10 Best Cloud Orchestration Platforms To Know

Cloud orchestration platforms employ automation to manage IT operations and resources in private and public cloud infrastructure. Technologies for cloud orchestration include automated processes and tasks into a workflow to carry out particular business operations.

Cloud orchestration solutions differ from cloud automation solutions as they are more like platforms than plug-and-play tools. Cloud orchestration solutions are simple tools. Infrastructure-as-code (IaC) services are provided via orchestration platforms.

You can use either an open-source solution or a managed orchestration service.

The Best Cloud Orchestration Tools You Should Know

Before we get to cloud orchestration, let’s talk about test orchestration. Test orchestration is scheduling a sequence of automated jobs in a linear order. It gives you the freedom to frequently test a component or specific elements of software during the development process. This helps you figure out and fix bugs in your software.

With test orchestration, you may gain insights into the overall deployment picture, which promotes transparency and aids in the planning and strategy modification of the test plan by your team.

Here are the Top Cloud Orchestration Tools, along with the most popular test orchestration platform:

Testsigma

Testsigma is an AI-powered automation testing tool. This test orchestration platform supports multiple integrations and has many other features and automation.

This platform aids in test data management and bug management. Additionally, it produces thorough reports on bugs to assist you in resolving them before release. You may schedule your test cases for execution on this cloud-based platform, which operates around the clock without human interference.

After each test run, you may aggregate test results and execution trends using Testsigma’s built-in results dashboard.

Testsigma provides a platform for codeless testing, enabling you to write test cases in plain English. Thanks to this feature, you can execute tests in parallel and run hundreds of tests simultaneously in different scenarios.

With the help of this end-to-end testing platform, you can organize, schedule, prioritize, and manage all of your tests in one location.

Pricing

Annual

– Basic: $0 / month for basic apps

– Pro: $349 / month for fast growing teams

– Enterprise: Contact for custom offer

Monthly

– Basic: $0 / month for basic apps

– Pro: $399 / month for fast growing teams

– Enterprise: Contact for custom offer

ActiveBatch

ActiveBatch is a Cloud Orchestration Platform that aids businesses in coordinating, centralizing, and consolidating their IT infrastructures.

It provides a simple drag-and-drop option to orchestrate. Using the Job steps-prebuilt, platform-neutral functions and actions, ActiveBatch helps connect, plan, and orchestrate processes in only a few minutes. Additionally, it builds end-to-end workflows across several tech stacks from a single point of control.

It is also a workload automation and enterprise task scheduling solution. This cloud orchestration software helps automate and integrate various business processes, including the Microsoft apps suite, HR onboarding/offboarding platforms, and BI tools. ActiveBatch also aids in the data center tasks that comprise of Hadoop ecosystem, Microsoft SQL and Oracle Databases, Informatica, and other ETL tools.

It also helps with real-time infrastructure management, including VMware, Amazon EC2, and Microsoft Azure orchestration with other cloud platforms and cloud services.

Red Hat Ansible

Red Hat Ansible is another cloud orchestration software that eases complex orchestration. This cloud orchestration tool serves as a base for implementing and managing automation throughout a company. To implement enterprise-wide automation, the platform comes with all the necessary tools.

From hybrid clouds to the edge, Ansible Automation Platform offers an enterprise architecture for developing and managing IT automation at scale. It enables users within an organization to create, distribute, and manage automation from development and operations teams to security and network teams.

It provides all the setups that we need for the orchestration process.

Everything is prepared and set up for here, users only need to provide a few parameters, and then with a click, they can continue with their work. Even for non-technical staff members in your company, Ansible’s Automation Controller makes even the most complex jobs easy to orchestrate with just the push of a button.

Terraform

An infrastructure orchestrator, Terraform by HashiCorp is an open-source Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solution. The lifecycle of environments can be automated with orchestration. Infrastructure is documented, changes are automated, and Terraform is utilized to set up infrastructure across several clouds and on-premises data. It is a prominent automation tool because it employs straightforward syntax.

Since Terraform employs a single configuration across many cloud providers, orchestration is simpler. It is confirmed that Terraform is a cloud orchestration tool by its capacity to autonomously calculate and restore systems to preserve an environment’s “desired state” when something is broken. The TerraHub ecosystem consists of a Terraform orchestration and automation tool called TerraHub CLI, a data and log management layer called TerraHub API, and an enterprise-friendly GUI called TerraHub Console that displays real-time Terraform executions.

Pricing

Basic – Free

Team & Governance – $20 / User

Business – Contact for Custom Offer

OpenStack

The OpenStack cloud Orchestration services offer a template-based orchestration for specifying a cloud application by generating running cloud applications using OpenStack API calls. Using a single-file template approach, the software combines other OpenStack essentials. With the help of the templates, you may establish the majority of OpenStack resource types, including instances, floating IPs, volumes, security groups, and users. Instance high availability, instance auto-scaling, and stacked stacks are additional sophisticated features that are offered. By doing this, core OpenStack projects can attract more users.

Deployers can integrate directly with the cloud Orchestration service or through unique plug-ins. The heat command-line client, heat-api component, heat-api-cfn component, and heat-engine make up the cloud Orchestration service. This orchestrates template launches and relays events to the API consumer.

Chef

Chef is also a widely used cloud orchestration solution. Even in the most complicated, heterogeneous, and large-scale systems, Chef configuration management software minimizes manual tasks and guarantees infrastructure remains consistent and compliant over its lifetime.

Chef’s cloud orchestration solutions have reliably resolved the issue in various intricate, real-world implementations.

Following the guiding concepts that have made Chef’s cloud orchestration solutions great—scale, idempotency, flexibility, and test-driven automation—are essential to ensure a robust orchestration mechanism.

Complex system orchestration is made simpler, quicker, and more dependable with Chef.

Fugue

Fugue is one of the renowned cloud orchestration software. Fugue is the first enterprise IT-compliant cloud-native system that controls the whole lifetime of cloud infrastructure. Developers can program and manage their cloud infrastructure across compute, storage, network, and data services thanks to Fugue’s unique operation as the foundation layer for cloud-based enterprise application platforms. Fugue automates the implementation of corporate governance, compliance, and change controls after the necessary cloud infrastructure has been created.

The Fugue Conductor’s orchestration engine serves as the “kernel” for cloud environments, continuously automating and enforcing infrastructure and regulations. It runs inside the customer’s cloud account. The conductor, engaged using the Fugue CLI, continuously examines active resources and reconfigures them whenever changes occur that are incompatible with Ludwig (compiled language) definitions, preventing configuration and compliance drift.

Kubernetes

The container orchestration technology Kubernetes is free and open-source. It includes a great scheduler and resource manager to deploy highly available containers more effectively.

For many enterprises, Kubernetes is now the standard container cloud orchestration software.

Global contributors help the cloud-native foundation maintain the Kubernetes project. Individual open-source developers and large organizations both contribute. When compared to native Docker tools, Kubernetes provides several features that they lack. Additionally, Kubernetes is simple to set up.

Nearly 90% of Kubernetes users employ cloud-managed services, according to Datadog’s survey on Kubernetes usage in enterprises.

Cloudify

Cloudify is a Multi-cloud orchestration tool. Cloudify is an open-source platform with a robust service composition engine that integrates with all cloud environments and existing toolchains right out of the box.

It’s simple to manage all your automation tools on one platform with Cloudify, an open-source DevOps automation solution. This central hub for administration is based on automation marketed as “Environment as a Service,” which includes toolchains and built-in connections that enable it to handle heterogeneous environments.

Cloudify is built with an open architectural model ideal for pluggability and supports multi-cloud and hybrid environments. Cloudify streamlines DevOp procedures so you can efficiently maintain programs, even ones with a high level of complexity.

The platform is ideal for users who want to work with hybrid clouds and stacks without modifying their current codebase, workflow, or procedures. Throughout the continuous transformation process, Cloudify combines the finest techniques for automation and orchestration.

Morpheus

Morpheus is another Cloud orchestration example. It is a solid self-service engine that offers organizational agility, control, and effectiveness. With the help of automation, cost analytics, and governance policies, you can easily activate on-premises private clouds, consolidate public cloud access, and orchestrate change.

Because it provides us with a whole hybrid cloud management stack that is specially built to fit the needs of our IT, security, development, finance, and other departments, Morpheus cloud management technology has served us well.

With features like predictive maintenance, tracking, warnings, and robust reporting, Morpheus is a potent public cloud-managed service that gives us more time to work on our core business responsibilities and get greater results rather than spending it on maintenance.

Comparison Criteria

We can consider a few criteria to compare the top cloud orchestration platforms.

• User Interface(UI): A user or web interface that is easy to understand and navigate is crucial. This aspect is vital because cloud orchestration platforms sometimes consist of tiered ecosystems.


• Pricing: Even the most striking qualities of a product must be weighed against its affordability. The platform’s utility in terms of cost, quality, and ability to satisfy client needs is thus reflected in its value for money.


• Usability: Given the complexity of cloud orchestrators as a system, a platform should make the user experience a top priority.


• Integrations: The finest platforms give users flexibility through built-in and out-of-the-box integrations that provide functionality that isn’t native to the platform.

Cloud Orchestration Platforms: Key Features

• Infrastructure as code: This describes the platform’s capacity to allow machine-readable code to be used to provide and manage the platform’s underlying infrastructure rather than manual procedures or actual hardware setup.


• Container orchestration: Particularly on cloud platforms, containerized applications have emerged as the de facto norm for effectively packaging and distributing software. As a result, managing and deploying containers on a cloud orchestration platform should be effective and efficient.


• Support for several clouds: Cloud computing is currently quite popular. Therefore, a cloud orchestration platform needs to be skilled at dynamic scaling, load balancing and managing cloud workloads. Support for private, public, and hybrid cloud models should be possible.


• API Automation: Cloud orchestration platforms must, by necessity, juggle and coordinate several intricately interwoven jobs, systems, and workflows. As a result, there is a need for comprehensive automation, often managed through APIs, to configure and manage a wide variety of resources.

The Importance of Cloud Orchestration Platforms

The desire for automation of deploying and managing applications across the cloud has been fueled by the quick adoption of containerized, micro-services-based apps that communicate over APIs. The demand for cloud orchestration software that can manage the numerous dependencies across various clouds while offering policy-driven security and management capabilities has increased due to this complexity.

The demand for both public and hybrid cloud orchestration has increased as businesses increasingly adopt a hybrid cloud architecture.

The biggest benefit of cloud orchestration is that it eliminates the need for IT professionals to manually manage automation operations, freeing up resources for other useful tasks.

Facilitating the rapid deployment of applications across hybrid IT infrastructure and orchestrating diverse processes across domains and systems frees up enterprises’ time to focus on innovation. The result is an enhanced user and customer experience across the entire organization.

Cloud Orchestration vs. Cloud Automation

While cloud orchestration services involve numerous automated processes working together, automation refers to a single job running independently.

Automation in the cloud involves discrete tasks that are not needed to be connected. An orchestration method for the cloud combines numerous related operations and tools. In cloud automation, starting a web server or shutting down server instances after work is finished are examples of single tasks.

In an orchestration process, servers may be started properly, their availability is ensured, compliance rules are followed, auto-scaling, backup, and failure recovery are used, and the process is terminated when it is finished.

Even though they are not the same thing, cloud orchestration and cloud automation function together, which is why they are used interchangeably.

Cloud Orchestration Use Cases

You can employ a cloud orchestration system to deploy new apps, test environments, patch procedures, and guarantee compliance. In workflows with several repeating tasks, it can also aid in reducing the possibility of human error.

Cloud orchestration can also provide or deploy servers, allocate storage, construct virtual machines, and manage networking.

Here’s an illustration

Consider the scenario of creating a fresh environment for an application. You’ll need to develop tens to hundreds of automated processes. Examples include automating the configuration of the operating system using a scripting tool, automating the deployment process with another device, and adding elastic balancing and new instances during auto-scaling events, among other things.

However, the automation has to be executed in a certain order, with a certain set of responsibilities and permissions, and in a certain setting. Manually coordinating all the steps and procedures would take a lot of time, be confusing, and be prone to mistakes.

Instead, a template for configuring, provisioning, deploying, and establishing new environments can be made using an orchestration tool. To finish the repeatable process, you can then add monitoring, backup, and security services!

Benefits and Limitations of Cloud Orchestration

Benefits of Cloud Orchestration

• Cloud orchestration aids in the development of repeatable standards of practice. This can assist you in setting up uniform workflows, environments, and other specifications for deploying, testing, and monitoring new code or apps before their launch.


• Cloud orchestration eliminates the possibility of human error and the inefficiencies it may bring about, such as a delay in security updates.


• Your company can benefit from quicker time-to-market with reduced human error, strengthening your competitive edge with clients.


• Processes that are highly complicated and automated are visible and controlled by orchestration.


• Simplifying optimization, error reduction, security and compliance are its other benefits.

All of these advantages may result in cost reductions for your entire business.

Limitations of Cloud Orchestration

• Cloud orchestration requires high knowledge. If you don’t already have it on staff, you may need to hire specialist talent, which may cost a lot of money.


• Cloud orchestration includes intricate deployment clusters, translating into various dependencies you must monitor and comprehend to optimize your system.


• Some orchestration technologies lack built-in security optimization. To reduce the hazards, you must either employ experts or do it yourself.


• If you use a hybrid cloud system, you must maintain a fast internet connection between your private and public cloud. That could be challenging in certain environments and circumstances.

Conclusion

Without cloud orchestration, it isn’t easy to realize the full potential of cloud computing. Due to its many advantages, you can be sure that cloud orchestration easily aids service providers in scaling, lowering the risk of downtime, and effectively coordinating the different activities for a better user experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does orchestration look like?

Picture a classical music performance by an orchestra. You may see every type of musician there. It wouldn’t be an orchestra if each musician performed their composition. Their leader unites them. The same idea underlies cloud orchestration (and name, even).

Each musician and their instrument stand for a cloud computing automated task.

The orchestration layer is the conductor of the music.

The lovely classical piece that arises from that high-level coordination is the seamless service delivery that a corporation accomplishes when its cloud workflows are so faultless that its clients don’t detect any downtime.

What is the best cloud orchestration?

The market is filled with several cloud orchestration software. Each piece of software has unique characteristics. The ideal option for you must be chosen based on your needs. Above is a list of the top cloud orchestration tools.

What are the types of orchestration?

There are two types of orchestration: single-cloud and multi-cloud. Multiple apps run on the same cloud service provider in a single cloud model, which is an easier configuration. The multi-cloud configuration is the more intricate but also more potent variant. Here, multi-cloud orchestration integrates several apps spread across various cloud platforms to function as a unified system with the benefit of high redundancy.

Additionally, there are three different ways to deliver cloud services: platform-as-a-service (PaaS), infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), and software-as-a-service (SaaS).

What is orchestration in DevOps?

In the context of DevOps and related disciplines, orchestration is a sort of automation that coordinates different operations to boost productivity and lessen production concerns. While DevOps is interested in automating specific processes inside the broader framework, it is also interested in automating the complete software development cycle.

What is a Cloud orchestration example?

An orchestration method for the cloud combines numerous related operations and tools. In cloud computing, starting a web server or shutting down server instances after work is finished are examples of single tasks.

In an orchestration process, servers may be started properly, their availability is ensured, compliance rules are followed, auto-scaling, backup, and failure recovery are used, and the process is terminated when it is finished.

What is hybrid cloud orchestration?

A hybrid cloud is referred to as a mixture of at least two computing environments that exchange information and execute a standardized set of apps for a company or corporation. A hybrid cloud orchestration refers to the simultaneous use of multiple cloud deployment models, such as public, community, and (virtual) private cloud deployment models.