System Center 2012 Orchestrator Unleashed

System Center 2012 Orchestrator Unleashed

Released September 2013
Publisher(s): Sams
ISBN: 9780133057225

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Book description

Using System Center 2012 Orchestrator, you can capture and document processes across your entire IT organization, establishing the automation you need to deliver advanced cloud services and self-adjusting computing resources.

Authored by five leading System Center experts, this comprehensive reference and technical guide brings together all the knowledge you’ll need to architect, install, implement, integrate, and maximize the value of your own Orchestrator solutions. The authors introduce current best practices based on large-scale enterprise implementations they’ve personally led or participated in.

This up-to-date guide shows how to apply Orchestrator’s major improvements to implement IT process automation in any environment, including private clouds. You’ll start with context: what Orchestrator does, how it has evolved, how it works, and essential architecture and design techniques. Next, the authors help you make crucial up-front decisions about activities, runbooks, security, and administration. Finally, you’ll find expert guidance for integrating Orchestrator with the rest of System Center and with Windows Azure cloud services—including advanced automated workflows that encompass both data center and cloud.

Detailed information on how to…
• Understand System Center 2012 Orchestrator’s capabilities, evolution, architecture, and design, including SP1 improvements and R2
• Successfully install System Center 2012 Orchestrator and migrate smoothly from Opalis Integration Server 6.3
• Take full advantage of Orchestrator’s advanced new runbook automation capabilities
• Configure activities associated with runbook control, systems, scheduling, monitoring, files, email, notification, and data handling
• Design runbooks for fault tolerance and optimal performance
• Enforce strong security using roles, permissions, and auditing
• Deliver integration capabilities for Operations Manager, Service Manager, Configuration Manager, Virtual Machine Manager, and Data Protection Manager
• Automate end-to-end data center/ cloud workflows with integration packs and PowerShell
• Create your own integration packs with Orchestrator Integration Toolkit (OIT.SDK)
• Support Orchestrator 2012, troubleshoot problems, and discover the best web and third-party resources

Table of contents

  1. About This eBook
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Contents at a Glance
  5. Table of Contents
  6. Foreword
  7. About the Authors
  8. About the Contributors
  9. Dedication
  10. Acknowledgments
  11. We Want to Hear from You!
  12. Reader Services
  13. Introduction
    1. Disclaimers and Fine Print
  14. Part I: Orchestrator Overview and Concepts
    1. Chapter 1. Orchestration, Integration, and Automation
      1. Orchestration, ITIL, and MOF
      2. Integration, Automation, Orchestration: The Differences
      3. Positioning of Orchestrator in System Center 2012
      4. Typical Use Cases
      5. Managing a Project
      6. Example: Orchestrating a VM Deployment
      7. Summary
    2. Chapter 2. What’s New in System Center 2012 Orchestrator
      1. The History of Orchestrator
      2. OIS 6.3 Versus Orchestrator 2012
      3. Summary
    3. Chapter 3. Looking Inside System Center 2012 Orchestrator
      1. Architectural Overview
      2. Server Components
      3. Deployment Models
      4. Windows Services
      5. Global Settings
      6. Integration Packs
      7. Runbooks
      8. Data Bus
      9. Connectors
      10. Consoles
      11. Communication
      12. Summary
    4. Chapter 4. Architectural Design
      1. Planning and Implementing Orchestrator
      2. Planning for Physical Design
      3. Planning for Logical Design
      4. Summary
  15. Part II: Installation and Implementation
    1. Chapter 5. Installing System Center 2012 Orchestrator
      1. Orchestrator Installation Roadmap
      2. Installing Orchestrator
      3. Performing Post-Installation Tasks
      4. Summary
    2. Chapter 6. Using System Center 2012 Orchestrator
      1. Framework for Creating Runbooks
      2. Analyzing the Desired Automation
      3. Translating Actions to Runbook Activities
      4. Creating the Runbook in Orchestrator Runbook Designer
      5. Validating the Runbook
      6. Managing Runbooks Using the Orchestration Console
      7. Managing Runbooks with the Orchestrator Web Service
      8. Summary
    3. Chapter 7. Runbook Basics
      1. Anatomy of a Runbook
      2. Using Activities
      3. Orchestrator Standard Activities
      4. Monitoring Activities
      5. Orchestrator Custom Activities
      6. Orchestrator Workflow Control
      7. Drag and Drop
      8. Managing Runbooks
      9. Runbook Logging
      10. Building Your First Runbook
      11. Summary
    4. Chapter 8. Advanced Runbook Concepts
      1. Advanced Schedules
      2. Invoking Child Runbooks
      3. Looping Considerations
      4. Using Junctions
      5. Working with Data
      6. Error Handling
      7. Computer Groups and Alternative Options
      8. Using Variables
      9. Using Counters
      10. Summary
    5. Chapter 9. Standard Activities
      1. Configuring Standard Activities
      2. Runbook Control Activities
      3. System Activities Category
      4. Scheduling Category
      5. Monitoring Activities
      6. File Management
      7. Email Activities
      8. Notification Activities
      9. Utilities Category
      10. Text File Management
      11. Summary
    6. Chapter 10. Runbook and Configuration Best Practices
      1. Runbook Best Practices
      2. Configuration Best Practices
      3. Useful SQL Queries
      4. Verifying Runbook Design
      5. Summary
    7. Chapter 11. Security and Administration
      1. Orchestrator Security Model
      2. User Roles and Security
      3. Summary
  16. Part III: Integration Packs and the OIT
    1. Chapter 12. Orchestrator Integration Packs
      1. An Integration Overview
      2. Active Directory Integration Pack
      3. Exchange Admin Integration Pack
      4. Exchange User Integration Pack
      5. FTP Integration Pack
      6. HP Integration Packs
      7. IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus Integration Pack
      8. Representational State Transfer (REST) Integration Pack
      9. HP Service Manager Integration Pack
      10. VMware vSphere Integration Pack
      11. Community-Developed Integration Packs
      12. Summary
    2. Chapter 13. Integration with System Center Operations Manager
      1. Integration Pack Requirements
      2. Installing the Integration Pack
      3. Configuring the Integration Pack
      4. Activities at a Glance
      5. Activities in Depth
      6. Use Case Scenarios
      7. Summary
    3. Chapter 14. Integration with System Center Service Manager
      1. Communication Requirements
      2. Integration Pack Requirements
      3. Installing the Integration Pack
      4. Configuring the Integration Pack
      5. Activities at a Glance
      6. Activities in Depth
      7. Use Case Scenarios
      8. Troubleshooting the SCSM IP
      9. Summary
    4. Chapter 15. Integration with System Center Configuration Manager
      1. Integration Pack Requirements
      2. Installing the Integration Pack
      3. Configuring the Integration Pack
      4. Activities at a Glance
      5. Activities in Depth
      6. Use Case Scenarios
      7. Summary
    5. Chapter 16. Integration with System Center Virtual Machine Manager
      1. Integration Pack Requirements
      2. Installing the Integration Pack
      3. Configuring the Integration Pack
      4. Activities at a Glance
      5. Activities in Depth
      6. Advanced Deployment Capabilities in VMM 2012
      7. Updating Running Service Instances
      8. Use Case Scenarios
      9. Working with Service Templates
      10. Summary
    6. Chapter 17. Integration with System Center Data Protection Manager
      1. Integration Pack Requirements
      2. Installing the Integration Pack
      3. Configuring the Integration Pack
      4. Activities at a Glance
      5. Activities in Depth
      6. Use Case Scenarios
      7. Troubleshooting the DPM IP
      8. Summary
    7. Chapter 18. Integration with Windows Azure
      1. Integration Pack Requirements
      2. Installing the Integration Pack
      3. Quick Introduction to PFX Files
      4. Configuring the Integration Pack
      5. Activities at a Glance
      6. Activity Categories in Depth
      7. Use Case Scenarios
      8. Summary
    8. Chapter 19. Runbook Automation in the Data Center and the Cloud
      1. Factors in Process Automation Planning and Design
      2. Use Case Scenarios
      3. Summary
    9. Chapter 20. The Orchestrator Integration Toolkit
      1. Overview of the Orchestrator Integration Toolkit
      2. Installing the Orchestrator Integration Toolkit
      3. Using the Command-Line Activity Wizard
      4. Using the Integration Pack Wizard
      5. Using the Orchestrator SDK
      6. Summary
  17. Part IV: Appendixes
    1. Appendix A. Community Solutions and Tools
      1. Utilities and Scripts
      2. Integration Packs
    2. Appendix B. Reference URLs
      1. General Resources
      2. Microsoft’s Orchestrator Resources
      3. Additional Resources
      4. Blogs
      5. System Center 2012 Resources
    3. Appendix C. Available Online
      1. PowerShell Scripts for the Operations Manager IP
      2. PowerShell Scripts for the Virtual Machine Manager IP
      3. Scripts for the Data Center Automation
      4. Live Links
  18. Index

Product information

  • Title: System Center 2012 Orchestrator Unleashed
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: September 2013
  • Publisher(s): Sams
  • ISBN: 9780133057225