The Automation Suite

Server Management & Server Automation

Network Management & Network Automation

Unified IT Asset Management

Awards

Execute Scripts

The Opsware Server Management System automates mass script execution by allowing administrators to perform tasks across a set of managed servers simultaneously. Opsware's distributed script execution is different from script execution 'point tools' because its the first 'intelligent' automated script execution system that leverages knowledge about an environment to help administrators apply the right scripts to the right servers. This feature is designed to greatly improve IT productivity, eliminate manual time-consuming tasks, and enable scripts to be executed consistently across large numbers of servers.

The Opsware Server Management System enables system administrators to share and run ad-hoc or custom scripts across an entire farm of Opsware-managed servers. By executing scripts via Opsware instead of manually, the administrator benefits in the following ways:

• Parallel execution across many servers, saving time and ensuring consistency
• Role-based access control, ensuring only authorized administrators can execute scripts on hosts to which they have access
• Ability to store scripts, either in either a private or public library that makes the script accessible to all authorized administrators
• Ability to see and download script output either one server at a time or in a consolidated report that captures output from all servers in a single place
• Ability to tailor what each script does based on rich data about servers stored in Opsware
• Ability for scripts to achieve mass distributed customization by accessing the wealth of information in Opsware about the environment in which the script is running
• A comprehensive audit trail that answers who, what, when, and where a particular script was executed
• Ability to rollback changes (when used in conjunction with Opsware's configuration tracking)
• Automatic backup of all private and shared scripts to all other Opsware-managed data centers (when used in conjunction with Opsware's Multimaster Replication Engine)

Because distributed script execution is an integrated part of the Opsware System, administrators enjoy unique benefits when compared to stand-alone script execution tools:

Using system state and configuration to tailor how a script behaves. Users can tailor each script by looking up and using rich information stored in Opsware, such as the customer or business that that owns the server, whether the server is a staging or production server, which data center the server is in, and custom name-value pairs.

Sharing scripts without compromised security. Users can share scripts with each other without sacrificing security because Opsware maintains strict controls on who can execute scripts on which servers as well as a comprehensive audit trail of script execution.

Auditing script execution history. Opsware maintains a history of who, what, when, and where a particular script was executed. In addition, it maintains a history of OS provisioning, software installation, patching, custom business application deployment, and other IT tasks so administrators can see a comprehensive view of what has happened on a server.

Easy way to find and select servers. Administrators use the same easy Web-based interface to find and select servers based on which customer owns it, what data center it lives in, what software is installed on it, and many other attributes. A consistent interface and operational model makes administrators more productive while keeping training and support costs lower compared to different point tools designed to solve individual problems.