Cisco Cisco Process Orchestrator 3.0 User Guide
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Cisco Process Orchestrator User Guide
OL-30196-01
Chapter 1 Understanding Service-Oriented Orchestration and the Cisco Process Orchestrator
Understanding Service-Oriented Orchestration
The Prime Service Catalog Adapter simplifies the exchange of service requests and service items to
and from the orchestrator. It is easy to create targets from incoming service requests. Process
Orchestrator helps push service items back to the catalog as needed by allowing users to pick the
right moments in a flow to synchronize data. Using active catalog connection in the Prime Service
Catalog adapters optimize user experience. The Prime Service Catalog adapter easily reads, writes,
or creates service items, and is CP schema-aware. When a service item definition is created in the
catalog, the desire is to set up integration rapidly. The property browser exposes the catalog
definition to enhance ease of use. Get Service Item properties can be followed by Update Target to
save properties in a single step. One can write directly through the Create Service Item or Update
Service Item activities using property references.
and from the orchestrator. It is easy to create targets from incoming service requests. Process
Orchestrator helps push service items back to the catalog as needed by allowing users to pick the
right moments in a flow to synchronize data. Using active catalog connection in the Prime Service
Catalog adapters optimize user experience. The Prime Service Catalog adapter easily reads, writes,
or creates service items, and is CP schema-aware. When a service item definition is created in the
catalog, the desire is to set up integration rapidly. The property browser exposes the catalog
definition to enhance ease of use. Get Service Item properties can be followed by Update Target to
save properties in a single step. One can write directly through the Create Service Item or Update
Service Item activities using property references.
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It allows simpler, more readable workflows.
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Data defines desired services, and the service instance drives automation to achieve the desired state.
This separates the desired state from the implementation (the “what” from the “how”).
This separates the desired state from the implementation (the “what” from the “how”).
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It acts on the higher-level service rather than its technology elements. Services can span tools, and
workflows can navigate service topologies to lower-level elements on which they act.
workflows can navigate service topologies to lower-level elements on which they act.
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It provides operational views of automation by service.
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It lets you monitor the environment vs. the service definition and bring them in line with policy.
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It provides federated storage, including push objects and relationships to and from Service Catalog,
CMDB, and Service Assurance tools when needed.
CMDB, and Service Assurance tools when needed.
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Automation becomes easier to extend and customize.
Process Orchestrator Supports Service-Oriented Orchestration
Several features in Process Orchestrator combine to bring these capabilities:
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Service instances are targets. A target type allows you to define a new service; all new targets are
created based on a target type. Target types can be based on the DMTF Common Information Model,
but this is not required.
created based on a target type. Target types can be based on the DMTF Common Information Model,
but this is not required.
Target types are service definitions that allow Process Orchestrator to deliver service-oriented
automation, where the service, not the process, is the focal point. In service-oriented automation,
the content, not the Process Orchestrator platform, defines the solution models; the platform is open
to any model you want to produce.
automation, where the service, not the process, is the focal point. In service-oriented automation,
the content, not the Process Orchestrator platform, defines the solution models; the platform is open
to any model you want to produce.
Some target types can be ‘abstract’, meaning they cannot be directly instantiated into targets but are
only available for inheritance by other target types. In Process Orchestrator, these target types are
marked as either ‘creatable’ or ‘not creatable’.
only available for inheritance by other target types. In Process Orchestrator, these target types are
marked as either ‘creatable’ or ‘not creatable’.
Target types support inheritance, which allows you to extend a general type for a specialized need.
In Process Orchestrator, you can select a ‘base target type’ for a target type that specifies that the
target type inherits from the base target type.
In Process Orchestrator, you can select a ‘base target type’ for a target type that specifies that the
target type inherits from the base target type.
Target types have an extensible list of properties including field-customizable default values.
In these properties, data can be stored that might come from Process Orchestrator in terms of
defining an order or a desired state, or might include data that is collected from the environment.
For example, periodic network device discovery can store information such as the operating system,
version, which line cards are installed, and so on. Network automation can use that information in
its workflows.
defining an order or a desired state, or might include data that is collected from the environment.
For example, periodic network device discovery can store information such as the operating system,
version, which line cards are installed, and so on. Network automation can use that information in
its workflows.