What is orchestration?

Table of Contents

What is orchestration?

Orchestration refers to the coordinated execution of multiple IT automation tasks or processes. Orchestration typically involves multiple IT systems, applications, and services to ensure that deployment, configuration management, and other processes are performed in the correct order. 

Automation and orchestration are two different yet related concepts. With automation refers to theuse of software to carry out determined activities without human intervention to reduce errors and time spent manually managing the operations necessary to deploy, administer and scale IT infrastructure and applications. 

With orchestration instead it means the coordination of multiple automated tasks into workflows advanced so that individual activities work together to perform specific functions or processes.

The importance of orchestration

Today's IT teams often manage a wide range of servers, systems and applications distributed across private data centers, cloud environments and edge locations. In increasingly complex IT environments theTask automation helps improve efficiency and simplify process management, but leveraging automation in scalable ways can be complex. 

IT process automation involves the automation of all the individual activities (or tasks) that make up a process. But not only. For a process to be said completely automated, it is also necessary that all the activities that form it operate in synergy to ensure that at the end of an activity the next correct one automatically starts. Some automation solutions can do this by linking tasks into logical workflows, thus eliminating the need for manual intervention to initiate individual actions at the right time. Creating these types of workflows is one of the tasks of orchestration. 

Even individual parts of a task can comprise multi-step workflows that depend on communication with third-party systems. For example, provisioning a system typically requires some degree of orchestration with hypervisors to create virtual machines, communicating with the network to ensure proper connectivity is configured, and confirming that all necessary firewall policies are applied. And this is the context in which one is inserted orchestration solution complete. These tools are capable of coordinating activities distributed across multiple systems and allow teams to develop fully automated workflows with which to cover entire business use scenarios.

What does orchestration consist of?

In general with the term orchestration the IT workflows for specific use scenarios and the tools to manage them are indicated. Docker is an open source platform for container deployment, which has orchestration tools (Docker Swarm) which allows you to automate the deployment and scalability of containerized applications. 

Orchestration occurs when you place different systems and tools into logical workflows so that tasks can interact with external systems and result in a fully automated process, from start to finish. Let's look at orchestration workflows for some of the most popular IT usage scenarios. 

A typical workflow for the deployment of a server includes the following steps:

  • Deploy the server.
  • Configure the server. 
  • Assign storage capacity. 
  • Select an application from a repository, install and configure it.  
  • Communicate with your firewall or load balancer to ensure it allows the new system access to its pool and policies. 
  • Update your company's ITSM system to confirm that the server deployment was successful.

Since this process involves communication with several third-party systems, we are dealing with an orchestration workflow and not one large automation task. The IT team just needs to start the workflow and at the end of the process they will get a configured server, provisioned with standard applications and integrated with all the necessary tools.

A typical workflow for the provisioning a cloud instance includes the following steps:

  • Provision the instance.
  • Configure the operating system.
  • Submit a ticket to the ITSM system to notify the system activation.
  • Update the firewall.
  • Create the necessary user accounts with the appropriate permissions.
  • Connect the system to an external database.

Orchestration workflows can also be leveraged for response to security threats and incidents, for example when the presence of malware is detected on a server. The system to be protected, i.e. the server, is not able to communicate with security systems and tools to promptly manage threats. Instead, a good orchestration solution can:

  • Communicate with switches and firewalls to discover the source of the traffic. 
  • Configure IP filters and packet analysis tools to better examine the traffic or potential attack.  
  • Configure these systems to transmit packets of information to third-party monitoring tools to optimize security logs.
  • Isolate the suspicious IP address.
  • Enter this information into a ticket management system to notify the time of the attack, the IP address and the hardware address, as well as confirm that the potential threat has been isolated from the system.  

Once these automated steps are complete, the security team can analyze the logs, determine whether it was an attack and take action, or let an event-based automation solution apply the most appropriate response.

In addition to the examples just described, orchestration allows you to coordinate multiple systems to automatically execute the steps of almost all IT processes, improving their consistency and efficiency.

The benefits of Docker orchestration

Once workflows are defined for orchestrating tasks across every system and tool needed, IT teams can choose and initiate the workflow for the desired end result, such as building a new server or updating an application, and this will automatically perform each step, in the correct order, always producing the same result. 

Additionally, orchestration supports and enriches your DevOps strategy. For example, with a DevOps approach to the CI/CD pipeline, when a developer creates and modifies an application's container image, that modification triggers the creation of a new image and the upgrade of the clusters that use it in production. With an orchestration solution, IT teams can create a workflow whereby each code change automatically triggers testing in a User Acceptance Testing (UAT) environment and deploys the application. In this way, each update starts a sequence of automated tasks that end with the application being updated in production. 

The main features of orchestration with Docker are:

  • Operational efficiency: automates complex operations, improving efficiency and reducing the risk of human error.
  • High availability: guarantees the continuous availability of applications even in the event of failures, thanks to redundancy and failover mechanisms.
  • Flexibility: allows you to easily manage updates and rollbacks, ensuring that applications are always in an optimal state.
  • Safety: isolates containers to reduce attack surfaces and automatically manages security updates.

Examples of use

Enterprises use Docker orchestration for various scenarios, such as managing microservices, deploying large-scale applications, and deploying development and test environments quickly and reliably.

Why choose WebTier for orchestration?

WebTier it's a proprietary orchestration platform of containers flexible and highly customizable. With a'redundant infrastructure, WebTier ensures the operational continuity And there maximum safety for company data.

Orchestration with Docker represents a powerful solution for companies that want to effectively and securely manage their containerized applications. Thanks to its advanced features, Docker simplifies container management, ensuring optimal performance and high availability in complex IT environments.

Difference between hosting and cloud server

Summary

Difference between hosting and cloud server

In the modern digital age, choosing the right infrastructure to host your website or business applications is crucial. Two of the most common solutions are cloud server and traditional hosting. But what are the real differences between these two approaches? In this article, we will explore the features, advantages and disadvantages of each option in detail, providing clear guidance to help you make the best choice for your needs.

Hosting and Cloud Server Utilities

Hosting and Cloud Server respond to similar needs but are technologically distinct. They are often confused, but they are not the same thing.

Both solutions offer resources over the Internet using physical machines, which are powerful servers that deliver applications, files and data to other devices. However, the servers are used differently in the two cases.

Traditional hosting: definition and operation

Traditional hosting refers to a service in which a provider provides a physical server or part of it to host websites and applications. This can be divided into three main categories:

  • Shared Hosting: Many websites are hosted on a single server, sharing resources such as CPU, RAM and disk space.
  • VPS Hosting (Virtual Private Server): A single server is divided into multiple virtualized environments, each with dedicated resources.
  • Dedicated Hosting: An entire physical server is dedicated to a single client.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of traditional hosting?

From an economic and cost point of view, shared and VPS hosting are usually cheaper than cloud solutions, configuration and management are simpler and performance is predictable, so in the case of dedicated hosting we will have resources dedicated exclusively to our project.

While if we were to talk about the disadvantages we could not fail to mention that scalability is linked to the fact that increasing resources may require more complex migrations; hosting may have greater rigidity in configuration and resource management. And finally reliability if we think that a failure of the physical server can cause significant downtime if the infrastructure is not redundant.

Cloud Server: definition and advantages

A cloud server is a versatile technological solution that offers greater performance and resources than traditional hosting. It is based on a physical machine with a dedicated processor, RAM and storage. This powerful infrastructure is made accessible through virtualization, which allows hardware resources to be used as if they were software services, falling within the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) model.

Example of Use: An e-commerce business that handles large volumes of traffic could benefit from a cloud server to scale resources on-demand, thus ensuring consistent performance during peak traffic.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Cloud?

Among the advantages of using a cloud server we certainly find greater scalability, i.e. the possibility of increasing or decreasing resources on-demand, a customizable configuration according to specific needs and greater reliability thanks to the fact that the integrated redundancy offers lower risks of downtime , and finally the classic pay-per-use business model, i.e. you only pay for the resources you actually use.

The disadvantages, however, concern the variable and potentially high costs if not managed correctly, the complexity that may require technical expertise and the need for greater attention to security and compliance management.

Advantages
Description
Scalability
Increase or decrease resources as needed
Flexibility
Customized configurations for every need
High availability
Built-in redundancy and failover
Automated management
Automated updates and maintenance
Cost-efficiency
You only pay for the resources you use

In-depth technical differences

Characteristic
Traditional hosting
Cloud Server
Scalability
Limited
High
Flexibility
Low
High
Management
Manual
Automated
Price
Fixed
Variable
Safety
It depends on the provider
High level, automatic updates
Performance
They vary based on the load
Optimal and balanced

When to choose traditional hosting?

Traditional hosting is usually used for small websites where the traffic and resources needed are predictable, or when you have a limited budget because shared hosting solutions are often very cheap, and finally when simplicity is a must!

When to choose the Cloud?

The cloud server is the right choice for scalable applications, therefore for startups and companies that expect rapid traffic growth, or when there is a need to quickly adapt resources, perhaps with scalable RAM, processors and disk space, based on variable needs, or finally when it comes to systems that require high availability of resources and fault tolerance.

Quantum-Computing

Service Use Model

Scalability: The cloud server allows you to add or reduce resources in real time, responding quickly to changes in demand.

Redundancy: The data is replicated on multiple servers, ensuring continuity of service even in the event of a failure.

Hardware Management: The cloud provider manages the hardware, relieving the client company of these responsibilities and improving operational efficiency.

Example of Benefit: A news website that receives variable traffic can benefit from cloud server scalability to handle spikes during major events without compromising performance.

The choice between hosting and cloud server depends on the specific needs of your company. While hosting is more suitable for websites with standard needs and limited budget, cloud server offers flexibility, scalability and superior performance for complex applications and high traffic.

Security and Compliance

Safety

Cloud servers offer various levels of security, including:

  • Data Isolation: Each user has an isolated environment, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
  • Automatic Updates: Cloud server providers manage security updates automatically, ensuring that vulnerabilities are patched promptly.
  • DDoS Protection: Many cloud services integrate protections against DDoS attacks, ensuring operational continuity.

 

Compliance

Cloud servers help businesses meet compliance requirements through:

  • International Certifications: Many providers are ISO, GDPR, HIPAA, etc. certified, ensuring that the infrastructure meets international security and privacy standards.
  • Audits and Reports: Providers offer detailed reports and periodic audits to ensure that security practices are always in line with current regulations.
  • Data Residency: Data residency options that allow companies to choose where their data will be physically stored, making it easier to comply with local laws.

FAQ

What is the best choice for a small business?

For a small business with a limited budget and need for flexible growth, a cloud server is generally the best choice. It offers scalability and variable costs, allowing you to pay only for the resources used.

How does scalability affect costs?

Scalability allows you to adapt resources to needs in real time. In cloud servers, this means that costs can increase or decrease based on use, avoiding waste and optimizing expenses.

Which is more secure: traditional hosting or cloud server?

Cloud servers tend to have a higher level of security, thanks to automatic updates, data isolation and built-in advanced security tools. However, security also depends on the provider and configuration.

Can I easily migrate from traditional hosting to a cloud server?

Yes, migration from traditional hosting to cloud servers is possible and often supported by providers through assisted migration tools and services to reduce downtime and ensure a smooth transition.

Would you like to know more?

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