VMware vRealize Automation: Orchestration and Extensibility [V8.1]

During this five-day course, you focus on using VMware vRealize® Orchestrator™ to extend the functionality of VMware vRealize® Automation™. You learn how to provide XaaS (Anything as a Service) and implement Machine Lifecycle Extensibility using the VMware vRealize® Automation™ Event Broker. You also learn how to create vRealize Orchestrator workflows. Features covered in the course include basic scripting implementation along with logic processing to implement a variety of functions to use in your environment. This course teaches implementing debugging, loops, conditions, and user interactions in vRealize Orchestrator.

The course introduces the new vRealize Orchestrator HTML 5 interface, along with API calls and REST functions, to give the groundwork to implement a variety of plugins and scripts. This course is designed to give you the tools to craft custom solutions in the product.

Objectives

By the end of the course, you should be able to meet the following objectives:

• Describe the features and benefits of integrating vRealize Orchestrator and vRealize Automation
• Describe the role of vRealize Orchestrator workflows and content elements in automation
• Use the vRealize Orchestrator client to access and navigate the vRealize Orchestrator platform
• Use the vRealize Orchestrator client to import and run vRealize Orchestrator library workflows
• Design, develop, and run custom reusable vRealize Orchestrator workflows
• Integrate vRealize Automation with vRealize Orchestrator to deliver custom IT services
• Use the vRealize Automation event broker service to trigger specific vRealize Orchestrator workflows
• Leverage the event broker to extend IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-service) machine life cycle processes
• Use XaaS to extend vRealize Automation into other enterprise systems
• Use VMware APIs to run vRealize Orchestrator workflows

Intended Audience

Experienced VMware administrators, automation and orchestration specialists, system integrators, and private cloud and public cloud administrators

Prerequisites

This course requires the following prerequisites:

• Knowledge of VMware vSphere®
• VMware vRealize Automation: Install, Configure, Manage [V8.x] course or equivalent knowledge
• Working knowledge of scripting or programming using JavaScript, Windows PowerShell, Perl, Java, Python, or similar languages. All code is provided during class.

Product Alignment

• VMware vSphere® 6.7 U2
• VMware vRealize Automation 8.1
• VMware vRealize Orchestrator™ 8.1
• VMware vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager 8.0
• VMware NSX® for vSphere® 6.4.4

Course Outline

1 Course Introduction

• Introductions and course logistics
• Course objectives

2 Overview of vRealize Automation and vRealize Orchestrator

• Define the purpose of vRealize Automation
• Outline the purpose of vRealize Orchestrator
• Describe the main components of vRealize Automation
• Describe the main components of vRealize Orchestrator

3 Invoking vRealize Orchestrator Schema Elements

• Invoke JavaScript from a vRealize Orchestrator Workflow
• Invoke a vRealize Orchestrator Workflow from a vRealize Orchestrator Workflow
• Invoke an action from a vRealize Orchestrator Workflow
• Using vRealize Orchestrator workflows both synchronously and asynchronously

4 Working with Variables in vRealize Orchestrator

• Defining inputs, outputs, and variables in vRealize Orchestrator workflows
• Binding variables in vRealize Orchestrator workflows
• Wrapping vRealize Orchestrator workflows
• Using APIs and the API Explorer
• Creating actions in vRealize Orchestrator
• Using vRealize Orchestrator input forms
• Handling user interactions in vRealize Orchestrator

5 Handling Exceptions, Logging, and Debugging in vRealize Orchestrator

• Handling exceptions in vRealize Orchestrator workflows
• Using logs in vRealize Orchestrator workflows
• Debugging vRealize Orchestrator workflows

6 Branching and Looping in vRealize Orchestrator

• Using branching in vRealize Orchestrator workflows
• Using loops in vRealize Orchestrator workflows

7 Working with Assets in vRealize Orchestrator

• Using user configurations in vRealize Orchestrator
• Using resources in vRealize Orchestrator
• Using packages in vRealize Orchestrator

8 Working with Plug-Ins in vRealize Orchestrator

• Downloading and installing Plug-Ins
• Using the SSH plug-In in vRealize Orchestrator
• Using the REST plug-in in vRealize Orchestrator
• Using the SOAP plug-in in vRealize Orchestrator
• Using the PowerShell plug-in in vRealize Orchestrator

9 Working with Versioning and Git in vRealize Orchestrator

• Using versioning in vRealize Orchestrator
• Using Git in vRealize Orchestrator

10 Scheduling, Sleeping, and Waiting in vRealize Orchestrator

• Using scheduling in vRealize Orchestrator
• Using sleeping in vRealize Orchestrator
• Using waiting in vRealize Orchestrator

11 Introduction to vRealize Automation Extensibility

• Introduction to extensibility
• Using ABX actions
• Using Python
• Using Nodejs
• Using PowerShell
• Using the vRealize Automation Lifecycle
• Introduction to XaaS

12 Extending vRealize Automation with Event Broker

• Overview of vRealize Automation Event Broker
• Creating vRealize Automation subscriptions
• Data exchange between vRealize Automation and vRealize Orchestrator

13 Implementing Anything as a Service (XaaS) in vRealize Automation

• Overview of XaaS
• Using Day-2 actions in vRealize Automation