Orchestration (computing)

Orchestration describes the automated arrangement, coordination, and management of complex computer systems, middleware, and services.

It is often discussed as having an inherent intelligence (trait) or even implicitly autonomic control, but those are largely aspirations or analogies rather than technical descriptions. In reality, orchestration is largely the effect of automation or systems deploying elements of control theory.

This usage of orchestration is often discussed in the context of virtualization, provisioning, and dynamic datacenter topics. It is often used as a buzzword.

A somewhat different usage relates to the process of coordinating web service interactions. (See also service-oriented architecture).

Examples

• Microsoft BizTalk Server contains an orchestration engine often used for business process management (BPM), allowing developers to quickly orchestrate complex business processes involving multiple disparate systems.