Blog Post

Introducing UAC 7.7: New Capabilities for Enhanced Automation

Discover the latest updates in Universal Automation Center 7.7, designed to enhance workflow, security, and self-service capabilities in the ever-evolving world of IT automation.

Introducing UAC 7.7: New Capabilities for Enhanced Automation

Universal Automation Center 7.7 features over three dozen improvements, including advanced Boolean logic, improved web services, and new integrations with popular platforms like ServiceNow and OpenShift. Whether you’re an IT admin, a DevOps engineer, or a data specialist, these updates can help you optimize and simplify your automation workflows.

Key Features of UAC 7.7

The 7.7 release of Stonebranch Universal Automation Center (UAC) is a significant upgrade that introduces numerous enhancements focused on workflow, security, and integration.

Expanded Security: OAuth2 and HashiCorp Vault

By expanding support to OAuth2 and HashiCorp Vault, UAC enhances security and flexibility for authentication and credential management.

  • While single sign on (SSO) has long been available in UAC using protocols like SAML and LDAP, support for OAuth2 standards simplifies SSO with providers like AWS, Azure, and Okta.
  • For authentication, HashiCorp Vault is now available as a credential provider in UAC 7.7. This leading secrets management solution helps secure automation credentials across hybrid cloud environments.

Advanced Workflow Logic: Boolean Expressions

UAC now supports Boolean logic “AND” and “OR” conditions, allowing for more flexible workflows with complex dependencies. This capability is ideal for workflows with multiple dependencies, where Boolean logic simplifies managing task execution across clusters and dynamic conditions.

Enhanced Web Services API Compliance

UAC 7.7 ensures all web service APIs comply with the OpenAPI Specification (OAS) 3.0, supported by comprehensive Swagger documentation.

This approach standardizes API documentation, accelerating the adoption of automation workflows by simplifying integration with development tools like Java or Python. It also prepares the groundwork for GPT-based solutions to interact directly with UAC.

New z/OS and iSeries Capabilities

UAC 7.7 brings new automation capabilities to z/OS and iSeries platforms, ensuring seamless integration and monitoring of external jobs.

  • z/OS Monitor and Monitor Trigger: The z/OS monitor watches for a condition to be satisfied, and then the Monitor Trigger launches the appropriate UAC workflow based on that mainframe activity.
  • New iSeries Agent: The new iSeries agent has been rebuilt from the ground up to support mission-critical AS400 automation with the latest capabilities available in Universal Agents.

This expanded support meets the needs of enterprises with critical on-premises systems.

Integration Hub Updates

New and updated integrations allow teams to automate diverse tasks, from IT ticketing and container orchestration to managing data transfers across cloud environments.

  • Self-service: new and updated service catalog integrations for ServiceNow and Jira.
  • Container and deployment management: new monitoring for jobs running on OpenShift, plus automated deployments available for Kubernetes and OpenShift.
  • Oracle and SAP ecosystems: expanded integrations with Oracle technical components (SQL ODBC) and Oracle Scheduler, as well as ongoing development of integration points within SAP.
  • Data and AI pipelines: automates data pipelines for BI solutions and AI/ML workflows, including generative AI.
  • Hybrid cloud: expanded support for cloud infrastructure and inter-cloud data transfers, such as EC2 to AWS or Google Cloud.
  • Observability: committed to long-term support of OpenTelemetry as a standard for infrastructure automation.
  • New UAC utilities: introduced tools for JSON and CSV support.
  • Enhanced file-based automation and managed file transfer, including file compression and security access.

Why Upgrade to UAC 7.7?

UAC 7.7 is a feature-rich platform designed to streamline complex workflows, enhance security, and support modern IT and mainframe ecosystems. Each feature was developed with user feedback in mind, making UAC more powerful and adaptable than ever.

Want to learn more? Watch the What’s New in UAC 7.7 webinar on-demand or contact us to see it in action.

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