Novell®
www.novell.com
Getting Started Reference
PlateSpin® Orchestrate
novdocx (en) 13 May 2009
AUTHORIZED DOCUMENTATION
2.0.2
June 17, 2009
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Getting Started Reference
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novdocx (en) 13 May 2009
4 PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Getting Started Reference
Contents
About This Guide 7
1Overview 9
1.1 Product Rebranding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.2 Introduction to PlateSpin Orchestrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.2.1 What Is PlateSpin Orchestrate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.2.2 How Do I Obtain and License PlateSpin Orchestrate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.3 PlateSpin Orchestrate Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.3.1 PlateSpin Orchestrate Installation and Configuration Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.3.2 PlateSpin Orchestrate Upgrade Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.3.3 PlateSpin Orchestrate VM Client Guide and Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.3.4 PlateSpin Orchestrate Virtual Machine Management Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.3.5 PlateSpin Orchestrate Development Client Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.3.6 PlateSpin Orchestrate Administration Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.3.7 PlateSpin Orchestrate High Availability Configuration Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.3.8 PlateSpin Orchestrate Command Line Reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.3.9 PlateSpin Orchestrate Server Portal Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.3.10 PlateSpin Orchestrate Job Developer Guide and Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
novdocx (en) 13 May 2009
2 Understanding Basic Functionality 15
2.1 Basic PlateSpin Orchestrate Server, VM Client, and Development Client Terms and
Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.1.1 The Grid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.1.2 Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.1.3 Resources Running the PlateSpin Orchestrate Agent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.1.4 Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.1.5 Typical Use of the Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.2 System Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.3 How Do I Interact with PlateSpin Orchestrate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.4 How PlateSpin Orchestrate Components Communicate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
A Documentation Updates 23
A.1 June 17, 2009 (2.0.2 Release). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Contents 5
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6 PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Getting Started Reference
About This Guide
This Getting Started Reference provides a basic introduction to PlateSpin® Orchestrate 2.0 from
®
Novell
Audience
The contents of this guide are of interest to the following individuals:
VM Administrator: A PlateSpin Orchestrate virtual machine (VM) Administrator manages the life
cycle of the VMs in the enterprise, including creating, starting, stopping, migrating, and deleting
VMs. For more information about the Orchestrate VM Client tasks and tools used by the VM
Administrator, see the PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 VM Client Guide and Reference. For more
information about the Orchestrate Development Client tasks and tools used by the VM
Administrator, see the PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Virtual Machine Management Guide.
components and what’s new in the product since its last release.
Chapter 1, “Overview,” on page 9
Chapter 2, “Understanding Basic Functionality,” on page 15
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Orchestrate Administrator: A PlateSpin Orchestrate Administrator deploys jobs, manages users,
and monitors distributed computing resources. Administrators can also create and set policies for
automating the usage of these computing resources. For more information about the Development
Client tasks and tools used by the Orchestrate Administrator, see the PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0
Administrator Reference.
User: The end user of PlateSpin Orchestrate, also called a “Job Manager,” runs and manages jobs
that have been created by a Job Developer and deployed by the administrator. It is also possible that
the end user could be a developer who has created applications to run on distributed computing
resources. For more information about the tasks and tools used by the Job Manager, see the
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Server Portal Reference.
Job Developer: The developer has control of a self-contained development system where he or she
creates jobs and policies and tests them in a laboratory environment. When the jobs are tested and
proven to function as intended, the developer delivers them to the PlateSpin Orchestrate
administrator. For more information about the tasks and tools used by the Job Developer, see the
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Developer Guide and Reference.
Prerequisite Skills
As data center managers or IT or operations administrators, it is assumed that users of the product
have the following background:
General understanding of network operating environments and systems architecture.
Knowledge of basic UNIX* shell commands and text editors.
About This Guide 7
Feedback
We want to hear your comments and suggestions about this manual and the other documentation
included with this product. Please use the User Comments feature at the bottom of each page of the
online documentation, or go to www.novell.com/documentation/feedback.html (http://
www.novell.com/documentation/feedback.html) and enter your comments there.
Additional Product Documentation
In addition to this Getting Started Reference, PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 includes the following
additional guides that contain valuable information about the product:
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Installation and Configuration Guide
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Upgrade Guide
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 VM Client Guide and Reference
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Development Client Reference
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Virtual Machine Management Guide
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Administrator Reference
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 High Availability Configuration Guide
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Command Line Reference
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PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Developer Guide and Reference
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Server Portal Reference
Documentation Updates
This Getting Started Reference is updated periodically. To view the most recent version, visit the
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Web site (http://www.novell.com/documentation/pso_orchestrate20/) and
look for the documentation updates section included at the end of the book.
Documentation Conventions
In Novell documentation, a greater-than symbol (>) is used to separate actions within a step and
items in a cross-reference path.
®
A trademark symbol (
, TM, etc.) denotes a Novell trademark. An asterisk (*) denotes a third-party
trademark.
When a single pathname can be written with a backslash for some platforms or a forward slash for
other platforms, the pathname is presented with a backslash. Users of platforms that require a
forward slash, such as Linux* or UNIX, should use forward slashes as required by your software.
8 PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Getting Started Reference
1
Overview
Welcome to PlateSpin® Orchestrate 2.0 from Novell®. This section of the Getting Started Guide
includes the general information you need to become acquainted with the product.
Section 1.1, “Product Rebranding,” on page 9
Section 1.2, “Introduction to PlateSpin Orchestrate,” on page 10
Section 1.3, “PlateSpin Orchestrate Documentation,” on page 12
1.1 Product Rebranding
ZENworks® Orchestrator has been repositioned under the Novell PlateSpin brand of Data Center
Management products. PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 is an upgrade for ZENworks Orchestrator 1.3.
The table below maps the older ZENworks brand component naming to the newer PlateSpin brand
component naming.
novdocx (en) 13 May 2009
1
Table 1-1 Comparing 1.3 Brand Naming to 2.0 Brand Naming
Version 1.3 Names and Terms Version 2.0 Names and Terms
Novell ZENworks Orchestrator 1.3 PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 from Novell
Orchestrator Server Orchestrate Server
Orchestrator Agent Orchestrate Agent
Orchestrator Console Orchestrate Development Client
Virtual Machine Management Interface or VM GUI Orchestrate VM Client
Orchestrator User Portal Orchestrate Server Portal
Orchestrator VM Builder Orchestrate VM Builder
Orchestrator Monitoring Server Orchestrate Monitoring Service
NOTE: The VM Warehouse component of ZENworks Orchestrator 1.3 is not included in PlateSpin
Orchestrate 2.0.
Some aspects of ZENworks branding have not been fully transitioned to the PlateSpin name. For
example, there is some residual naming apparent in file names, file paths, command line tools, and
other parts of the product without high visibility. This naming residue should not interfere with your
use of the product.
Overview
9
1.2 Introduction to PlateSpin Orchestrate
The following sections contain information to help introduce you to PlateSpin Orchestrate:
Section 1.2.1, “What Is PlateSpin Orchestrate?,” on page 10
Section 1.2.2, “How Do I Obtain and License PlateSpin Orchestrate?,” on page 12
1.2.1 What Is PlateSpin Orchestrate?
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 uses its functional components to:
Perform high-performance task breakdown across multiple machines (resources) in a data
center
Provide distributed, CRON-style job scheduling
Provide a messaging system between the PlateSpin Orchestrate Server and the managed
machines
The PlateSpin Orchestrate system consists of a central server (the Orchestrate Server), agents
capable of executing work on each managed resource, and an optional client application (the
PlateSpin Orchestrate Development Client) that can be used to drive and monitor the PlateSpin
Orchestrate system. Work is described to the system in the form of a “job.” A job is written in an
embedded Python* script and deployed to and managed by the server. When a job is run, constraintbased placement (a kind of rules engine) directs the work to suitable and available resources. The
job might partially execute on the managed systems and can further execute any process as the
desired user on the managed system.
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The Orchestrate VM Client adds increased functionality to PlateSpin Orchestrate.This client helps
administrators, IT operators, and job developers improve and expand the performance of the data
center by automating provisioning and by using Virtual Machines (VMs) as resources in the data
center computing environment. Better managed VMs can help control associated data center costs
by addressing several data center issues, including cooling, space, power usage, and efficient
hardware usage. For more information about the VM Client, see the PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 VM
Client Guide and Reference.
Key Product Features
PlateSpin Orchestrate includes these core features:
Creation and management of virtual environments
Powerful automation and scheduling engine
Support for most commonly used hypervisors
Open API promotes extensibility
New in The 2.0.2 Release
Some of the new features in PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0.x include:
Provisioning Adapters
VMware* Virtual Center
Usability improvements for connecting to Virtual Center
10 PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Getting Started Reference
Xen
Improved automatic configuration of SLES VM hosts
VM management UI (PlateSpin Orchestrate VM Client)
New UI themes
Improved list navigation through a “locator pop-up” and a filter field
Improved tooltips related to VM life cycle operations
Visibility into history of VM life cycle operations
Improved event logging (content and format)
Improved VM remote connection setup
Optional manual VM placement in addition to default automated placement
Improved VM remote connection setup
Support for PXE-based installation of virtual machines
PlateSpin Orchestrate Server
Audit database now includes support for historical tracking of VM life cycle operations
New events based on RRD-based averaging of monitored metrics
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New platform support
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0.2 agents are supported on SLES 11 (32-bit and 64-bit)
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0.2 VM Client and Development Client are supported on SLED
11 (32-bit and 64-bit)
PlateSpin Orchestrate can manage the life cycle of SLES 11 virtual machines (32-bit and
64-bit)
Metrics gathering form 32-bit and 64-bit Windows virtual machines (disk I/O, network I/
O, CPU, and RAM)
New in The 2.0.1 Release
Some of the new features in PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0.x include:
New Provisioning Adapters
VMware* ESX
No requirement for customers to run VMware Virtual Center (VMware ESXi
requires Virtual Center)
VMware ESX management is more powerful
Microsoft* Windows* Server 2008 with the Hyper-V role enabled
Easy to use new VM management GUI (VM Client)
Exposes only VM-related operations (that is, VM creation and management)
Incorporates many of the VM functions that were previously done in the ZENworks
Orchestrator Console 1.3
Authentication using LDAP
Active Directory* support (in addition to “generic” LDAP)
Administrator privilege based on LDAP group membership
Overview 11
Enhanced monitoring for disk and net I/O, CPU, and RAM
Monitoring of physical and virtual resources
Event triggering facility
Events can start jobs or alert existing jobs
Integration of N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) for the XEN 30 hypervisor on SUSE
®
Linux
Enterprise Server (SLES) 10 SP2
VMs use virtual worldwide port numbers on the SAN
SAN zoning/LUN masking can be done through this port number
VMs can migrate freely without losing access to zoned storage
Support for Orchestrate Agent installed on SLES 10 SP2 and Windows Server* 2008 (32-bit
and 64-bit)
Support for installation inside virtual machines
Initially one (Xen* virtual machine)
1.2.2 How Do I Obtain and License PlateSpin Orchestrate?
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To download the product for evaluation or purchase, contact an authorized Novell Sales
representative or a Certified Novell Partner.
You can evaluate the product before purchase by downloading a trial key, which controls the number
of users and managed nodes you can configure. The trial key also sets an expiration date. The trial
key is available on the product download site.
For fully supported functionality, PlateSpin Orchestrate requires a purchased license key. Contact
your Novell Sales Representative or a Certified Novell Partner for purchase information.
Upgrading the Server from a Trial License to a Purchased License
If you are operating PlateSpin Orchestrate with a trial license key, use the following steps to upgrade
to a license key you purchased from Novell:
1 Stop the PlateSpin Orchestrate Server.
2 Copy the purchased license file (
license
directory, overwriting the old license key.
key.txt
) to the
/opt/novell/zenworks/zos/server/
3 Restart the Orchestrate Server.
1.3 PlateSpin Orchestrate Documentation
Before developing, deploying, and managing the PlateSpin Orchestrate jobs explained in this
document, you should have a thorough understanding of how to deploy and manage all product
components. These administrative tasks are explained in the following documents in both PDF and
HTML formats:
Section 1.3.1, “PlateSpin Orchestrate Installation and Configuration Guide,” on page 13
Section 1.3.2, “PlateSpin Orchestrate Upgrade Guide,” on page 13
Section 1.3.3, “PlateSpin Orchestrate VM Client Guide and Reference,” on page 13
Section 1.3.4, “PlateSpin Orchestrate Virtual Machine Management Guide,” on page 13
12 PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Getting Started Reference
Section 1.3.5, “PlateSpin Orchestrate Development Client Reference,” on page 13
Section 1.3.6, “PlateSpin Orchestrate Administration Guide,” on page 14
Section 1.3.7, “PlateSpin Orchestrate High Availability Configuration Guide,” on page 14
Section 1.3.8, “PlateSpin Orchestrate Command Line Reference,” on page 14
Section 1.3.9, “PlateSpin Orchestrate Server Portal Reference,” on page 14
Section 1.3.10, “PlateSpin Orchestrate Job Developer Guide and Reference,” on page 14
1.3.1 PlateSpin Orchestrate Installation and Configuration Guide
The PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Installation and Configuration Guide introduces the fundamentals of
PlateSpin Orchestrate. It includes a walkthrough of the basic product installation and configuration.
The following content is included:
Planning the installation
Installation and configuration steps
Trial use of the basic product
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1.3.2 PlateSpin Orchestrate Upgrade Guide
The PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Upgrade Guide provides details about the process of upgrading
ZENworks Orchestrator 1.3 to PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0. The guide provides an introductory
overview of the requirements for upgrading and explains which components are compatible.
1.3.3 PlateSpin Orchestrate VM Client Guide and Reference
The PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 VM Client Guide and Reference provides in-depth information on the
PlateSpin Orchestrate VM Client management interface, which is built on an Eclipse-based rich
client platform. VM Client uses a graphical user interface (GUI) to help you create, store, edit, and
use VMs. This interface can be installed on both Windows and Linux administration devices.
1.3.4 PlateSpin Orchestrate Virtual Machine Management Guide
In addition to managing virtual machines (VMs) and host servers using the PlateSpin Orchestrate
VM Client, you can do other management work using the PlateSpin Orchestrate Development
Client. The PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Virtual Machine Management Guide provides instructions on
the management tasks that you can do in the Development Client.
1.3.5 PlateSpin Orchestrate Development Client Reference
The PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Server Portal Reference provides in-depth information on the
PlateSpin Orchestrate Development Client, which is a thick-client browser console.
Overview 13
1.3.6 PlateSpin Orchestrate Administration Guide
The PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Administrator Reference provides in-depth information on the
PlateSpin Orchestrate Console, which is a thin-client browser console, and the PlateSpin Orchestrate
user grid command line management and deployment tool. It is anticipated that developers will
typically develop jobs using the zos command line tool, while higher level system administrators
will use the ZENworks GUI-based interfaces to submit, deploy and run jobs and manage network
resources.
1.3.7 PlateSpin Orchestrate High Availability Configuration Guide
Provides information for installing and configuring PlateSpin Orchestrate in a high availability
environment. The guide provides information about the components and configuration steps
necessary for preparing this environment, including instructions for configuring the PlateSpin
Orchestrate Server in a cluster. The guide also provides some information regarding the behaviors
you can expect from PlateSpin Orchestrate in various failover scenarios.
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1.3.8 PlateSpin Orchestrate Command Line Reference
The PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Command Line Reference provides in-depth information on
zosadmin, which is the PlateSpin Orchestrate administrator grid command-line management and
deployment tool, and on zos, which is the PlateSpin Orchestrate job manager command-line
management and deployment tool.
1.3.9 PlateSpin Orchestrate Server Portal Reference
The PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Server Portal Reference provides basic information on how to deploy
and manage specific, basic jobs on the PlateSpin Orchestrate Server by using the resources available
in the data center. Job managers typically have limited rights and responsibilities and are not
expected to know the intricacies of PlateSpin Orchestrate or to understand how to create the jobs
themselves. Instead, they deploy and manage jobs through a thin-client interface called the
PlateSpin Orchestrate Server Portal.
1.3.10 PlateSpin Orchestrate Job Developer Guide and Reference
The PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Developer Guide and Reference explains the PlateSpin Orchestrate
SDK operation and job construction.
14 PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Getting Started Reference
2
Understanding Basic Functionality
novdocx (en) 13 May 2009
2
This section provides further information about some important administrator tasks that use the
Development Client in PlateSpin
further after you have successfully deployed and run your first job.
The section includes the following information:
Section 2.1, “Basic PlateSpin Orchestrate Server, VM Client, and Development Client Terms
and Concepts,” on page 15
Section 2.2, “System Architecture,” on page 16
Section 2.3, “How Do I Interact with PlateSpin Orchestrate?,” on page 18
Section 2.4, “How PlateSpin Orchestrate Components Communicate,” on page 20
®
Orchestrate 2.0 from Novell®. You can investigate these tasks
2.1 Basic PlateSpin Orchestrate Server, VM Client, and Development Client Terms and Concepts
This section includes the following information:
Section 2.1.1, “The Grid,” on page 15
Section 2.1.2, “Users,” on page 15
Section 2.1.3, “Resources Running the PlateSpin Orchestrate Agent,” on page 16
Section 2.1.4, “Jobs,” on page 16
Section 2.1.5, “Typical Use of the Grid,” on page 16
2.1.1 The Grid
When you configure the PlateSpin Orchestrate Server and its agents, you create an entity called a
compute grid. This grid consists of the objects in your network or data center that PlateSpin
Orchestrate is responsible for monitoring and managing, including Users, Resources, and Jobs.
2.1.2 Users
For PlateSpin Orchestrate, a user is an individual who authenticates to the Orchestrate Server for the
purpose of managing (that is, running, monitoring, canceling, pausing, stopping, or starting) a
deployed job, or a user who authenticates through the Orchestrate VM Client to manage virtual
machines. The PlateSpin Orchestrate administrator can use the Orchestrate Development Client to
identify users who are running jobs and to monitor the jobs that are currently running or that have
run during the current server session.
Understanding Basic Functionality
15
2.1.3 Resources Running the PlateSpin Orchestrate Agent
For PlateSpin Orchestrate, a resource is a computing node somewhere in your network (that is, your
grid or data center network), which has a PlateSpin Orchestrate Agent installed on it. When the
Orchestrate Agent is installed on a resource, communication between the agent and the PlateSpin
Orchestrate Server is established and the computing resource can be discovered and can begin
performing jobs that are assigned to it by the Orchestrate Server.
2.1.4 Jobs
For PlateSpin Orchestrate, a job is remotely executable logic that can run on some or all of the
resources in the Orchestrate grid. Job logic is written in Python, and can include instructions and
policies that dictate how, when, and where that job runs. In addition, the job can embed instructions
that dictate processes or applications that the resource needs to launch.
A Job Developer uses Python in a prepackaged Job Definition Language (JDL) editor to create or
modify a job. When the job is ready, the administrator of the PlateSpin Orchestrate system uses the
Orchestrate Server functionality to deploy it and to allocate appropriate resources to run it, based on
its parameters and associated policies.
novdocx (en) 13 May 2009
2.1.5 Typical Use of the Grid
In general, the everyday use of the grid and its components follows this sequence:
1. Jobs are created using JDL. A job might also optionally reference one or more policies (defined
in XML).
2. The Orchestrate Server is started. It discovers all the available computing resources.
3. The administrator logs in to the Orchestrate Server and deploys jobs that users can run. The
administrator might also create user logins.
4. Users log in to the Orchestrate Server run jobs.
5. When a user selects a job to run, he or she runs the job based on selected options; for example,
he or she might select when to run the job, how many computing resources the job should run
on, the type of computing resources to be used, and so on.
6. Users monitor and control their own jobs by using certain functions, such as canceling a job,
pausing a job, or even changing the priority of a job if they have rights to do so.
7. Administrators can monitor and control all of the running jobs. They can dynamically change
how a job runs, they can change job priorities, and so on.
8. Steps 5, 6, and 7 can be repeated as long as the Orchestrate Server is running.
2.2 System Architecture
PlateSpin Orchestrate is built as an enterprise server with capabilities to support extremely large
computing environments. It includes all the services required to provide an enhanced grid
computing application server environment.
A simple view of the PlateSpin Orchestrate system architecture is shown below, showing the
PlateSpin Orchestrate software components:
16 PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Getting Started Reference
Figure 2-1 PlateSpin Orchestrate Software Architecture
PlateSpin Orchestrate
Agent
PlateSpin Orchestrate
Agent
PlateSpin Orchestrate
Agent
PlateSpin Orchestrate
Agent
PlateSpin Orchestrate
Agent
PlateSpin Orchestrate
Agent
PlateSpin Orchestrate
Server
PlateSpin Orchestrate
Development Client
PlateSpin Orchestrate
VM Client
novdocx (en) 13 May 2009
The PlateSpin Orchestrate Server
The PlateSpin Orchestrate Server is the gateway between enterprise applications and resource
servers. The server has two primary functions:
To manage the resource servers
To manage jobs to run on the computing resource
In the first function, the server manages the computing resources by collecting, maintaining, and
updating their status availability, service cost, and other facts. Changes to the computing resources
can be made by the administrator.
The second function of the server is to run remote applications—called jobs—on the computing
resources. The Orchestrate Server uses a policy-based broker and scheduler to decide when and how
a job should run on the computing resources. The decisions are based on many controlled factors,
including the number of computing resources, their cost, and a variety of other factors as specified
by the policy constraints set up by the server administrator. The Orchestrate Server runs the job and
provides all the job’s output responses back to the user. The server provides failover capabilities to
allow jobs to continue if computing resources and network conditions degrade.
The PlateSpin Orchestrate Agent
The PlateSpin Orchestrate Agent is installed on all computing resources that are to be managed. It
runs jobs under the management of the Orchestrate Server.
Understanding Basic Functionality 17
The PlateSpin Orchestrate Development Client and Other Client Tools
The PlateSpin Orchestrate Clients let a computing resource administrator troubleshoot, initiate,
change, or shut down server functions for PlateSpin Orchestrate and its computing resources. The
clients also monitor all managed computing resource job activity and provide facilities to manage
application jobs. When you install the Clients on a computing resource, you are installing the
following tools:
zos command line interface
zosadmin command line interface
PlateSpin Orchestrate Development Client
Java* SDK (toolkit)
NOTE: The PlateSpin Orchestrate VM Client is installed separately.
The PlateSpin Orchestrate Development Client is a graphical user interface running on Java. It
provides a way for the PlateSpin Orchestrate administrator to troubleshoot and to initiate, change, or
shut down the functioning of the Orchestrate Server and its resources. It also functions as a monitor
of all PlateSpin Orchestrate job activity, and it provides an interface for managing PlateSpin
Orchestrate jobs. For more information about the Orchestrate Development Client, see the PlateSpin
Orchestrate 2.0 Development Client Reference.
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For more information about the client tools, see Section 2.3, “How Do I Interact with PlateSpin
Orchestrate?,” on page 18. For more information about the toolkit, see “Using the PlateSpin
Orchestrate Client SDK” in the PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Developer Guide and Reference.
The PlateSpin Orchestrate VM Client
PlateSpin Orchestrate VM Client is a user interface for managing the life cycle of the virtual
machines (VMs) in your enterprise, including creating, starting, stopping, migrating, and deleting
VMs. For information about installing the Orchestrate VM Client, see “Installing the Orchestrate
VM Client” in the PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Installation and Configuration Guide.
The PlateSpin Orchestrate Server Portal
The PlateSpin Orchestrate Server Portal is a web-based user interface for managing jobs. It provides
end users with the ability to start and monitor jobs on managed computing resources. For more
information about the Server Portal, see “Using the PlateSpin Orchestrate Server Portal” in the
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Server Portal Reference.
2.3 How Do I Interact with PlateSpin Orchestrate?
Administrators and users perform their activities by using their own graphical tool or command line
interface tools. In general, the same functions are available in either the graphical or the command
line tools. The toolset is summarized in the chart below.
18 PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Getting Started Reference
Table 2-1 Summary of the PlateSpin Orchestrate Toolset
Role Tool Type Description Common Function
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Administrator Graphical
Interface
Command
Line
Interface
Graphical
Interface
The PlateSpin Orchestrate Development
Client
Sample command line for help:
zosadmin command --help
Stops or starts the
Orchestrate Server(s)
Deploys jobs.
Manages Group and
Policy associations.
Monitors jobs.
Helps troubleshoot jobs/
policies.
Monitors computing
resource usage.
Creates and manages
user accounts.
The PlateSpin Orchestrate VM Client Discovers host servers
in the Orchestrate grid
Discovers existing VMs
Creates, edits, installs,
and deletes VMs
Manages VM
repositories
Stops, starts, pauses, or
suspends VMs
Migrates or moves VMs
Installs the Orchestrate
Agent on VMs
Creates and clones VM
templates
Provides group
management of VMs,
host servers, storage
locations, and templates
Resyncs state of VMs
and hosts with
Orchestrate Server
Provides access to VM
and Host consoles
Shows details of VM and
host configurations
Provides error log and
progress views
Understanding Basic Functionality 19
Role Tool Type Description Common Function
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User Graphical
Interface
Command
Line
Interface
The Orchestrate Server Portal Displays deployed jobs.
Displays available
Sample command line for help:
zos command --help
computing resources.
Runs jobs.
Monitors running jobs.
Manages the user’s own
jobs. That is, a user can
cancel, pause, restart,
and change job priority.
Other functions can also be performed by using either the graphical or command line tools. The
sections that follow show examples of performing these functions from either interface, when
applicable.
To help you understand how these tools can be used, you can find more information in the following
sections:
The PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 VM Client Guide and Reference
The PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Development Client Reference
“The zosadmin Command Line Tool” and “The zos Command Line Tool” in the PlateSpin
Orchestrate 2.0 Command Line Reference.
“Using the PlateSpin Orchestrate Server Portal” in the PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Server Portal
Reference.
2.4 How PlateSpin Orchestrate Components Communicate
The following diagram illustrates how the various components of PlateSpin Orchestrate
communicate with the Orchestrate Server. An explanation for each communication link follows the
diagram.
20 PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Getting Started Reference
Figure 2-2 Communication Ports Used By the Orchestrate Server
1
2
5
Administrator
Information
(Installer/SDK)
Web Page
Agent
User Portal
PlateSpin
Orchestrate
Server
Java
custom: 8100
http: 8001
http: 8080
RMI: 1099
TLS: 8101
• zos (User CLI)
• SDK (Java Toolkit)
• zosadmin (Admin CLI)
• Development Client
• VM Client
Browser
3
Messages
TCP
4
Messages
TCP
Clients
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1. To open the Server Portal for managing jobs in a Web browser, enter the URL of the
Orchestrate Server followed by the port designated for the Server Portal during installation. In a
basic installation of PlateSpin Orchestrate, this is port 8080. The URL would therefore be
entered as follows:
http://DNS_Name_or_IP_Address:8080
2. Administrators who want more information about PlateSpin Orchestrate and a method to
access or install additional clients or agents can access the Administrator Information page. To
do so, open a Web browser and enter the URL to the Orchestrate Server, followed by the port
designated for the Web Info page during installation. In a basic installation of PlateSpin
Orchestrate, the default is port 8001. The URL would therefore be entered as follows:
http://DNS_Name_or_IP_Address:8001
3. The Orchestrate Server establishes and maintains contact with an installed Orchestrate Agent
on a computing resource through port 8100, using a custom protocol.
4. When a user invokes the
clients are installed on a machine), or when using the Java toolkit SDK, those client tools
communicate with the Orchestrate Server over ports 8100 and 8101.
5. When the administrator invokes the
zos
command line interface (available after PlateSpin Orchestrate
zosadmin
command line interface (available after
PlateSpin Orchestrate clients — including the Orchestrate Development Client — are installed
on a machine), or when using the PlateSpin Orchestrate Development Client, those client tools
communicate with the Orchestrate Server over port 1099, which uses a Java RMI (Remote
Method Invocation) protocol.
Understanding Basic Functionality 21
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22 PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Getting Started Reference
A
Documentation Updates
This section contains information about documentation content changes that were made in this
PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Getting Started Guide after the initial release of PlateSpin Orchestrate
2.0. The changes are listed according to the date they were published.
The documentation for this product is provided on the Web in two formats: HTML and PDF. The
HTML and PDF documentation are both kept up-to-date with the changes listed in this section.
If you need to know whether a copy of the PDF documentation that you are using is the most recent,
the PDF document includes a publication date on the title page.
The documentation was updated on the following dates:
Section A.1, “June 17, 2009 (2.0.2 Release),” on page 23
A.1 June 17, 2009 (2.0.2 Release)
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A
Location Update
“New in The 2.0.2 Release” on page 10 New section
Documentation Updates
23
novdocx (en) 13 May 2009
24 PlateSpin Orchestrate 2.0 Getting Started Reference
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