Introduction to Orchestration
Summarize
Summary of Introduction to Orchestration
Orchestration in ServiceNow automates simple or complex multi-system tasks across remote services, servers, applications, and hardware. It enables seamless management of IT and business processes by integrating various management disciplines and infrastructure elements. Orchestration enhances collaboration by offering reusable and versioned workflows and activities, allowing subject matter experts to build reusable components that workflow developers can leverage. It also supports error handling by incorporating human tasks to address issues as they arise, ensuring reliable execution.
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Key Features
- Integration and Automation: Orchestration interacts externally via web services or internally through a MID Server connecting to systems behind corporate firewalls.
- Reusable Activities and Activity Packs: Provides ready-to-use activity packs and an Activity Designer tool for creating custom activities without extensive scripting.
- Scoped Application Support: Enables creation and packaging of activity packs within Scoped Applications for modular deployment.
- Databus: Tracks data flow throughout orchestration activities for better visibility and control.
- Core Applications: Includes Client Software Distribution for automated software delivery (supports SCCM and JAMF), Password Reset for Active Directory and third-party systems, and ROI tracking tools for cost evaluation and automation benefits.
Systems Supported for Automation
Orchestration automates a wide range of systems and tasks, including but not limited to:
- Employee onboarding, user access, server management, managed file transfers, and security operations.
- Integration with external systems exposing SOAP or REST web services.
- Command line accessible systems (e.g., UNIX via SSH, Windows via PowerShell remoting or WMI).
- Proprietary services such as Windows Active Directory, Microsoft Exchange, InfoBlox, and F5 Networks.
- Filesystems accessible by SFTP and databases with JDBC drivers.
Additional activity packs extend capabilities, including those available with Security Operations products.
Orchestration Workflow
The orchestration process begins when an activity triggers a workflow that launches discovery probes and sensors, writing a probe record to the ECC Queue. The workflow pauses while the MID Server executes the probe externally. Once the probe returns results, the workflow resumes and analyzes those results before deciding whether to continue or exit. This structured workflow ensures controlled and dependable automation execution across integrated systems.
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
- Activity packs containing ready-to-use activities.
- Activity Designer, 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.
- A Databus for following the flow of data across orchestration activities.
- Client Software Distribution
- 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
- 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.
- Any system exposing web services (SOAP, REST)
- Any system accessible from the command line (such as a UNIX system accessible through SSH, a Windows system enabled for PowerShell remoting or WMI)
- Numerous proprietary services: Windows
Active Directory, Microsoft Exchange mail servers, InfoBlox, and F5 Networks. Note:For a full list of Activity Pack service offerings, see Orchestration Core Activity Packs.
- Any filesystem accessible by SFTP
- Any database with a compliant JDBC driver
- Additional Activity Packs are also available with other ServiceNow products, such as Security Operations
Orchestration workflow
When an Orchestration activity starts within a workflow, Orchestration launches a Discovery probes and sensors 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.