1. Microsoft IT process automation – an unexpected journey
Marcel Zehner | itnetx gmbh
Cloud & Datacenter MVP
@marcelzehner

2. Agenda Why automating? PowerShell System Center Orchestrator
Service Management Automation
Azure Automation

3. Why automating?

4. Automation Goals Optimize time to delivery
Optimize transparency and tracability
Reduce human errors for better consistency
Reduce costs
Afraid automation takes away your job?
Without automation you are not competitive, THIS is critical!
Show your boss you have a solid, automated infrastructure
Be the automation guy

5. PowerShell

6. Overview Scripting language and interactive shell
The thing everything is based on
Never heard of it? Never touched it? Do it TODAY!
No PowerShell = no modern automation solution

7. Cmdlets Lightweight thing that executes something Verb-Noun construct
Get-Process
Set-AzureVM
Start-Service
Can accept parameters
Is delivered in a PowerShell module
Hundrets of cmdlets delivered with Windows Server OOB
Applications also deliver modules
You can create your own modules

8. Functions Re-usable function based on multiple cmdlets
Can accept parameters
«Function» keyword

9. Scripts Sequence of cmdlets and/or functions Saved to .ps1 file
Can be called from PowerShell
Execution Policy must be configured correctly
Restricted, RemoteSigned, Unrestricted etc.
Can be signed

10. Workflows Looks like a script but is NOT a script «Workflow» keyword
Compiled to a Windows Workflow Foundation assembly, then executed
Uses activities, not cmdlets
«Workflow» keyword
Supports parallel and sequencial activities
Supports checkpoints
Supports suspend & resume

11. Desired State Configuration (DSC)
Declarative configuration
All your configurations live in readable text-files (MOF)
Applied over and over again
No configuration drift
2 Modes
Copy MOF file to target nodes and execute
Copy MOF file to a pull server, target nodes query pull server
Expect DSC to be the primary interface for Microsoft products and services in the future

12. DEMO PowerShell

13. System Center Orchestrator

14. Overview Used to be «Opalis», bought by Microsoft
Automate it processes, break up IT silos
Integrates into SCSM for business process
Limitations
32bit architecture
No efficient scaling
PowerShell 2
Not optimized for (really) long-running runbooks
And some more ...

15. Runbooks I Series of activities
Advanced link logics
Databus to publish and consume activity information
Activities delivered in OIPs (integration packs)
Microsoft
Software/solution vendor
3rd party vendors
Community (many!)
Quick Integration Kit (QIK) available for own OIPs

16. Runbooks II Variables RBAC Web Service Web Portal
Store information that can be accessed by runbooks
Runbooks should not contain hardcoded information
Variables cannot be changed during runbook runtime
RBAC
Role-based access to SCORCH ressources
Protect folders, runbooks, variables etc.
Web Service
Web Portal

17. 11/10/2018
Architecture r
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

18. DEMO System Center Orchestrator

19. Service Management Automation

20. Overview Scalable, HA automation platform
Multiple active runbook workers
Many advantages conmpared to SCORCH
64-bit support
Native PowerShell 3+ support with PowerShell modules
PowerShell workflow-based
Schedule runbooks
Delivered with SCORCH source
Web portal delivered by WAP

21. 11/10/2018
Architecture
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

22. Managing Runbooks Browser-based editor
Color-coding
Easily access other runbooks, global assets etc.
Published and draft version of runbook
Check out/edit
Test runbooks

23. Global Assets Central «store» of assets
Connections
Credentials
PowerShell modules
Variables
Schedules
Runbooks can access and change assets during runtime
Use no hardcoded information in runbooks

24. Runbook Nesting Trigger a runbook from another runbook
Option 1: Inline
PAT001-ChildRunbook
Same job (synchronous)
Directly compiled during runtime into the master runbook
Option 2: Start-SMAAutomationRunbook
Different Job (asynchronous)

25. DEMO Service Management Automation

26. 11/10/2018
Azure Automation
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

27. Overview SMA on Microsoft Azure Automation as a Service
Manage all Azure resources
Connect to other systems that can be reached from Azure
Automation as a Service
No need to install anything, it’s just there for you
Pricing
Free  500 minutes job runtime per month
Basic  Unlimited minutes, 0.002$/minute (March )

28. 11/10/2018
Architecture I
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

29. 11/10/2018
Architecture II
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

30. Architecture III Delegation at subscription level
Not at automation account level (today)
No RBAC today
Up to 30 automation accounts per subscription
Can live in different regions
Separate «dev», «int» and «prod»
Avoid suspended runbooks due to «fair use» policy

31. Start Runbooks From Outside Azure
Use Azure PowerShell module
Connect to Azure subscription
Add-AzureAccount
Select-AzureSubscription
Start-AzureAutomationRunbook

32. DEMO Azure Automation

33. Conslusion

34. Conslusion Doing a task more than once? Automate it!
Invest in PowerShell, it’s all about that!
Know your IT process automation options to make the correct decision

35. Coming Soon And/Or vNext
Microsoft goal: «One Automation Solution» for Azure and on premise
Graphical authoring
Create workflows using drag’n’drop
Workflow visualization
Role-based access
Protect runbooks and assets
New Portal for Azure
Service Manager SMA Connector 

37. SCU 2015 Europe August 24-26 Basel-Switzerland 60+ sessions
Top speakers from around the world
Exhibition area
Ask the experts area
Early bird CHF 659, everything included!

38. Microsoft IT process automation – an unexpected journey
Marcel Zehner | itnetx gmbh
Cloud & Datacenter MVP
@marcelzehner