Opsware 4.5, Extension Builder Tool Integrates Disparate Apps

IT automation and utility computing software vendor Opsware Inc. on Monday announced Opsware System 4.5 and the Opsware Extension Builder. Opsware lets IT automatically provision, patch, configure, secure, change, scale, audit, recover, consolidate, migrate, and reallocate homogeneous and heterogeneous servers and applications, according to a policy-based framework that controls how, when and where system management takes place.

The combination of the new version and extension collectively provide data center automation. Extension Builder tool allows IT to integrate disparate applications like server virtualization into the overall management process, which lets these applications to be viewed and managed from a centralized Opsware console. Also, according to Opsware, Extension Builder also allows IT to automate any process and any technology, and to integrate with any existing IT management system in their environment.

Examples of custom data center automation that an IT department could do using Opsware System 4.5 and the Extension Builder, according to Opsware, include:

creating a custom automation Extension that would enable patches to be categorized according to severity levels using a customer's own classification model and automatically applied to servers based on the customer's own change management windows.

building a custom automation Extension to provision dynamically based on servers reaching maximum capacity or failing. In addition, customers can use the Extension Builder to integrate with other reporting systems for custom report generation, integrate with other IT management systems or automate specific hardware, operating systems or software infrastructure that is not already supported out-of-the-box.Using Opsware, IT developers can create custom IT automation applications to automate custom operational processes; integrate Opsware with existing IT management systems like monitoring/trouble ticketing systems; generate custom reports; and automate new applications, OS platforms and hardware platforms.

Opsware System 4.5 provides the enabling technology to support custom automation applications built with the Opsware Extension Builder.

Opsware Extension Builder includes APIs, developer documentation, sample code and reference applications for IT to develop and upload their own IT automation applications into the Opsware System.

The Extension Builder will be provided at no cost to Opsware customers and partners, and is included as part of the Opsware System 4.5 software license.

Both products will be generally available in August.Also included in Opsware System 4.5 is the recently announced Opsware Satellite technology that enables IT to automate small numbers of servers hosted at remote locations such a company's satellite offices or a retailer' s retail outlets.