In the Getting Started with the Configuration Manager IP article, I talked about the basic scenarios we thought about when creating the Configuration Manager Integration Pack. Now it's time to go deeper and address some specific datacenter scenarios in detail. One of the things we hear from customers is that although ConfigMgr makes it a lot easier to patch computers through the use of WSUS and the Software Updates Management features, and ConfigMgr lets you assign maintenance windows to avoid taking...

Overview If you are going to work with System Center Service Manager via the Opalis Service Manager Integration Pack, then you had better learn how to interact with Service Manager Activities. But what exactly is an Activity? There exists some confusing terminology that we need to resolve before we go any further into this topic. In Opalis a workflow icon in the Designer used to be named an “Object” (and in fact the docs and the GUI still use this terminology). However, since the...

Overview The dynamic provisioning of virtual machines is probably one of the most requested scenario for Opalis. There appear to be many reasons for this. Some are just looking to automate the routine, mundane and error-prone tasks associated with repetitively building requests for new Virtual Machines. That’s the kind of work Opalis does best. Others are looking to begin the journey of adopting private IT resource clouds and see on-demand virtualization of servers as a great place to start...

Opalis 6.3 introduces four new System Center Integration Packs (for SCCM, SCSM, SCVMM, and SCDPM) and updates the existing OpsMgr IP. We'll be posting a number of deep dives into the different Integration Packs to show some of the scenarios we used in creating them, but I thought that for Configuration Manager I would add a "Getting Started" article to walk through all of the different activities and how to quickly build useful workflows with them. What's In the Configuration Manager IP...

Jeffrey Fanjoy has just uploaded an Opalis Integration Pack for SharePoint to the Opalis Community Project on CodePlex The Integration Pack for Microsoft SharePoint enables you to manipulate SharePoint Lists and Libraries (e.g. Document Libraries, Image Libraries etc.) to add, modify and remove entries, files and attachments. This Integration Pack adds the following objects to Opalis Integration Server: • Create List Item • Delete Attachment • Delete Document • Delete List Item • Download Attachment...

As part of the release of Opalis 6.3, I popped around the engineering teams and did a quick interview with the Program Managers. As I was walking around I managed to grab Rich and Rehan who, in a moment of weakness allowed me to interview them also .  Rich is the Product Unit Manager (PUM) for Opalis and Cross platform, and Rehan is the Group Product Manager (GPM).  Basically they head up the Opalis and Cross Platform engineering teams. So, without further ado, I give you Rich and Rehan...

As part of the release of Opalis 6.3, I popped around the engineering teams and did a quick interview with the Program Managers. In this interview, I talk to Robert who is the Program Manager for the CM IP. Enjoy!    Adam Hall     Sr. Technical Product Manager, Opalis