Introduction 1
Disclaimers and Fine Print 3
PART I: ORCHESTRATOR OVERVIEW AND CONCEPTS
Chapter 1 Orchestration, Integration, and
Automation 7
Orchestration, ITIL, and MOF 8
Integration, Automation, Orchestration The
Differences 9
About Integration 10
Using Automation 11
About Orchestration 12
Benefits of Orchestration
13
How Orchestration Can Help
15
What Not to Expect with
Orchestration 16
Positioning of Orchestrator in System Center
2012 16
Typical Use Cases 19
Regular Maintenance and Daily
Operations 19
On-Demand Requests 20
Incident Management 20
IT Process Automation 21
Business-Oriented Processes
Automation 21
Elastic Data Center 21
Managing a Project 22
Define Your Processes 22
Consistency Checking 23
Report on Operations 23
Technical Implementation
23
Example: Orchestrating a VM Deployment
23
Summary 27
Chapter 2 What’s New in System Center 2012
Orchestrator 29
The History of Orchestrator 30
The Beginnings of Orchestrator:
OpalisRobot 30
OpalisRendezVous 30
Opalis Innovates 31
Goodbye Robot, Hello OIS
32
Microsoft’s Acquisition of Opalis
Software 33
OIS to Orchestrator 34
OIS Migration to Orchestrator
35
Where Orchestrator Fits into System
Center 35
OIS 6.3 Versus Orchestrator 2012 37
Terminology Changes 37
Services 40
Other Terminology Changes
41
Concept Changes 44
Architecture and Feature
Changes 45
Prerequisite/Sizing Changes
45
Licensing Changes 47
Summary 47
Chapter 3 Looking Inside System Center 2012
Orchestrator 49
Architectural Overview 50
Server Components 52
Management Server 53
Runbook Server 54
Orchestrator Database 54
Web Service 54
Orchestration Console 54
Runbook Designer 55
Deployment Models 58
Minimum Installation Model
58
Additional Runbooks and Scaling
Out 59
Multiple System Center 2012 Orchestrator
Installations 59
Windows Services 63
Orchestrator Management Service
(omanagement) 63
Orchestrator Remoting Service
(oremoting) 63
Orchestrator Runbook Server Monitor
(omonitor) 64
Orchestrator Runbook Service
(orunbook) 65
Global Settings 65
Integration Packs 67
Runbooks 68
Data Bus 69
Connectors 71
Consoles 71
Using the Orchestration
Console 72
Using Deployment Manager
72
Using Runbook Designer 72
Using Runbook Tester 73
Data Store Configuration
75
Community Tools 76
Communication 76
Summary 78
Chapter 4 Architectural Design
79
Planning and Implementing Orchestrator
79
Planning for Physical Design 83
Hardware Requirements 84
SQL Hardware Best Practices
88
Server Placement 90
Network Traffic and Protocols
90
Physical High Availability of Orchestrator
Components 90
Scaling Out 92
Planning for Logical Design 92
Orchestrator Software
Requirements 92
Runbook Design Standards and Best
Practices 93
Service Accounts 96
Determining the Development Process and Security
Model 97
Designing Logical Fault
Tolerance 101
Summary 104
PART II: INSTALLATION AND IMPLEMENTATION
Chapter 5 Installing System Center 2012
Orchestrator 107
Orchestrator Installation Roadmap 107
Planning for Installation
108
Installing Orchestrator
Features 110
Performing Post-Installation
Tasks 111
Installing Orchestrator 112
Installing the Management
Server 113
Installing the Runbook Server Using Installation
Media 123
Installing the Runbook Server Using Deployment
Manager 126
Installing the Web Service
128
Installing the Runbook Designer Using the
Installer 131
Installing Runbook Designer Using Deployment
Manager 134
Using the Command-Line Installation
Tool 136
Performing Post-Installation Tasks 139
Registering and Deploying Integration
Packs 139
Migrating Opalis Policies to
Orchestrator 145
Summary 150
Chapter 6 Using System Center 2012
Orchestrator 151
Framework for Creating Runbooks 151
Analyzing the Desired Automation 152
Orchestrator Usage Scenarios
153
Analyzing Actions in the
Automation 155
Translating Actions to Runbook Activities
159
Creating the Runbook in Orchestrator Runbook
Designer 161
Configuring the Runbook
Designer 161
Checking In and Checking Out
163
Configuring Runbook Properties
163
Using Activities and Links in Your
Runbook 164
Data Manipulation When Configuring
Activities 166
Using Published Data 168
Using Computer Groups with
Runbooks 169
Using Regular Expressions
171
Using Counters 173
Using Schedules 174
Creating and Using Variables
176
Validating the Runbook 179
Managing Runbooks Using the Orchestration
Console 181
Managing Runbooks with the Orchestrator Web
Service 185
Web Service Resource Discovery
187
Using Visual Studio to Interact with the Web
Service 188
Using PowerShell or VBScript to Interact with the Web
Service 193
View Orchestrator Data by Using Excel
PowerPivot 196
Summary 200
Chapter 7 Runbook Basics
201
Anatomy of a Runbook 202
General Information 202
Runbook Servers 203
Logging Properties 203
Event Notifications 203
Job Concurrency 204
Returned Data 205
Runbook Security 205
Using Activities 209
Activity Properties 210
Published Data 213
Orchestrator Standard Activities 214
System Activities 214
Scheduling Activities 214
Monitoring Activities
214
File-Management Activities
214
Email Activities 215
Notification Activities
215
Utilities Activities 215
Text File Management 215
Runbook Control 215
Monitoring Activities 215
Orchestrator Custom Activities 216
Orchestrator Workflow Control 216
Starting Point 216
Smart Links 218
Embedded Loops 220
Drag and Drop 220
Managing Runbooks 221
Starting and Stopping Runbooks
221
Importing and Exporting
Runbooks 222
Versioning Runbooks 226
Auditing Changes 226
Runbook Logging 228
Real-Time and Historic Runbook
Logs 228
Trace Logs 229
Audit Logs 231
Building Your First Runbook 232
Copying a File 232
Preserving Copied Files
233
Monitoring File Changes
234
Using Logic in Links 235
Summary 238
Chapter 8 Advanced Runbook
Concepts 239
Advanced Schedules 239
Using the Monitor/Date Time
Activity 240
Using the Check Schedule
Activity 242
Invoking Child Runbooks 245
Looping Considerations 246
Behavior with Multiple Data
Items 246
Configuring Looping Properties for an
Activity 246
Preventing Infinite Loops
248
Monitoring for Conditions in
Activities 249
Runbook Looping 251
Using Junctions 253
Synchronizing Branches 253
Republishing Data 253
Junction Examples 256
Working with Data 258
Data Manipulation Functions
258
Regular Expressions 260
Testing Functions and Regular
Expressions 263
Error Handling 265
Overview of a Simple Runbook
265
Adding Error Handling 266
Computer Groups and Alternative Options
268
Entry Types 269
Using Computer Groups 269
Using Variables 270
Using NOW() As a Variable
271
Using Environment Variables
272
Using Encrypted Variables
272
Using Counters 272
Summary 273
Chapter 9 Standard Activities
275
Configuring Standard Activities 276
General Tab 276
Run Behavior Tab 276
Runbook Control Activities 277
Initialize Data Activity
277
Invoke Runbook 278
Return Data 280
Junction Activity 281
System Activities Category 282
Run .Net Script 283
Using Run Program 286
About Query WMI 289
Start/Stop Service 290
End Process 291
Restart System 292
Save Event Log 293
Run SSH Command 294
SNMP Activities 296
Scheduling Category 297
Monitor Date/Time Activity
297
Check Schedule 298
Monitoring Activities 298
File Management 300
Email Activities 302
Notification Activities 304
Send Event Log Message 305
Send Platform Event 306
Send Syslog Message 306
Utilities Category 307
Using Counters in Orchestrator
308
Data-Handling Activities
310
Other Utility Activities
315
Text File Management 316
Summary 317
Chapter 10 Runbook and Configuration Best
Practices 319
Runbook Best Practices 319
Designing Runbooks for Fault
Tolerance 326
Designing Parent and Child
Runbooks 327
Using the Run Program Activity
331
Looping Within a Runbook
332
Configuration Best Practices 334
Specifying a Runbook Server and Runbook
Throttling 334
Configuring SQL Server 335
Purging the Orchestrator
Database 336
Useful SQL Queries 337
Verifying Runbook Design 339
Summary 348
Chapter 11 Security and
Administration 349
Orchestrator Security Model 349
Running a Runbook Using a Specific
Account 353
Auditing in Orchestrator
357
Changing Service Accounts
360
Database Roles 363
Exporting and Importing
Runbooks 363
User Roles and Security 366
Connecting Remotely 369
Creating Runbook Folders
373
Assigning Permissions to Runbooks for Help Desk
Operators 374
Summary 377
PART III: INTEGRATION PACKS AND THE OIT
Chapter 12 Orchestrator Integration
Packs 381
An Integration Overview 382
Active Directory Integration Pack 382
Active Directory IP Typical Use
Case 382
Active Directory IP Activity
List 383
Active Directory IP Supported
Versions 384
Active Directory IP Configuration
Settings 385
Exchange Admin Integration Pack 386
Exchange Admin IP Typical Use
Case 386
Exchange Admin IP Activity
List 386
Exchange Admin IP Installation
Notes 388
Exchange Admin IP Supported
Versions 390
Exchange Admin IP Configuration
Settings 390
Exchange User Integration Pack 391
Exchange User IP Typical Use
Case 391
Exchange User IP Activity List
391
Exchange User IP Installation
Notes 392
Exchange User IP Supported
Versions 392
Exchange User IP Configuration
Settings 392
FTP Integration Pack 394
FTP IP Typical Use Case
394
FTP IP Activity List 394
FTP IP Installation Notes
395
FTP IP Supported Versions
395
FTP IP Configuration Settings
395
HP Integration Packs 397
HP iLO and OA 397
HP Operations Manager 399
IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus Integration Pack
402
IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus IP Typical Use
Case 402
IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus IP Activity
List 402
IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus IP Installation
Notes 403
IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus IP Supported
Versions 403
IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus IP Configuration
Settings 403
Representational State Transfer (REST) Integration
Pack 404
REST IP Typical Use Cases
404
REST IP Activity List 405
REST IP Installation Notes 405
REST IP Supported Versions
405
REST IP Configuration Settings
405
HP Service Manager Integration Pack 406
HP Service Manager IP Typical Use
Case 407
HP Service Manager IP Activity
List 407
HP Service Manager IP Installation
Notes 407
HP Service Manager IP Supported
Versions 408
HP Service Manager IP Configuration
Settings 408
VMware vSphere Integration Pack 409
VMware vSphere IP Typical Use
Case 409
VMware vSphere IP Activity
List 409
VMware vSphere IP Installation
Notes 412
VMware vSphere IP Supported
Versions 412
VMware vSphere IP Configuration
Settings 412
Community-Developed Integration Packs
413
Orchestrator.codeplex.com
413
Scorch.codeplex.com
413
Summary 414
Chapter 13 Integration with System Center Operations
Manager 415
Integration Pack Requirements 415
System Center 2012
Orchestrator 415
System Center 2012 Operations
Manager 416
Installing the Integration Pack 416
Configuring the Integration Pack 416
Connectivity Requirements
416
Granting Access to the Connection
Account 417
Configuring the Connection
Account 417
Activities at a Glance 419
Activities in Depth 419
Use Case Scenarios 422
Incident Remediation 423
Server Maintenance Mode (Windows or
*NIX) 424
Group Maintenance Mode 429
Creating a Runbook for Group Maintenance Mode in
Operations Manager 2012 430
Branch Office Maintenance Mode
435
Processing Alerts in Bulk
438
Summary 443
Chapter 14 Integration with System Center Service
Manager 445
Communication Requirements 445
Integration Pack Requirements 446
System Center 2012
Orchestrator 446
Locale Settings 446
Installing the Integration Pack 446
Configuring the Integration Pack 447
Activities at a Glance 448
Activities in Depth 449
Use Case Scenarios 450
Closing Resolved Incidents
451
Creating a Change Calendar
454
Automating Service Requests
457
Troubleshooting the SCSM IP 471
Summary 472
Chapter 15 Integration with System Center Configuration
Manager 473
Integration Pack Requirements 473
System Center 2012
Orchestrator 473
System Center 2012 Configuration
Manager 474
Installing the Integration Pack 474
Configuring the Integration Pack 474
Creating the Connection
Account 474
Granting Access to the Connection
Account 475
Connectivity Requirements
478
Activities at a Glance 479
Activities in Depth 480
Use Case Scenarios 482
Creating and Populating a
Collection 482
Applying Endpoint Protection
Policy 488
Applying Software Updates
492
Summary 505
Chapter 16 Integration with System Center Virtual Machine
Manager 507
Integration Pack Requirements 507
System Center 2012
Orchestrator 508
System Center 2012 Virtual Machine
Manager 508
Installing the Integration Pack 508
Configuring the Integration Pack 508
Connectivity Requirements
509
Security Credentials 509
Granting Access to the Connection
Account 509
Configuring the Connection
Account 509
Activities at a Glance 511
Activities in Depth 513
Advanced Deployment Capabilities in VMM
2012 518
Configuring Service Templates
520
The VMM Service Designer
521
Service Template Components
521
Additional Service Template
Properties 522
Updating Running Service Instances 524
Use Case Scenarios 525
Enabling Self-Service 525
Virtual Machine Provisioning
535
VM Checkpoint and Recovery
540
VM Lifecycle Management
543
Working with Service Templates 551
Deploying a Service Instance (Service
Template) 551
Scaling Out a Machine (Computer)
Tier 553
Scaling In a Machine Tier
554
Performing In-Place Servicing
555
Summary 557
Chapter 17 Integration with System Center Data Protection
Manager 559
Integration Pack Requirements 559
System Center 2012
Orchestrator 559
System Requirements
560
Installing the Integration Pack 560
Configuring the Integration Pack 560
Activities at a Glance 564
Activities in Depth 564
Use Case Scenarios 565
Creating a Recovery Point Before Installing
Software 566
Preparing a Server for Patch
Management 568
Restoring a SQL Server Database to a Network
Folder 570
Troubleshooting the DPM IP 573
Summary 576
Chapter 18 Integration with Windows
Azure 577
Integration Pack Requirements 578
Installing the Integration Pack 578
Quick Introduction to PFX Files 578
Configuring the Integration Pack 579
Activities at a Glance 582
Activity Categories in Depth 582
Use Case Scenarios 583
Deploying a New Virtual Machine in Windows
Azure 584
Getting Information About a Virtual Machine in Windows
Azure 588
Copying Files from a Local Folder to an Azure Storage
Container 589
Deploying a New Web Service in Windows
Azure 592
Summary 597
Chapter 19 Runbook Automation in the Data Center and the
Cloud 599
Factors in Process Automation Planning and
Design 599
The Role of Orchestrator in Cloud
Computing 601
The Rise of the Hybrid Cloud
602
Use Case Scenarios 602
CMDB Automation (Dynamic Asset Management for Data
Center and Cloud) 603
Cross-Platform Integration (Linux Service
Restart) 609
Cloud Bursting (Capacity Management for Hybrid
Cloud) 615
Summary 617
Chapter 20 The Orchestrator Integration
Toolkit 619
Overview of the Orchestrator Integration
Toolkit 620
Development Planning 620
Developing the Workflow
Activities 622
Deploying Workflow Activities
622
Preparing the Project 623
Installing the Orchestrator Integration
Toolkit 623
Installation Prerequisites
624
Toolkit Installation 624
Validating Toolkit
Installation 626
Using the Command-Line Activity Wizard
627
Starting Assembly Creation
627
Creating a New Activity
Assembly 628
Adding Activities to the Command-Line Activity
Assembly 630
Testing and Validating the
Assembly 635
Converting Opalis QIK CLI
Assemblies 636
Using the Integration Pack Wizard 637
Creating a New Integration
Pack 638
Updating and Converting Integration
Packs 643
Using the Orchestrator SDK 644
Choosing a Development Approach
645
Start Building an SDK Activity
Project 653
Creating a Custom Resource
File 654
Declarative Approach 659
Using the Imperative Approach
663
Cascading Dependencies
Approach 666
Summary 671
PART IV: APPENDIXES
Appendix A Community Solutions and
Tools 675
Utilities and Scripts 675
Category Switcher 675
End User Portal for System Center
Orchestrator 676
Orchestrator Health Checker
676
Orchestrator Remote Tools
676
Orchestrator Visio and Word
Generator 676
Parse Orchestrator Export
677
Sanitize Export 677
SCO Job Runner 677
SCOrch Launcher 677
System Center Orchestrator Web Service
PowerShell 678
Integration Packs 678
Working with Utilities 678
Working with System Center
680
Working with Other Microsoft
Products 681
Appendix B Reference URLs
683
General Resources 683
Microsoft’s Orchestrator Resources 684
Additional Resources 686
Blogs 688
System Center 2012 Resources 689
Appendix C Available Online
691
PowerShell Scripts for the Operations Manager
IP 691
PowerShell Scripts for the Virtual Machine Manager
IP 691
Scripts for the Data Center Automation
692
Live Links 692
Index 693
Kerrie Meyler, System Center MVP for Cloud and Datacenter
Management, is the lead author of numerous System Center books in
the Unleashed series. This includes System Center Operations
Manager 2007 Unleashed (2008), System Center Configuration Manager
2007 Unleashed (2009), System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2
Unleashed (2010), System Center Opalis Integration Server 6.3
Unleashed (2011), System Center Service Manager 2010 Unleashed
(2011), System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Unleashed (2012),
and System Center 2012 Operations Manager Unleashed (2013). She is
an independent consultant and trainer with more than 15 years of
Information Technology experience. Kerrie has presented on System
Center technologies at TechEd NA and MMS.
Pete Zerger is a consultant, author, speaker, and System Center
Cloud and Datacenter Management MVP focusing on System Center
management, private cloud, and data center automation solutions. He
is a frequent speaker at Microsoft conferences, and writes articles
for a variety of technical magazines including Microsoft TechNet.
Pete is a contributing author for several books, including System
Center Opalis Integration Server 6.3 Unleashed (2011), PowerShell
2.0 Bible (Wiley, 2011), and System Center 2012 Operations Manager
Unleashed (2013). He is also the co-founder of
SystemCenterCentral.com, a popular web community providing
information, news, and support for System Center technologies. In
2008, Pete founded the System Center Virtual User Group, a group
dedicated to sharing System Center knowledge with users
worldwide.
Marcus Oh, System Center Cloud and Datacenter Management MVP, is a
senior technical manager for a large telecommunications provider,
running directory services and management infrastructure for
~30,000 systems. He has been an MVP since 2004 in System Center,
specializing in Configuration Manager, Operations Manager, and
Orchestrator. Marcus has written numerous articles for technology
websites and blogs on Orchestrator and other System Center
components at http://marcusoh.blogspot.com. He coauthored
Professional SMS 2003, MOM 2005, and WSUS (Wrox, 2006), was a
contributing author to System Center Opalis Integration Server 6.3
Unleashed (2011), and coauthored System Center 2012 Configuration
Manager Unleashed (2012). Marcus is also the president of the
Atlanta Systems Management User Group ( http://www.atlsmug.com )
and a board member of the Deskside Management Forum.
Anders Bengtsson is a Microsoft senior premier field engineer
focusing on System Center. He has written a number of System Center
training courses, including the Service Manager 2010 and Operations
Manager 2007 advanced courses for Microsoft Learning. He was a
coauthor for System Center Service Manager 2010 Unleashed (2011).
Before joining Microsoft, Anders was a Microsoft MVP from 2007-2010
for his work in the System Center community, including more than
10,000 posts in news groups and forums. Anders has presented and
worked at numerous Microsoft conferences and events, including MMS
and Microsoft TechEd NA and EMEA.
Kurt Van Hoecke, System Center Cloud and Datacenter Management MVP,
is a managing consultant at Inovativ Belgium. He focuses on the
System Center product suite, including Orchestrator, Service
Manager, and Configuration Manager. Kurt was a contributing author
to System Center Service Manager 2010 Unleashed (2011) and blogs
for System Center User Group Belgium and AuthoringFriday, where he
shares his field experiences and discusses how to extend the
built-in functionality of the System Center components.
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