5.5

Table Of Contents
Figure 11. VMware vCenter Orchestrator Architecture
Orchestrator
database
workflow library
vCenter
Server
XML SSH SQL SMTP
3rd-party
plug-in
workflow engine
browser
access
vCenter
Orchestrator
Client application
vCenter
Server
Directory services
or vCenter
Single Sign On
Web services
REST/SOAP
Orchestrator Plug-Ins
Plug-ins allow you to use Orchestrator to access and control external technologies and applications.
Exposing an external technology in an Orchestrator plug-in allows you to incorporate objects and functions
in workflows that access the objects and functions of that external technology.
The external technologies that you can access by using plug-ins can include virtualization management
tools, email systems, databases, directory services, and remote control interfaces.
Orchestrator provides a set of standard plug-ins that you can use to incorporate into workflows such
technologies as the VMware vCenter Server API and email capabilities. In addition, you can use the
Orchestrator open plug-in architecture to develop plug-ins to access other applications.
The Orchestrator plug-ins that VMware develops are distributed as .vmoapp files, which you can obtain from
the VMware Web site at
http://www.vmware.com/products/datacenter-virtualization/vcenter-orchestrator/plugins.html. For more
information about the Orchestrator plug-ins that VMware develops and distributes, see
http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vco_plugins_pubs.html.
Installing and Configuring VMware vCenter Orchestrator
12 VMware, Inc.