What are modern alternatives for IBM's old JCL (Job Control Language) scripting language?
For the past several years a client is working on a rewrite/overhaul of their old Mainframe system porting over to the cloud. The rewrite is largely in C# .NET Framework, with a smattering of C++ creating a VM simulating the old mainframe on Azure servers. Right now they are running their old JCL to handle large parts of their database in the new rewrite.
For those that aren't as familiar with JCL in a legacy environment, the client is using it to point to parts of the database, call applications/processes with parameters, and pipe file-I/O to/from the relative applications. It pretty much reads like the old punch-cards, and doesn't have any personal processing power (basic arithmetic/logic key words, memory handling, or use of any kind of module/library expansions).
Right now their looking at Lua or TCL as potential replacements to embed in their new system.
What are alternative languages you have used for process control scripting? Pros? Cons?
You might also look at Python or (given that you're also using C# and so probably considering running on Windows) Powershell. In a Unix environment, bash would be the first option (even if it was one you then reject).
This isn't something that has a definite answer though, at least with the small amount of information you have provided; there are lots of options. As long as you have language or basic library support for the operations you need, you should be able to make that work.