--- sourceDocument: Australia Workflow Data Fabric sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/integrate-applications Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia Workflow Data Fabric ft:clusterId : - crint bundleId : - crint workflow : - Creator --- # Introduction to Orchestration # Introduction to Orchestration {#ariaid-title1} * Release version: Australia * * Updated March 12, 2026 * * ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Introduction to Orchestration Orchestration in ServiceNow automates both simple and complex multi-system tasks across remote services, servers, applications, and hardware. It enables management across various disciplines and infrastructures, providing a fast, reliable system for IT and business process automation. Orchestration fosters collaboration by supporting reusable workflows and activities with versioning, allowing subject matter experts to create reusable components that workflow developers can easily integrate and update. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Integration Capabilities:** Orchestration can interact directly with external web services or on-premise systems via MID Server, supporting systems behind corporate firewalls. * **Reusable Activity Packs:** Comes with ready-to-use activities and allows developers to create custom activities using the Activity Designer without heavy scripting. * **Scoped Applications:** Enables creation and packaging of activity packs for modular deployment. * **Databus:** Tracks data flow across orchestration activities, enhancing visibility and management. * **Core Applications:** Includes Client Software Distribution for automated software delivery, Password Reset for Active Directory and third-party integrations, and ROI tracking for task cost evaluation and automation benefits. ## Systems Supported Orchestration can automate tasks for a broad range of systems including: * Any system exposing SOAP or REST web services. * Systems accessible via command line, such as UNIX (SSH) or Windows (PowerShell remoting, WMI). * Proprietary systems like Windows Active Directory, Microsoft Exchange, InfoBlox, and F5 Networks. * File systems accessible by SFTP and databases with JDBC drivers. Additional activity packs are available, including integrations with other ServiceNow products like Security Operations. ## Orchestration Workflow When an orchestration activity initiates, it triggers Discovery probes and sensors, logging probe records in the ECC Queue. The workflow pauses as the MID Server executes the probe. Upon receiving probe results, the workflow resumes, allowing conditional continuation or exit based on the analysis. ## Benefits for ServiceNow Customers * Accelerates IT and business process automation by enabling cross-system orchestration. * Improves collaboration with reusable components and clear change impact visibility. * Supports secure integrations both inside and outside corporate firewalls. * Streamlines common processes like employee onboarding, user access management, software distribution, and password resets. * Provides tools to measure automation ROI, helping justify and optimize orchestration investments. Orchestration automates simple or complex multi-system tasks on remote services, servers, applications, and hardware. An Orchestration process can cross all management disciplines and interact with hosted services and all types of infrastructure elements. These capabilities provide a powerful system for managing IT and Business processes quickly and reliably. Orchestrated solutions aide collaboration among teams by providing reusable data and versioning for both the workflows and the activities within them. Subject matter experts can create activities that are reusable to numerous workflow developers. When an activity requires a change, developers can see the downstream implication of the change immediately by knowing which workflows use the activity. Well-designed orchestrations never fail and apply human tasks to address errors as they arise. ## Orchestration tools Orchestration can make calls outside of a ServiceNow instance, directly to web services or through a MID Server to systems within corporate firewall. Orchestration also enables the creation reusable activities that wrapper Java Script functions for manipulating things inside the platform. Orchestration extends the by providing these features: * [Activity packs](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/~6n9SbbP4RVYnNeqvFvrhg "The base Orchestration system includes packs of custom activities you can use to automate typical IT and business processes in your network.") containing ready-to-use activities. * [Activity Designer](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/KWg1SVCrMgHW_WsampDRww "The Orchestration activity designer enables a user with either the workflow_admin or activity_creator and workflow_creator roles to construct reusable activities that suit an organization's business needs."), which enables developers to create custom activities without an over dependence to create scripts to orchestrate to third-party systems. * Ability to create activity packs using [Scoped Applications](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/3Y3_X6KC6i_lz8iAFcvPtw "Custom activities run in their own scope, even if it is different from that of the workflow."). * A [Databus](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/3HPq5B4HNUsPByqI4WutHg#t_ReuseDataInTheActivityDesigner "The Data tab in the Workflow Editor lists all custom activities used in the current workflow that produce data and displays that data for reuse in other custom activities.") for following the flow of data across orchestration activities. {#r-orchestration-introduction__ul_jhv_r4x_wt} Orchestration Core provides entitlements to use specific applications: [Client Software Distribution](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/poxkydhSJBCcyCzFtS9nMg "The Client Software Distribution (CSD) application allows administrators to distribute software from the service catalog using third-party management systems.") : An application that automates software delivery from the Service Catalog. Provides OOB support for SCCM. Partner solutions support Macs using JAMF. Other third-party solutions provide support through the extension framework. Configuring Password Reset : An application for users to reset their password in Active Directory. It can expand to communicate with other third-party systems. [Orchestration ROI](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/m~zylYd41RGcSFmCg5MKxw "The Orchestration ROI application allows you to estimate and compute cost savings for tasks in your system that could be automated with Orchestration.") : Enables users to evaluate estimated costs and actual costs for tasks, automate these tasks, and track the ROI of these tasks. ## Systems that Orchestration can automate Orchestration can automate tasks such as employee onboarding, user access rights, server management, managed file transfers, and Security Operations Orchestration activities . For example, you might use the Active Directory and Exchange activities provided in the base Orchestration system to set up network accounts and mailboxes for new employees. If Orchestration does not provide the activities you need for an integration, create the necessary activities using the templates in the [Orchestration Activity Designer](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/KWg1SVCrMgHW_WsampDRww "The Orchestration activity designer enables a user with either the workflow_admin or activity_creator and workflow_creator roles to construct reusable activities that suit an organization's business needs."). The external systems that Orchestration can automate for: * Any system exposing web services (SOAP, [REST](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/NrtgaXh8V6p9cylmx2Xz7w#t_CreateARESTWebServiceActivity "Use this procedure to create a custom REST web service Orchestration activity.")) * Any system accessible from the command line (such as a UNIX system accessible through [SSH](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/QleVOpMbNzEiflwWM4Tk4g#t_CreateAnSSHActivity "Create an activity that extracts data from a target host that uses the SSH network protocol."), a Windows system enabled for [PowerShell](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Ru2q5Z3gp48jiaR9y_LFvA#t_CreateAPowershellActivity "Create a custom PowerShell activity return data to a workflow from a host using Microsoft PowerShell.") remoting or WMI) * Numerous proprietary services: Windows Active Directory, Microsoft [Exchange](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/UHba7jCSZaKvv4xVzHj7IA "The Exchange activity pack allows workflows to manage Microsoft Exchange mail systems.") mail servers, [InfoBlox](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/jbPMnUxASLNEixBUfro5rA "This activity pack supports Infoblox DDI management through ServiceNow Orchestration."), and [F5 Networks](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/6gh~pbHx_ztqKbv0FMrN1Q "Orchestration provides custom activities for configuring elements of an F5 load balancer, including pools, pool members, and the virtual servers contained in the pool."). Note: For a full list of Activity Pack service offerings, see [Orchestration Core Activity Packs](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/~6n9SbbP4RVYnNeqvFvrhg "The base Orchestration system includes packs of custom activities you can use to automate typical IT and business processes in your network."). * Any filesystem accessible by [SFTP](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/bEeKq~pCNn4h6zItwDoZyQ#t_CreateAnSFTPActivity "Create an activity that executes basic SFTP commands on a remote server.") * Any database with a compliant [JDBC](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/RboozvsA1gQSGN6Y7slNpg#t_CreateAJDBCActivity "Create a custom JDBC activity to automate SQL commands and stored procedure calls to relational databases from workflow.") driver * Additional Activity Packs are also available with other ServiceNow products, such as Security Operations {#r-orchestration-introduction__ul_vpl_qjr_dx} Figure 1. Orchestration capabilities ## Orchestration workflow When an Orchestration activity starts within a workflow, Orchestration launches a [Discovery probes and sensors](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=c_DiscoveryProbesAndSensors&version=australia&pubname=australia-it-operations-management&ft:locale=en-US) and writes a probe record to the ECC Queue. The workflow pauses as the MID Server picks up the request and executes the probe. When the probe reports back, the workflow resumes as the results are analyzed. The workflow can exit or continue at this point. Figure 2. Orchestration workflow