Introduction
Broadcom has fundamentally revised the licensing model for Automic Automation. The solution now follows a modern execution-based approach, replacing the previous model. This article explains how it works, highlights its benefits, and offers practical guidance for maximizing its value. We also discuss why monitoring executions is helpful and how to establish an effective monitoring strategy.
Execution-based licensing directly aligns costs with business value, as fees depend on the successful execution of automated jobs. This approach is better aligned with today’s automation challenges: scaling across hybrid cloud environments, orchestrating end-to-end business processes, and moving beyond traditional batch workloads. By emphasizing workflows and API-driven orchestration, it reflects the realities of the modern automation landscape.
How does the new licensing model work?
The license size is determined by the number of successful job executions across all environments, including DEV and QA. The calculation basis for the license size is the calendar month with the highest number of executions.
Here is a detailed overview:
- Which jobs are counted?
- All executions of the types JOBS and JOBF that end successfully with status 1900 or 1904.
- Except for executions with the agent types AVALOAGENT or BS2000, these agents are licensed separately.
- Which environments are considered?
- All of your environments. There is no separation between PROD, QA, or DEV.
- License cost calculation
- The Executions are counted per month.
- The month with the highest number of executions in the year forms the basis for the license capacity.
- How is the data collected?
- Through the Automic Automation telemetry feature. It collects the data and reports it to Broadcom.
The telemetry feature
The telemetry feature in Automic Automation supports users in collecting and transmitting license-relevant statistics.
The best way to access the telemetry data is through Client 0 in the AWI. In addition to configuration, telemetry data can also be accessed there. The data can be filtered and exported as a CSV file.
The executions are not broken down by client or application.
It collects the data daily and stores it in the database – the most important information is in the LAH and LAHD table.
Additionally, the current overview of executions can be accessed and displayed via the REST endpoints.
👉 More info and configuration: Telemetry documentation
👉 REST endpoints: API documentation
Source: API documentation by Broadcom
Challenges
The new model requires more precise monitoring of executions:
- Where do most executions occur (which application)?
- How many executions are generated in total?
It is helpful to define and monitor current high water marks.
This prevents unexpected license increases, e.g., due to development errors.
👉 Based on this data, targeted optimizations can be made.
Opportunities
The changes also bring some important advantages:
- License costs can be fairly allocated to applications.
- The licensing model has been streamlined and made more transparent.
- Analyses reveal optimization potential in workflows and processes.
- The costs for a later switch to Broadcom Automic SaaS can be calculated in advance.
Monitoring and analysis
Monitoring and analysis are key to optimizing your environment.
You get a quick overview of your current overall status and can see which applications are causing the biggest impact.
This helps make executions more efficient and prevents unnecessary license upgrades caused by development errors. At the same time, it enables you to easily allocate costs to your customers on this basis.
We have developed a proprietary license reporting solution to address this challenge. For more information, please feel free to contact us.
Key Features:
- Enable monthly reporting per client / application.
- Assign clients and customers, and set up an automated process to generate reports on your applications.
- Validation and comparison with telemetry data for quality control.
- Support threshold alerts (high watermarks) to prevent license overruns
- Be individually adaptable (e.g., mapping sub-applications within a client)
- Working without extended log retention for the reports
Tips & recommendations
The transition to execution-based licensing is simple and opens up additional benefits. Below are a number of recommendations to help with this process.
- Regularly evaluate execution results to avoid unexpected execution changes.
- Establish continuous monitoring and alerting for ongoing transparency.
- Raise awareness among your applications about the impact of higher execution numbers.
- Nevertheless, the cost-benefit ratio should always be taken into account.
- Identify and optimize applications with the highest impact.
- Establish internal recommendations and guidelines, and openly share them with your application teams. For example:
- Consider reducing ForEach-JOBPs when appropriate. Asynchronous REST calls no longer require ForEach-JOBP with polling—the new IG REST agent has a built-in polling capability. In other use cases, use a job that implements the ForEach logic within its own loops or AE script data sequences. The execution of jobs within the workflows is being significantly optimized.
- Review high-frequency, time-scheduled workflows and their scheduling intervals to ensure they reflect today’s requirements. It is not uncommon for requirements to change over time, creating potential for optimization.
- Convert file-triggered workflows into batch processes wherever feasible, align frequency with business needs while improving efficiency.
Conclusion
Broadcom’s execused-based licensing model brings more transparency and simplifies licensing, but also new requirements.
Effective monitoring and optimization safeguard against avoidable license growth.
If you need support, please feel free to contact me or my company 
. We support you with the implementation of license monitoring, as well as process analysis and optimization.