Azure Automation Orchestrates Cloud Management

Azure Automation, a Microsoft-hosted IT process automation service for Microsoft Azure, became generally available in Dec. 2014. Organizations can use the service to automate creating, monitoring, deploying, and maintaining resources in an Azure environment. Developers can use Automation to construct, run, and manage “runbooks” to integrate, orchestrate, and automate IT business processes. Microsoft plans to integrate Azure Automation, System Center Orchestrator, and Service Management Automation into a single solution in the future.

Runbooks and PowerShell Power the Service

Azure Automation can help customers automate IT processes to save staff time, prevent human errors, and achieve faster remediation of problems. It helps automate complex IT processes, such as provisioning virtual machines (VMs), and can be helpful in implementing standardized processes. Other Azure services such as Azure Site Recovery, Azure SQL DB, Dynamics CRM Online, and System Center Advisor (now Operational Insights) rely on Azure Automation.