System Center Orchestrator Overview

System Center Orchestrator can help customers automate IT processes to save staff, prevent human errors, and achieve faster remediation of problems. Originally based on the use of special workflow definitions (runbooks) Orchestrator is being moved to using PowerShell scripts, as are Service Management Automation, another on-premises software tool, and Azure Automation, an online service that performs similar functions. Integration packs allow Orchestrator to work with other systems management products (such as other System Center components or non-Microsoft tools) and manage heterogeneous systems in a data center. The addition of Orchestrator to System Center gives customers a more complete systems management offering, but they will have to understand some of the basic Orchestrator terminology and architecture before planning deployment.

Automating Good IT Practices

System Center Orchestrator is software that was obtained by Microsoft when it acquired Opalis in Dec. 2009. Orchestrator provides IT process automation (ITPA), also known as runbook automation (RBA). It works with other infrastructure management software from BMC, CA, HPe, IBM, Microsoft, and others and helps automate complex IT processes, such as trouble ticketing or provisioning virtual servers. RBA is intended to reduce costs and increase service delivery speed while lessening reliance on experts when problems arise. Orchestrator can also be helpful in implementing processes that conform to the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), a set of good practices for IT service management. Since the acquisition, Microsoft has updated the software to run on the latest Windows Server OSs and to interoperate with other System Center products.