vCAC - How to use vCenter Orchestrator as deployment option in vCAC

Since yesterday vCloud Automation Center is GA, what gives me the chance to write some news using vClou Automation Center and the vCenter Orchestrator. First thing to note is that vCenter Orchestrator comes included in vCloud Automation Center and this allows a real quick service integration.

Most of my customer ask: Why should I use the vCloud Automation Center workflow for the virtual machine deployment, if vCenter Orchestrator offers the same capability? To be honest, I think using vCloud Automation Center only is the fastest way to deploy and manage virtual machine, hardware hosts and external cloud instances...

But if you want to deploy virtual machines using vCenter Orchestrator here is how:

At first you have to create an Advanced Services vCenter endpoint.

This creates a vCenter endpoint in the vCenter Orchestrator which allows you to create services. Now you can create a Resource Type element for a new virtual machine (VC:VirtualMachine).

The next step is the creation of a Service Blueprint, using the vCenter Orchestrator workflow.

After the blueprint form is customized you can add Resource Actions to allow operations on the new object (VC:VirtualMachine). In my lab I choose "Power On" and "Power Off" using the vCenter Orchestrator Workflows.

The last step you have to do is to publish the Service Blueprint and the Resource Actions.

Congrats! This is you first service :) To allow the users to access this service as part of their Catalog you have to create an item in: "Administration" -> "Catalog Management" -> "Services" and then you have to entitle all elements for this service under "Administration" -> "Catalog Management" -> "Entitlements".

With this entitlements your users are now able to order the virtual machine using vCenter Orchestrator as deployment option. With the Actions they can also use the vCenter Orchestrator workflows to manage the virtual machine.

Have fun!