Workflows can be started as follows:
By the vCO system service using the vCO scheduler
By the vCO Administrator using the vCenter Orchestrator Client
By an external application using the vCO SOAP Web service API
By an end user using a Web browser:
Using an existing Web portal through a URL
Using the standard vCO Weboperator Web view
Using a custom Web view that you create using the vCO Web toolkit
vCO is installed (but not configured or started) as part of the vCenter server installation (since vCenter 4.0). It is also available available as a separate download for Lifecycle Manager (LCM) customers.
It is licensed with vCenter. Technically it requires you to have a valid vCenter license key. Depending on the vCenter License Edition, vCO will run in Player mode allowing you to run but not edit workflows, or in Server mode, allowing you to run and edit workflows. vCO runs in Player mode with the vCenter Essential and vCenter Foundation licenses, and runs in Server mode with the Standard and higher licenses.
vCO is not sold as a standalone product, it is part of vCenter. If you have purchased vCenter you are entitled to use vCO.
vCO is specialized in vCenter, giving you 100% control of the vCenter API.
Not really. vCO has been around for several years and has been re-branded a few times. It has been known as:
VMware vRealize Orchestrator (vRO) - a component of the vRealize Suite
VMware vCO - a component of vCenter that has been available since VMware vCenter 4 (released March, 30 2009)
VMO - VMware Orchestrator. (until version 3.2). VMO was underlying platform of VMware Lifecycle Manager (released March, 30 2008)
Dunes VS-O - Virtual Service Orchestrator (until version 3.
They do a combination of the following:
The run some of the library high level workflows.
Automate vCenter tasks, such as chaining repetitive operations in workflows. For example, automating the VM provisioning process.
Integrate VMware operations with their databases, change management and ticketing systems.
Create high-level workflows that involve different approvals and operations from different teams.
Provision the virtual infrastructure. For example adding hosts, creating and configuring clusters and resource pools.
vCO allows you to design and run IT process automation workflows. For example, you can run high-level process workflows, such as a complex provisioning process that includes several technical sub-workflows, such as a workflow to clone a vCenter virtual machine.
Some basic ideas include:
Get all VMs for a specified Folder/ResourcePool/Datacenter and then:
Cleanup all the old snapshots
Disconnect all removable media
Migrate VM Templates from host that is going to be put into Maintenance mode
The possibilities are endless.
vCenter Orchestrator.
vCO provides an orchestration platform that runs on top of scripted operations (vCO actions) and programs (vCO plug-ins). This platform provides the following facilities:
A stateless workflow engine server. All the process flows and data flows are stored in a database.
Centralization. No scripts scattered across all the orchestrated entities.
Checkpointing. The ability to resume a workflow from the point at which it stopped in case of system maintenance or failure.
