Whether your current infrastructure is set up on-premises, in the cloud, or with a little bit of both, JAMS can meet your needs. Flexible enough to be deployed in all three scenarios, JAMS brings all your automation tasks into one window. 

This article outlines the three deployments and provides additional considerations to ensure an optimal configuration.

On-Premises Architecture

The JAMS application needs to be installed on a Windows server. You can use either a virtual or physical machine.

While all the components can be installed on a single machine, they are often on different servers as described below.

JAMS Scheduler

• Installation: Windows Server. 
• Description: The JAMS Scheduler consists of 3 services that make up the main scheduling engine.

Microsoft SQL Server

• Installation: Windows Server.  
• Description: JAMS uses a Microsoft SQL Server backend that can be installed on the same or a separate server as the JAMS application.

JAMS Agent

• Installation: Server. 
• Description: A JAMS Agent is needed on a machine, other than the JAMS Scheduler, that might execute job processes. JAMS Agents can be deployed to any servers in your data center where you might need automation processes to run. 

JAMS Desktop Client

• Installation: Windows workstation.
• Description: The JAMS Desktop Client is the window into the system that lets you create, modify, and monitor your automated processes. 

JAMS Web Client

• Installation: Windows Server.
• Description: The JAMS Web Client is another window into the system that provides more flexible connectivity without the need for a workstation install. 

Cloud Architecture

JAMS Software knows what it’s like to have a remote workforce. When you have an empty office, it doesn't make sense to have a server room that needs to be monitored. If you’ve moved all your systems into the cloud, JAMS can go with them to continue running your workload automation.  

Cloud architecture needs and goals are unique to each organization, so you may choose to have each JAMS component on separate VMs or consolidate them on to a single VM. The components listed below are on their own VM. 

JAMS Scheduler

• Installation: Windows Server. 
• Description: The JAMS Scheduler consists of 3 services that make up the main scheduling engine. The JAMS Scheduler can be installed on a Windows Server VM running within your chosen cloud platform.

Microsoft SQL Server

• Installation: Windows Server.  
• Description: JAMS can also use Azure SQL Database.

JAMS Agent

• Installation: Server. 
• Description: A JAMS Agent is needed on a machine, other than the JAMS Scheduler, that might execute job processes. JAMS Agents can run on servers within the same or other cloud platforms as the JAMS Scheduler with the necessary network configuration. 

JAMS Desktop Client

• Installation: Windows workstation (VM or VDI).
• Description: The JAMS Desktop Client is the window into the system that lets you create, modify, and monitor your automated processes. 

JAMS Web Client

• Installation: Windows Server.
• Description: The JAMS Web Client is another window into the system that provides more flexible connectivity without the need for a workstation install. 

Hybrid Environment Considerations

As you’ve learned above, any of the JAMS components can be installed on-premises or within your chosen cloud infrastructure. Some people take a different approach and choose to run a hybrid infrastructure.  

Listed below are some considerations when trying to decide where you should put your components. 

JAMS Scheduler

System Load, Cost, and Where the Work is Happening

If most of your Agents are on a cloud platform, it may seem logical that your JAMS Scheduler should be as well.  

In some cases that is true, but you may find the resources needed to support your overall workload become more expensive in the cloud than they would be on-premises.

Microsoft SQL Server

Location of the JAMS Scheduler and Cost

Similar to the JAMS Scheduler, if your workload is resource intensive, it may make more sense to use dedicated resources on-premises vs. the shared resources of a cloud platform.

JAMS Agent 

Location of the Server

The JAMS Agent service does not use enough additional resources to be a major factor. If your server is currently in the cloud performing the required workload, install the JAMS Agent on it and give yourself visibility into the workload from the JAMS Client. 

The same sentiment applies on-premises. If your servers are spread between an in-house data center and a cloud platform, you can bring your full workload together using JAMS Agents, allowing you to monitor the work on all those systems from the same client.

JAMS Client (Desktop or Web)  

Location of the JAMS Scheduler, Latency Tolerance, and User Experience

In today’s remote-work-enabled world, we can’t just think about in-the-office and outside-the-office anymore. Even if your infrastructure is all on-premises, your workers might not be. The JAMS Desktop Client can be installed on any workstation in your environment, whether that is a user’s laptop or a VDI desktop. 

Having a VPN for the JAMS Client to talk to the JAMS Scheduler will play the largest factor in their performance. The JAMS Web Client can also be installed and made available for remote workers. It may eliminate the need for VDI or a local installation.