SCU Asia System Center: Beyond orchestrator

Microsoft automation Evolution:Beyond OrchestratorAlexandre VerkinderenCDM MVP

http://scug.be/scom

@AlexVerkinderen

AgendaProcess AutomationOrchestratorService Management AutomationOrchestrator VS SMAQ&A

Process Automation

Include the right peopleYou NEED to include people who understand process and technology.This is a strategic and tactical tool.

Including the right people = success

Service Owner IT Mgr Admin Management

Plan to transform processesA great tool doesn’t make a bad process better…

Transform the processes Work it out in a worksheet ahead of time Look at the end result Set the vision

Automation

ORCHESTRATOR

ActivitiesIntelligent tasks that perform defined actions

RunbooksSystem-level workflows that execute a series of linked activities

DatabusUsed to publish and consume information as a Runbook executes

Standard activitiesA rich set of out-of-box activities

Get server ID from DPM

Get data sources

Create recovery point

Create incident

Create checkpoint

Start maint mode

Shut down VM

E-mail on error

Update on success

Invoke web services

Compare values

Query database

Send e-mail

Run .NET script

Return data

Check schedule

Automation Concepts

Building automation: Runbook Designer

Easy authoring and debugging Drag and drop, Visio-like authoring, nested Runbooks, built-in features like looping and branching

DatabusAbstracts developer-level complexity from the Runbook author and enables hub-and-spoke integration model

20+ integration packs (IPs) for System Center, Microsoft, and third-party management tools

Building your own automation

External interface to System Center

Standards-basedRESTful web interfaceUses OData (Open Data Protocol)

Take advantage of existing investments in PowerShell, .NET scripting, and third-party APIs, and build them into Orchestrator Runbooks

DEMOto manage your cloud

SERVICE MANAGEMENT AUTOMATION

Service management automation

CMDB

Ticketing

Billing

Management Systems

Web based Runbook Authoring:Service Administrator can create runbooks to automate all aspects of cloud infrastructure, plan delivery, and maintenance activities

Highly Available EngineSupport requirements for scale and H/A.Built on PowerShell Workflow

Integration into other systems:

Import PS modules and create additional modules and runbooks for existing resources or to connect into 3rd party systems (ticketing system, billing system, user store, CMDB)

AutomationAdd bulk

user accounts

Add additional

SQL capacity

Notify users of

plan updates

Service Ticket for

failed resources

VIRTUAL MACHINE CLOUDS

12

SQL SERVER

9

PLANS

12

WEBSITE CLOUD

12

MYSQL SERVERS

0

NOTIFICATIONS

0

USER ACCOUNTS

4

AUTOMATION

8

ALLITEMS

SERVICE MANAGEMENT AUTOMATION - SMA

Optimize and extend services using runbooks

Powershell workflows

Web-based runbook authoring

Manage runbooks and jobs

Integrates with other systems including System Center

SMA ComponentsWeb Service

Connects to Windows Azure PackDistributes runbook jobs to runbook workersSupports HTTPSEnables security group to control access

Runbook WorkerExecutes runbook jobsRuns under a service account

PowerShell moduleEnables Automation management by using Windows PowerShell cmdlets

SMA Architecture

ODATA REST Web Service

Runbooks

Jobs

Modules & Activies

Submit requests

Return results

Http RequestHttp Response

Persist State

Pick up Jobs

SQL DatabaseRunbook Workers

Service Management Portal

• Authoring• Debugging• Operating

Service Management Portal

• Runbook service• PowerShell Modules

Runbook Workers

•REST oData web service•Authorizes users

Web Service

•Runbooks•Runbook Resources•Tracks runbook job state

SMA Database

RunbooksSystem-level workflows that execute a series of linked activities

DatabusUsed to publish and consume information as a Runbook executes

Get server ID from DPM

Get data sources

Create recovery point

Create incident

Create checkpoint

Start maint mode

Shut down VM

E-mail on error

Update on success

ActivitiesIntelligent tasks that perform defined actions

Invoke web services

Compare values

Query database

Send e-mail

Run .NET script

Return data

Check schedule

Standard activitiesA rich set of out-of-box activities

Automation Concepts

RunbooksSystem-level workflows that execute a series of linked activities

DatabusUsed to publish and consume information as a Runbook executes

Get server ID from DPM

Get data sources

Create recovery point

Create incident

Create checkpoint

Start maint mode

Shut down VM

E-mail on error

Update on success

PowerShell WorkflowsAre a PS Construct/CMDLET

Converted to a Windows Workflow foundation at runtime

Retry handled by workflow engine

Can persist state

Survive OS shutdown or network outage

Return data

Runs activities

Automation Concepts

Powershell WorkflowsParameter names can only be letters, numbers, Hyphen or underscoreHyphenated parameter names must be enclosed in quotesYou can create parameter sets

PersistenceA Checkpoint stores the current variable values, output and command to disk in the user profileCheckpoints are removed automatically-PSPersist $true

Parallel/SequenceCommand in a parallel block execute in an indeterminate order at the “same” timeMax degree: 5 command in a sequenceCommands in a sequence block executed in order

DEMOPowerShell Workflows

Iaas Automation and IntegrationRunbook execution tied

to SPF IaaS API CallsSelected Set of SPF Objects Available for Automation

Tenant resourcesSubscriptionsAdmin resources

TriggersCreate, Update, DeleteVM Actions (Start, Stop, Shutdown etc)

Inputs Pass preselected object propertiesPass params

DEMOService management

automation

TO SMA OR NOT TO SMA?

27

Orchestrator VS SMAOrchestrator

Visual designerOut of the box activities

SMA

64 bit supportNative PowerShell executionPowerShell 3+ supportCheckpoint/restart inside runbooksVersioned runbooksSave draftsArchitecture is more scalable

Integration of Orchestrator and SMA

PowerShell Workflow

Engine

UI Runbook Engine

Process Automation

InteroperabilityPowerShell Authoring

Graphical Authoring

Q&A

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