Authoring Automation Runbooks
Updated: May 13, 2016
Applies To: Windows Azure Pack for Windows Server, System Center 2012 R2 Orchestrator
Runbooks in Service Management Automation and Microsoft Azure Automation are Windows PowerShell workflows. They provide the ability to automate administrative processes for managing and deploying cloud servers or any other function that a Windows PowerShell script can perform.
There is no difference in the runbooks between the two systems, and the same runbook can run on either with identical functionality. When the term Automation is used in this guide, it refers to both Service Management Automation and Microsoft Azure Automation.
The additional services provided by Automation for working with Windows PowerShell Workflows include the following:
Centralized storage and management of runbooks.
Scalable architecture for scheduling and running runbooks.
Global resources that are centrally managed and available to all runbooks.
User interface for authoring and testing runbooks.
Set of cmdlets for managing and starting runbooks.
Runbook Authoring Topics
The following topics provide information on creating and working with Automation runbooks.
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Describes the concepts of Automation runbooks and Windows PowerShell Workflows.
Creating or Importing a Runbook
Different methods for creating a new runbook or importing an existing runbook.
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Details on how to edit a runbook once it’s created.
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How to publish the draft version of a runbook to make it available to be executed.
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How to test a runbook before you publish it.
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Assets such as connections and variables that are available to all runbooks.
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Details on the different methods for sending output and user messages from a runbook.
Starting a Runbook from Another Runbook
Guidance on the different methods for calling one runbook from another runbook.
Starting a Runbook from Another Runbook
Details on how to build an integration module with activities that can be used by runbook.
See Also