Understanding the difference between cloud orchestration and cloud automation can be the difference between an effective and successful cloud deployment and an inefficient approach towards cloud management. The key challenge for IT teams looking to improve IT processes is, in fact, understanding the nuances of each definition and leveraging the disciplines of each term to its most effective use.
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Cloud automation generally relates to leveraging the dynamic capabilities of cloud management tools, or of a cloud solution, to perform a task or function absent of any manual intervention. According to some industry analysts, a common example would be leveraging the cloud to add new instances during an auto-scaling event with auto scaling groups. Auto-provisioning servers to meet scaling needs, as well as discovery (finding and shutting down unused instances or processes), and backing up data on pre-set intervals, are all examples of processes and tasks IT teams can automate.
In contrast, cloud orchestration is about coordinating all automated tasks to produce a uniform and planned approach towards leveraging the cloud to meet business objectives. Cloud orchestration depends largely on the use of cloud automation platform solutions, although the latter can happen without the former.
Drive Successful DevOps
DevOps is in many ways more than just a technical collaboration between teams from development and IT operations, DevOps is a cultural phenomenon focused on increasing the effectiveness of agile software development lifecycles. Why? To achieve higher quality software products. The benefits of a cloud automation platform have a direct lifeline to the effective use of DevOps. Since cloud is about better managing infrastructure and more efficiently sharing data and resources, features within cloud, such as those provided by a cloud automation platform, drive the speed of delivery that DevOps is dependent on.
The features of a tool such as CloudBolt only heighten the attributes that drive successful DevOps within most organizations. By centralizing the management of multi-cloud environments, CloudBolt empowers developers with the control and self-service to leverage the shared resources in their allotted clouds. Administrators can quickly help them scale and grow as those developers need more processor power or space.
The cloud automation platform software features of CloudBolt deliver unparalleled management and visibility within the cloud environment. It lets multiple different departments or organizations establish parameters for accessing the servers while ensuring the privacy and separation of data and resources between departments within a tailored, hybrid cloud environment. A cloud automation platform also makes it easier for admins to establish tasks such as application deployment, complex server configuration, or scaling resources.
CloudBolt, specifically, further empowers administrators to set up global policies, automation, blueprints and actions specific to each organization or department. This scalable and versatile approach lets CloudBolt administrators report globally on usage, resulting in visibility and cost savings.
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TIP TO REMEMBER DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CLOUD AUTOMATION PLATFORM AND CLOUD ORCHESTRATION
The next time you’re confused about a cloud automation platform versus cloud orchestration, there’s an easy way to remember the difference. Automation refers to deployment and management tasks that IT teams perform without a person being involved, while orchestration is directly related to a cloud automation platform, in that it arranges, sequences and coordinates the automated tasks. Basically, the two work together. The fewer manual and repetitive tasks IT staff have to do, the more value the enterprise will attain from cloud computing.
To learn more, about our cloud service automation platform, download our Solution Overview or check out our product overview, videos or request a demo.