Opsware unfurls customized automation software

Hoping to push its automation software deeper into utility computing environments, Opsware this week rolled out an improved version of its flagship product with an accompanying set of tools to help administrators weave IT management systems closer together.

Working in concert, Opsware System 4.5 and Opsware Extension Builder each extend the other’s reach higher up the enterprise stack by allowing corporate developers to create customized automation modules. These modules can conform to their own custom processes, thus allowing them to integrate with all IT systems in their environment and to automate all existing technologies.

“Users interested in automating their environments have some unique processes and integration needs that have to be addressed so they can gain the full benefits of that automation,” said Tim Howes, Opsware’s CTO. “We think this new extensibility can address those needs.”

The customized automation modules, or Extensions, can enable patches to be categorized according to severity levels using a user’s own classification model. They could then be automatically applied to individual servers based on the user’s own change management windows, company officials said.

The Extension Builder includes its own set of APIs, developer documentation, sample code, and reference applications. The product will be made available free to registered users and business partners of Opsware and is included as part of the Opsware 4.5 software license.

Some observers believe that the new APIs will allow corporate developers to customize a wider range of automated business processes, including the administration of more flexible patch management strategies.

“So now you can provision a patch into the system and let the system take care of deploying the patch to those servers and through the right security window,” said Andy Schroepfer, president of Tier 1 Research. “They could do patch provisioning before, but you had to do it the way [Opsware] did it out of the box.”

Other benefits of the products include the ability to automate customized operational processes; to integrate Opsware with existing IT management systems monitoring and workflows; and to extend the core product to automate new applications, operating systems, and hardware systems.

One third-party developer sees the features as a welcome addition.

“Users need to adapt an automation system to meet their own internal processes, and that system has to be integrated with all their IT management systems,” said Chris Wheaton, principal at Lygan Technologies.

“I think Opsware looks like it will give integrators [the ability] to mesh automation with their own custom processes,” Wheaton added.

Opsware 4.5 and Extension Builder will be available by the end of August.