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Opsware Automation Platform
" Opsware Platform Resources, which provide developers easy access to the Opsware
Automation Platform s rich data objects, automation actions (such as patching, provisioning,
and auditing), and capabilities (such as remote access to each managed server s runtime
environment).
" Opsware Management Network, a powerful set of connectivity, security, and caching
technologies which enable the Opsware Automation Platform to reach any device regardless
of its location, IP address space, bandwidth availability, and so on.
" Opsware Managed Devices,which are the managed servers and network devices connect-
ed to the platform by the Opsware Management Network.
Opsware Management Applications
Starting at the top of the stack, Opsware Automation Applications are the applications users write
on top of the Opsware Automation Platform.
Simple applications such as the HBA model and firmware level gatherer can be written as simple
Unix shell scripts in minutes. More complex applications such as integration with an existing
source control or ticketing system can take a little longer and might involve Python or Microsoft
.NET or Java coding. In either case, the Opsware Automation Platform is designed as a language-
independent system easily adopted by a wide variety of developers.
Developers can write many different types of applications. Some applications will be written to
look up information or make changes on managed devices (such as applying the latest hotfix).
Other applications will be written to read or write information to the Opsware Automation Platform
itself (for example, adding the HBA model number and firmware level to the Inventory Model for
a server). Still other applications will affect the behavior of the Opsware Automation System itself,
such as making sure scheduled tasks aren t performed until a corresponding change management
ticket has been approved in an external system.
Management applications can either be Opsware Hosted Applications which run in Opsware
Runtime Environment or as stand alone applications that run in a completely independent context.
Stand alone applications access the OAP remotely via Web Services calls.
Opsware Runtime Environment
Next down the OAP stack is the Opsware Runtime Environment which provides a set of powerful,
out of the box runtime services and a corresponding language-independent programming model.
Opsware Hosted Applications run in the Opsware Runtime Environment.
The core of the runtime environment consists of two components called the Opsware Global
Shell and the Opsware Global File System. Together, these two components organize and provide
access to all managed devices in a familiar Linux/Unix shell and file-and-directory paradigm. (Note:
As Microsoft makes its Windows PowerShell technology available, Opsware will build a Windows
PowerShell version of the Opsware Runtime Environment as well.)
