VMware released vCenter Configuration Manager 5.5 with vCenter Orchestrator integration

Quoting the product page

VMware vCenter Configuration Manager, a key part of the VMware vCenter Operations Management Suite, automates configuration management across virtual, physical and cloud environments. Enterprises can use vCenter Configuration Manager to continuously audit the configurations of VMware Infrastructure (including VMware ESX, ESXi, vCenter, vCloud Director and vShield) as well as Windows, Linux and Unix operating systems. Easily maintain configuration compliance against internal standards, security best practices, vendor hardening guidelines and regulatory mandates.

Now, how does it relate to Orchestration ?

Functionally VCM provides a piece that was missing in the VMware orchestrated products portfolio: the configuration management engine delivering compliance to the physical devices, the hypervisors, the virtual infrastructure, the cloud infrastructure and the guest Operating systems. An important item on the feature page is the following :

vCenter Configuration Manager API coupled with VMware vCenter Orchestrator supports integration with other VMware and 3rd party products

Technically VCM is exposing a REST API. vCenter Orchestrator has a REST plug-in, VCM ships with vCO workflows will be available on the VMware solution exchange market place to automate patching and compliance assessment of vCenter templates, offline and online VMs. It has also a set of specific VCM operation workflows for assessing compliance, operating patches, monitoring operations, running remote commands.

Using the API it is possible to extend these operations to vCloud Director VM patching and software installation. Eventually these will come as an out of the box feature in a future version of the workflows or as part of the workflow library shipping with a dedicated vCM plug-in.

It is a good thing that most of the VMware cloud and management applications are now released with a build in integration with vCenter Orchestrator. This definitely helps to build agile, orchestrated clouds.

For more information check vCenter Configuration Manager product page.