to build most of their logic using PowerShell, which can be used in a .NET activity,
even if using the older Orchestrator product.
For organizations taking a hybrid approach, providing a seamless experience for the
users of services is vital. Although using Windows Azure Pack or Azure Stack provides
the seamless pane of glass, it’s key for the IT organization to own the process of
deciding whether new virtual machines will be deployed on-premises or in Microsoft
Azure. I’ve had great success using System Center Orchestrator with runbooks that
utilize PowerShell to receive a provisioning request made via System Center Service
Manager. The logic of whether to deploy to on-premises or in Microsoft Azure is made
by the logic built into the Orchestrator runbook and based on the target use for the
new environment, the available capacity on premises, the predicted length of usage of
the environment, and the capabilities requested. Once the logic provisions the virtual
machine, either on-premises or in Microsoft Azure, the requesting user receives an
email with an RDP file to enable connectivity, or the new service is added to their list
of services. The point is that the provisioning process and ongoing interaction is the
same no matter where the virtual machine is actually hosted.