8.1.2 Provisioning Process Automation
Automating the provisioning process to satisfy consumer requests is a key element in meeting custom expectations and enables the provider to realize OpEx savings. Initially, process automation applies to vApp provisioning, but provisioning of other IT services can also be automated.
Automated vApp provisioning consists of the following:
An
automated vApp provisioning process that handles the entire lifecycle of a vApp.
Automated interaction between the vApp provisioning process and other required processes and associated systems.
The following figure illustrates an example vApp provisioning process that can be fully automated.
Figure 16. Provisioning Workflow
This vApp provisioning process can be fully automated using VMware vCenter Orchestrator™. The vCenter Orchestrator plug-in directly supports automating the following tasks:
Instantiate the vApp.
Validate the vApp configuration.
Deploy the vApp.
Additional vCenter Orchestrator standard protocol plug-ins (email, SOAP, HTTP REST)
and VMware p
artner a
pplication plug-ins provide the mechanisms for automating integration with Change Management and Configuration Management, and with other third-party applications and systems as needed. For information regarding Orchestrator plug-ins,
see http://www.vmware.com/products/datacenter-virtualization/vcenter-orchestrator/plugins.html. OpEx savings are realized by automating what were previously a set of manually executed steps typically driven by work queues. After automating, a process that previously took days or weeks might take only minutes or hours. In addition to OpEx savings, consumer satisfaction increases as their expectation of instant gratification is met.
