horizontally and vertically to handle thousands of concurrent jobs, whereas a legacy scheduler might struggle or become a bottleneck.
- Maintenance costs and support risks: Legacy automation software can carry high licensing and maintenance costs. In some cases, vendors may have ended active development or support for older versions.
- Enhanced features and analytics: Newer WLA solutions often come with advanced features out-of-the-box – for example, visual workflow designers, centralized monitoring dashboards, granular auditing, and machine-learning-based optimizations. These features can improve reliability and provide better insight into operations than the legacy tool.
Migration Approaches by Leading WLA Vendors
Each of these leading vendors brings a slightly different flavor to WLA migration, but all aim for the same outcome: to help organizations migrate off their legacy job schedulers with as little risk as possible. Some vendors lean heavily on automated conversion tools, while others emphasize a services-led, consultative approach – in many cases, it’s a combination of both.
ActiveBatch
ActiveBatch provides a guided migration service designed to transition organizations from legacy schedulers to its modern workload automation platform. The migration approach is phased and risk-aware: it begins with a thorough inventory of existing workflows and job objects, followed by the development of a tailored migration strategy. ActiveBatch offers automated migration tools that convert legacy scheduler objects into ActiveBatch-compatible formats, streamlining the transition process.
Training and testing are integral parts of the migration, ensuring that the client’s team is well-acquainted with ActiveBatch’s capabilities. Parallel runs of both legacy and new systems are conducted to validate the migration’s success before full deployment.
ActiveBatch has a specifically streamlined process for migration from these schedulers:
- BMC Control-M
- CA Autosys
- CA Workload Manager
- IBM Tivoli
- Unix cron
- Windows Task Scheduler
- SQL Server Agent
For example, ActiveBatch can convert BMC Control-M jobs (including complex scheduling rules and alerts) into ActiveBatch workflows automatically. It similarly imports CA AutoSys job definitions by exporting the AutoSys JIL files and converting them into ActiveBatch objects. These conversion utilities retain not only basic job attributes but also associated calendars, event triggers, resource allocations, and dependencies from the source scheduler. ActiveBatch’s migration approach emphasizes a reliable, script-free conversion to minimize manual rework.
Redwood RunMyJobs
RunMyJobs offers a fully guided migration service referred to as a “migration factory.” Redwood has a team of experts and proprietary tools to handle migrations from all major WLA platforms. They start by analyzing the existing job inventory in detail (migration assessment) and then migrate workloads in agile sprints, beginning with low-risk jobs.
Redwood’s RunMyJobs migration process often involves running the old and new systems in parallel and training the client’s team throughout the project. With over 100+ companies migrated to date, Redwood leverages ~30 years of experience to ensure a smooth transition with minimal downtime.
Figure 1. RunMyJobs Migration Steps 1
RunMyJobs migration strategy
1. Project Launch
The migration begins with low-risk, simple jobs and gradually moves to more complex ones. It’s organized into agile sprints, grouping jobs by application, business unit, or job type to minimize disruption.
2. Installation and Configuration
RunMyJobs environments are set up, user authentication is configured, and security protocols are defined. Integration with all systems and databases ensures smooth workflow execution across the enterprise.
3. Team Training
Key stakeholders undergo training through Redwood University’s on-demand platform and instructor-led sessions, ensuring hands-on experience and continuous learning throughout the migration.
4. Agile Migration Sprint & Hypercare
Migration happens in stages with both legacy and RunMyJobs systems running in parallel. After data conversion and testing, workflows are moved to production. Hypercare ensures the system is monitored and issues are resolved post-migration.
Stonebranch (Universal Automation Center)
Stonebranch’s Universal Automation Center (UAC) offers a structured migration service to help organizations move from legacy workload automation tools to its modern platform. Leveraging automation tools and expert services, Stonebranch supports transitions from systems like CA 7, SAP Job Scheduler, Tidal, Windows Task Scheduler, and cron.
Stonebranch provides the Xpress Conversion Tool (XCT) to automatically convert legacy jobs into UAC-compatible formats. For example, SAP background jobs can be imported and transformed with minimal manual effort. XCT preserves job definitions, triggers, dependencies, and resource mappings during the transition.
The migration process follows a 7-step approach:
- Initiation – Define scope and set up the migration environment.
- Analysis – Inventory and assess the current job landscape.
- Pilot Migration – Test conversion accuracy and gain approvals.
- Full Transition – Automate the conversion of all workloads.
- Validation – Conduct quality checks and user reviews.
- Cut-over – Replace the legacy system with UAC in production.
- Closure – Finalize documentation and knowledge transfer.
Training, parallel runs, and go-live support ensure a smooth transition with minimal risk and disruption.
CA Workload Automation (Broadcom)
CA Workload Automation offers a structured, tool-driven migration methodology supported by dedicated experts.Often referred to as a best-practice-led service, the migration is powered by CA’s proprietary tool that automates up to 80% of the conversion from legacy schedulers like Control-M, TWS, Tidal, and cron.
The process includes running parallel environments during testing, minimizing disruptions. CA also offers operational support, training, and knowledge transfer to ensure long-term success. Backed by decades of experience and a proven methodology, CA ensures efficient, low-downtime transitions to its workload automation platform.
Migration tools support smooth migration to CA Workload Automation from the following products:
- BMC: Control-M
- ASG: Zeke, Zena
- IBM® Tivoli®: TWS for z/OS, DJC, TWS for DS (formerly Maestro)
- Cisco: Tidal
- Native Schedulers: cron, Microsoft® SQL Server®, Windows Batch Scheduler
- Redwood: Cronacle
Figure 2. CA’s Migration Process 2
HONICO (BatchMan for SAP)
Specializes in SAP-focused workload automation and offers a tailored migration service for customers switching from other WLA providers to their BatchMan solution. HONICO’s approach begins with a thorough needs assessment and analysis of the customer’s current environment, followed by a proof-of-concept implementing a few critical processes in a test system. They then perform an automated bulk migration of job objects into a test environment for validation.
When it comes to cutover, HONICO is flexible: they can do a step-by-step side-by-side migration or a “Big Bang” switch, depending on what the tests indicate is safest. A HyperCare period is provided post-go-live, wherein HONICO’s team closely supports the customer’s operations to ensure stability. Their expertise in SAP scheduling means they focus on preserving SAP-specific job parameters and improving integration with SAP systems. Customers have reported significant improvements (e.g., reduced manual effort and better transparency in SAP batch processes) after migrating to HONICO’s WLA platform.
What to Consider before & during WLA Migration
Migrating critical automation workloads is a complex project that carries technical, operational, and business risks. Below are key considerations across technical, operational, and business dimensions:
Technical factors
Compatibility and data migration are key technical concerns. Job definitions, schedules, scripts, and dependencies from the old scheduler need to be translated to the new system’s format. Some features may require rewriting, like custom scripts or legacy API calls. Ensure all scheduling metadata is migrated or reconfigured correctly.
Integration with other systems is also important, so any integration gaps need to be addressed. Many organizations use automated migration tools provided by the vendor to convert jobs and workflows to the new format. Some vendors’ conversion tools can automate around 70–80% of the job migration process, reducing manual effort. Engineers should be prepared to handle edge cases and test critical jobs thoroughly on the new system.
Operational considerations
One of the biggest operational risks is downtime or disruption during the transition. Since WLA systems often orchestrate time-sensitive batch jobs or data pipelines, any interruption can impact business services. To avoid this, best practices include running the old and new systems in parallel for a time or migrating in phases.
Workload validation is a crucial operational step: after migrating jobs, teams must verify that the new scheduler triggers and executes them at the correct times and in the correct order. This often involves comparing run logs from the old and new systems to ensure parity.
Another consideration is the learning curve – operations staff and support teams will need training on the new WLA software. Without proper training, there’s a risk of misconfigurations or slow response to issues in the new environment.
Planning for adequate documentation and knowledge transfer is therefore part of the operational risk mitigation. Additionally, ensure that monitoring and alerting are set up in the new system from day one so that any failures or performance issues during migration are caught immediately.
Business and strategic considerations
From a business perspective, cost and ROI are front and center. Migrating to a new platform involves licensing costs for the new software (which might overlap with existing license costs during the transition), as well as project costs for implementation services or consultants. There is an expected payoff in terms of efficiency or capability gains – for example, reducing manual work or enabling new services – but these benefits must outweigh the migration effort. Proper planning can help control costs and avoid project overruns.
Another business concern is risk to ongoing projects: if the company has other major IT initiatives, timing the WLA migration to avoid clashing with critical periods (financial quarter-ends, holiday retail season, etc.) is important.
Stakeholder buy-in is also key; leadership and end-users should understand why the migration is necessary and what the expected benefits are. This ensures cooperation and patience if minor issues occur during the switch.
Best Practices for WLA Migration
Thorough preparation can greatly improve the chances of a smooth WLA migration. Below are important steps organizations should consider before and during the migration project:
Audit and assess current workloads
Conduct a self-audit of all existing jobs, workflows, and dependencies. Identify which processes are most critical and which ones create the biggest challenges for your organization. This inventory and assessment will determine the scope of the migration and highlight any complex or fragile jobs that need special attention. It also helps to pinpoint obsolete or redundant tasks that you might choose not to migrate, simplifying the project.
Start planning early
Begin the search and vetting process for a new WLA solution well in advance. Experts often recommend kicking off the evaluation at least six months before your desired go-live date. Starting early gives your team ample time to compare vendors, run proofs-of-concept, and budget for the migration. It also prevents the scenario of running up against the end of life of a legacy tool without a replacement in place.
Vet and select the right vendor
Not all workload automation platforms are equal, especially when it comes to migration capabilities. Research each candidate vendor thoroughly, comparing their features against your requirements (for example, cloud compatibility, specific integrations, user interface, etc.). Perform due diligence by reading reviews and speaking with current customers of those vendors to get a full picture of their support and reliability. A key factor to look for is the availability of conversion utilities or services – vendors that offer automated migration tools for your existing scheduler can significantly streamline the transition.
Map out processes and dependencies
Document how your current workflows operate. This includes job schedules (timing, frequency), dependency chains (which jobs trigger other jobs), error handling procedures, and any scripts or external code the scheduler invokes. Understanding exactly how things are set up today is crucial for recreating them on the new platform.
During this exercise, you might discover workarounds and custom scripts that were added over the years to compensate for limitations in the old system. These are opportunities to improve or simplify in the new system. For instance, if a legacy scheduler required a complex script to handle file transfers, a modern WLA tool might have a built-in file transfer job type that can replace that script.
Engage stakeholders and set expectations
Involve all relevant stakeholders early in the process. This includes IT operations staff, application owners, business users who rely on scheduled reports or data feeds, and executive sponsors. Each group has a stake in a successful migration and can offer valuable input (for example, business users will know which jobs are mission-critical from a functional standpoint).
Clear communication is essential – let stakeholders know the migration plan and timeline, and manage expectations about potential risks (such as brief parallel runs or testing phases). Gaining buy-in and feedback from different departments helps ensure that the new automation environment will meet all requirements and that everyone is prepared for the change.
Plan a pilot migration
Before migrating everything, perform a pilot transition with a subset of workloads. Many experts recommend this “trial run” approach to put the migration framework into action without affecting all production processes.
Select a set of jobs that are important enough to provide a good test (e.g. they utilize various features of the scheduler), but not so critical that any issue would cause major disruptions. Migrate these jobs to the new platform and run them in parallel or in a test environment. The pilot will help validate the migration tools and process, uncover any conversion issues, and allow your team to familiarize themselves with running jobs on the new system.
Prepare for parallel run if possible
A best practice during WLA migration is to run the new system in parallel with the old system for a period of time. During this coexistence phase, each scheduled job is executed on both the old and new platform (with the new platform often pointed at a non-production output or just logged for verification). This ensures continuous operations even if something fails on the new scheduler, since the legacy scheduler is still carrying the production load.
Running in parallel provides confidence that the new system is working correctly. It also allows for a direct comparison of outcomes – you can verify that every job running on the new platform produces the same results (files, database updates, reports, etc.) as it did on the old one. After a successful parallel run and reconciliation of results, you can be much more assured that the full cutover will go smoothly.
Train your team on the new platform
Ensure that the administrators and operators of the workload automation system are well trained on the new tool before you go live. Take advantage of any training resources provided by the vendor, such as online courses or instructor-led workshops.
Some WLA vendors offer certification programs or even on-site training for your staff as part of the migration package. A skilled team will be able to leverage the new system’s capabilities fully and respond to issues quickly. Moreover, involving the team in hands-on configuration and testing during the migration (rather than leaving it all to external consultants) can accelerate their learning curve and build confidence.
Perform thorough workload validation
Once jobs and schedules have been migrated to the new WLA solution, invest time in comprehensive testing and validation. Compare the job schedules in the new system against the old scheduling definitions to ensure nothing was missed or configured incorrectly.
It’s wise to run through edge cases: for example, simulate a job failure to see if the new system’s alerting and restart logic works as expected, or verify that holiday calendars and time zone settings are correctly applied on the new platform.
If your organization has a UAT (User Acceptance Testing) environment, let end-users or downstream application owners observe or test the outputs from the new scheduler. Final validation from those “customers” of the automation is crucial before decommissioning the old system. Only when the new environment’s results mirror the old one and all stakeholders have signed off should you proceed to the final cutover.
Plan the cutover and post-migration support
Schedule the final switch-off of the old system and switch-over to the new one at a time that minimizes impact, such as a weekend or off-peak hours. Ensure you have a rollback plan (for example, you might keep the old system ready to resume for a couple of days in case a show-stopping issue is discovered). During cutover, closely monitor the new system.
It’s advisable to have hyper-care support in place – this means having additional staff or vendor support engineers on standby for the first days or weeks of operations on the new platform. This extra attention helps quickly resolve any hiccups or tuning issues in the immediate aftermath of migration. Finally, document the entire migration project and hold a post-mortem review. Capture lessons learned and any remaining tasks (like decommissioning old servers) as part of project closure. This documentation will be valuable for future upgrades or migrations and for auditing purposes.
WLA Migration FAQ
Why is an automation migration strategy essential for a successful transition?
An automation migration strategy ensures that complex dependencies, scheduling logic, and integrations are methodically moved to a new system. Without a well-defined strategy, organizations risk data loss, operational delays, or reduced performance. Key elements include mapping existing processes, validating automation environments, and involving IT teams throughout.
How do migration tools and services support workload automation transitions?
Migration tools automate the conversion of existing jobs and workflows, minimizing manual rework. These tools often translate job logic, calendars, and triggers into the format of the new system. Migration services, offered by vendors or third parties, provide expert guidance, helping tailor the process based on an organization’s needs and ensuring minimal downtime and a smooth transition.
What are the risks of not validating existing workflows during migration?
Skipping workload validation can lead to failed job executions or incorrect sequencing. Since existing workflows often support critical business processes, errors can impact business operations. A thorough validation process, especially in hybrid environments, ensures continuity and safeguards against surprises in the new environment.
How do organizations benefit from retiring legacy systems during migration?
Retiring legacy systems, such as a legacy scheduler, eliminates technical debt and reduces the cost of maintaining outdated infrastructure. Modern automation platforms are built to handle larger workloads, integrate with cloud-native tools, and offer better analytics—all of which enhance operational efficiency and support digital transformation goals.
What distinguishes a successful migration project from a failed one?
A successful migration project depends on careful planning, continuous stakeholder involvement, effective use of conversion tools, and proactive training. Successful migrations also prioritize seamless integration with existing infrastructure and ensure that jobs are tested under real conditions before decommissioning the existing system.
What role does digital transformation play in automation migration?
Digital transformation often reveals the limits of outdated automation systems. New IT strategies require systems that are agile, cloud-compatible, and scalable. Migration to a new automation platform enables organizations to streamline operations, embrace innovation, and future-proof their automation environment.
What should organizations do to ensure a smooth cutover to the new platform?
To ensure a successful move, organizations should prepare a rollback plan, conduct pilot migrations, run parallel systems, and have migration tools tested in advance. Partnering with experienced vendors and leveraging migration services ensures support during cutover and beyond.
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