VCF Automation
2025
VCF Operations Orchestrator: Why I Write Actions and Not Workflows (Mostly)
This might be a controversial stance, but if you’ve reviewed any of my VCF Operations Orchestrator code, you’ll notice that 99% of it is written as Actions. I take this approach because it enables me to write “pure” JavaScript code that is easier to read, maintain, and integrate with modern development tools such as linters, unit testing frameworks, and code analysers. Workflows are a visual tool that provides a drag-and-drop interface used to develop automation flows without writing (much) code. It was originally intended for system administrators and infrastructure teams, who might not be traditional developers, to automate tasks on...
Using a Service-Oriented Architecture Approach to VCF Operations Orchestrator Development
In this post, I will provide a brief overview of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and explain how I apply it to all my VCF Operations Orchestrator development. Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a widely adopted software development approach that emphasises the creation of loosely coupled, reusable services. These principles make SOA particularly well-suited for systems integration. For those familiar with Orchestrator, this alignment is clear; most development efforts centre around integrating with external systems, positioning Orchestrator as the “glue” or central coordination point within the automation ecosystem. Here are some key principles of SOA: Adhering to SOA principles helps minimise the need...