This is the second part of a 7-part series on the salient features that IT professionals should look for in high-performing IT infrastructure orchestration platforms for enterprise use cases.
The Importance of Integrations in IT Infrastructure Orchestration
In our previous article, we discussed the importance of orchestration in the enterprise and the key features to look for in a top-of-shelf IT infrastructure orchestration platform. One of the most crucial features is the importance of the ability to integrate and interact with existing tools and with other systems. In this follow-up article, we will delve deeper into the importance of integrations for an IT infrastructure orchestration platform, how this can help break vendor lock-in, facilitate orchestration across multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments, and enhance the usage of legacy automations and systems.
TLDR:
Key Benefits of Integrations for IT Infrastructure Orchestration Platforms:
Maintaining agility in a dynamic digital landscape
Optimizing resource usage across diverse environments
Enhancing collaboration and breaking departmental silos
Leveraging new and existing automations and legacy systems
Streamlining operations through seamless integration with various tools and technologies
Breaking Vendor Lock-in
In today’s highly competitive business landscape, it is essential to avoid vendor lock-in to remain agile and adaptable. Integrations play a critical role in this by allowing organizations to choose best-of-breed tools and technologies without being tied to a single vendor’s ecosystem. By supporting integrations with various platforms and tools, an IT infrastructure orchestration platform empowers organizations to seamlessly transition between vendors, helping to reduce costs, increase flexibility, and foster innovation.
Orchestrating Across On-Prem, Multi-cloud and Hybrid Cloud Environments
As more organizations look to find the right balancing point between on-prem, multi-cloud and hybrid cloud strategies, it becomes increasingly important for IT infrastructure orchestration platforms to support integrations across these environments. Check out our blog here to read over how the Cloud Operating Model can be used to bypass infrastructure complexity. By integrating with on-premise systems and devices and multiple cloud providers and platforms, an orchestration solution can help organizations optimize resource utilization, improve resilience, and streamline management across their entire infrastructure. Modern orchestration platforms need vast integration capabilities. Not only premade plugins, but also highly customizable compatibility with standard communication protocols such as ssh, RESTCONF, PowerShell, and NETCONF to enable as much connectivity among physical and cloud environments.
Leveraging Existing Automations and Maximizing Legacy Systems
Integrations enable organizations to leverage their existing automations and maximize the value of legacy systems. An IT infrastructure orchestration platform supporting various automation tools, protocols, and technologies allows organizations to integrate these solutions into their orchestration workflows. It’s essential to avoid replacing proven automations already deployed by IT teams, as this fosters trust in a central orchestration platform. Relying on existing automations and tools provides a familiar foundation for achieving orchestration goals. This approach not only conserves time and resources but also promotes a smoother transition to a more orchestrated environment by maintaining trusted enterprise processes and minimizing resistance to organizational change.
Cross-Domain Orchestration for End to End Operational Automation
Cross-domain orchestration empowers IT operations professionals to automate and manage workflows across any required domains to fulfill a process. Domains such as network, security, virtualization, and IT support must be interlinked by your orchestration platform to enable cross-domain orchestration. By breaking silos and fostering better collaboration between departments, this approach streamlines business and IT processes for seamless end-to-end operations. Instead of focusing on domain-specific orchestration engines, prioritizing cross-domain orchestration allows IT teams to optimize resource usage, minimize the risk of human errors, and capitalize on the full potential of the integrated IT ecosystem. Embracing this holistic approach is essential for addressing the complex challenges faced by IT operations teams, ultimately improving overall efficiency and effectiveness in the digital age.
Conclusion
Integrations are crucial for an effective IT infrastructure orchestration platform. By eliminating vendor lock-in, facilitating orchestration across multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments, utilizing existing automations, and optimizing legacy systems, integrations empower organizations to maintain agility and competitiveness in a constantly evolving digital landscape. Trust, cross-domain capabilities, and ease of operations with both old and new technologies contribute to increased efficiency, reduced errors, and cost optimization. As you assess your IT infrastructure orchestration solution, confirm that it supports a broad array of integrations, enabling you to maximize the benefits of your current and future technology investments.
In Part III of this series, we will look into the Importance of Customizability for Orchestration Platforms, and how Customizability gives you the ability to address any unique business and process requirements.