Editor's note
VMware automation tools can help administrators accomplish tasks in a shorter amount of time and can turn routine chores, such as taking a snapshot of a VM, into something that requires less intervention from IT. Reducing the manual fiddling with the infrastructure also reduces the chances of human error.
In general, automation is something that can benefit a business as administrators build their proficiency with the available tools. While virtualization has made certain aspects of the data center easier to handle, rising infrastructure complexity and growing business demands mean IT professionals need to develop more efficient methods to respond to everyday needs.
Orchestration is a complementary process that manages the interactions between automated tasks. It is becoming increasingly necessary as automation grows and workflows become more complex.
This guide covers the software, techniques and best practices VMware professionals are using in their environments to streamline common processes, speed up workflows and manage intricate policies
1Free and flexible
One VMware automation tool that administrators can add to their arsenal is VMware's vSphere PowerCLI, which can automate vSphere and vCloud management. Administrators can tap into PowerShell cmdlets to execute commands across their environment's virtual inventory.
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How PowerCLI commands can control vCloud and vSphere
VMware's vCloud Suite and other features may limit what admins can do with infrastructure options, but PowerCLI commands can give admins their power back. Read Now
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An introduction to vSphere's free automation tool
Administrators can develop scripts and execute commands to maintain control of their infrastructure with vSphere PowerCLI. Read Now
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Find out which CLI option is right for you
VMware offers three CLI choices -- vSphere CLI, PowerCLI and ESXi Shell -- to run commands in a vSphere environment, but which one is the best fit for you? Read Now
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PowerCLI simplifies infrastructure management
Simplify the management of VMware infrastructure tasks with PowerCLI. Read Now
2One way to automate
VRealize Automation (vRA) -- formerly called vCloud Automation Center -- is a part of VMware's vRealize Suite of hybrid cloud management products. VRA enables the rapid deployment of services across a number of hypervisors and public clouds. Its high extensibility, which helps companies create comprehensive workflows, services and reporting, is a prime feature. VRA gives IT admins the ability to define available services and make them available for users, freeing the admin from manual allocation.
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How do you integrate VMware automation into your data center?
VRA integrates with many different tools and services to provide a high degree of extendibility, which makes it a flexible tool in data centers with third-party systems. Read Now
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What improvements does vRA add?
VRA 7 builds on older versions with new automation tools and streamlined installation. Read Now
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Use blueprints to build a vRA environment
Follow this in-depth guide to establish a basic vRA environment with VM blueprints. Read Now
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How can you protect the vRA appliance?
Back up the vRA appliance with a variety of tactics, including snapshots and replication. Read Now
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Use service catalogs to automate service requests
Bogged down with IT requests? Use vRA to set up self-service portals and to process requests without the stress. Read Now
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Take advantage of vRA's backup and restoration tools
Proper backup and restoration are critical to success with vRA. Be strategic and perform a full backup or restoration, or be specific and target crucial components. Read Now
3Streamline your workflows
VRealize Orchestrator (vRO) is part of vRealize Automation in VMware's vRealize suite of products. Orchestrator comes packaged with Automation and enables the fine-tuned management of automated tasks and services. Whereas Automation is designed for cloud automation tools based on policies to deliver IT services, Orchestrator is designed as a platform for automated workflows that can handle nearly any IT process.
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Coordinate vRA and vRO
VRealize Automation and Orchestrator are similar products, but they handle different needs. Learn the differences between them. Read Now
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How to configure vRO
Curious about the basics of vRO? Use this guide to deploy an out-of-the-box configuration. Read Now
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Automation and orchestration enable improved efficiency
The virtualized data center is getting more complex every day. Use vRO to coordinate complicated workflows and tasks. Read Now
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How to use vRO
Follow along with this tutorial to learn the essential components of vRO and construct some basic workflows. Read Now
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Use vRO to script workflows
Become a vRO expert and learn how to design complex, useful workflows with this tip. Read Now
4Automate security, analysis and networking
VMware automation tools exist in a variety of VMware products beyond the vRealize suite. Admins can take advantage of the automation capabilities in AppDefense to catch problems quickly, Workspace One Intelligence to respond to security and performance data, and NSX to automate networking.
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Catch problems as they arise with AppDefense
AppDefense uses security automation to identify changes to a VM's behavior. Read Now
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Save time and automate IT decisions
Workspace One Intelligence automatically collects and analyzes data from deployed devices, which enables automatic responses to security and performance problems. Read Now
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Automation is among many use cases for NSX
Interested in data center consolidation? NSX offers network automation that integrates with vRealize Automation. Read Now