Preparing your environment for System Center 2012 R2 Orchestrator
Updated: May 13, 2016
Applies To: System Center 2012 R2 Orchestrator
Here are the system requirements and considerations to keep in mind before you deploy System Center 2012 R2 Orchestrator.
If you’re evaluating your environment, see System Requirements for System Center 2012 R2
Before installing on a single computer
Here are the system requirements and considerations to keep in mind before you deploy System Center 2012 R2 Orchestrator on a single computer.
If you’re evaluating your environment, see System Requirements for System Center 2012 R2
Note
Installing Orchestrator on the same computer as a domain controller is not supported.
Hardware
Orchestrator requires supported hardware. For a list of the supported hardware for Orchestrator, see Hardware.
Operating system
Orchestrator features require a supported operating system. For a list of the supported operating systems for each feature, see Server Operating Systems in System Center 2012 R2.
Software
The following software is required for a full installation of Orchestrator on a single computer.
| Requirement | Additional information |
|---|---|
| Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 or Microsoft SQL Server 2012 | Orchestrator requires only the basic SQL Server features found in the Database Engine Service. No additional features are required. Orchestrator supports SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS for collation. The installation wizard uses SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS as the default collation to create the orchestration database. Management servers and runbook servers installed on the same computer must use the same database. The management server must run as a 32-bit application. |
| Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) | Setup enables the IIS role if it is not enabled. |
| Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 | Must be manually installed before running Setup |
| Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 (see the procedure immediately following this table) | Also requires WCF HTTP Activation |
| Join the computer to an Active Directory domain | |
| Microsoft Silverlight 4 | On first use of the Orchestration console, you are prompted to install Microsoft Silverlight 4 on the computer if it is not already installed. |
To install .NET Framework 4.5 and HTTP Activation on Windows Server 2012
On the Windows Start screen, click the Server Manager tile.
On the Manage menu in the Server Manager console, click Add Roles and Features.
Go through the wizard until you reach the Features page.
Expand .NET Framework 4.5 Features.
Select .NET Framework 4.5 if it isn’t already selected.
Expand WCF Services.
Select HTTP Activation if it isn’t already selected.
Click Next and follow the prompts to finish the installation. If you have problems, check the issues covered in Troubleshoot Your Orchestrator Installation.
Before a distributed installation
Here are the system requirements and considerations to keep in mind before you deploy individual features of System Center 2012 R2 Orchestrator.
If you’re evaluating your environment, see System Requirements for System Center 2012 R2
Management server requirements
Here are the system requirements and considerations to keep in mind before you deploy the Orchestrator management server.
Hardware
Orchestrator features require supported hardware. For a list of the supported hardware for each Orchestrator feature, see Hardware.
Operating system
Orchestrator features require a supported operating system. For a list of the supported operating systems for each feature, see Server Operating Systems in System Center 2012 R2.
| Feature | Operating system |
|---|---|
| Management server | Windows Server 2008 R2 Windows Server 2012 Windows Server 2012 R2 |
Software
The following software must be deployed and available to install the Orchestrator management server:
| Requirement | Additional information |
|---|---|
| Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 or Microsoft SQL Server 2012 | Orchestrator requires only the basic SQL Server features found in the Database Engine Service. No additional features are required. Orchestrator supports SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS for collation. The installation wizard uses SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS as the default collation to create the orchestration database. Management servers and runbook servers installed on the same computer must use the same database. The management server must run as a 32-bit application. |
| Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 | Orchestrator Setup installs and enables .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 if it is not installed and enabled. |
Runbook server requirements
Here are the system requirements and considerations to keep in mind before you deploy the Orchestrator runbook server.
Hardware
Orchestrator features require supported hardware. For a list of the supported hardware for each Orchestrator feature, see Hardware.
Operating system
Orchestrator features require a supported operating system. For a list of the supported operating systems for each feature, see Server Operating Systems in System Center 2012 R2.
Software
The following software must be deployed and available to install the Orchestrator runbook server:
| Requirement | Additional information |
|---|---|
| The Orchestrator management server and database must be already deployed and functional. | |
| Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 | Must be manually installed before running Setup |
Orchestrator web service requirements
Here are the system requirements and considerations to keep in mind before you deploy the Orchestrator web service.
Hardware
Orchestrator features require supported hardware. For a list of the supported hardware for each Orchestrator feature, see Hardware.
Operating system
Orchestrator features require a supported operating system. For a list of the supported operating systems for each feature, see Server Operating Systems in System Center 2012 R2.
Software
The following must be deployed and available to successfully install the Orchestrator web service:
| Requirement | Additional information |
|---|---|
| The Orchestrator management server and database must be already deployed and functional. | |
| Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0 | Setup enables the IIS role if it is not enabled. |
| Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 | Must be manually installed before running Setup |
| Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 (see the procedure immediately following this table) | Also requires WCF HTTP Activation |
| Microsoft Silverlight 4 | Microsoft Silverlight 4 is not required for the Orchestrator web service installation. It is required for any computer that runs the Orchestration console. |
To install .NET Framework 4.5 and HTTP Activation on Windows Server 2012
On the Windows Start screen, click the Server Manager tile.
On the Manage menu in the Server Manager console, click Add Roles and Features.
Go through the wizard until you reach the Features page.
Expand .NET Framework 4.5 Features.
Select .NET Framework 4.5 if it isn’t already selected.
Expand WCF Services.
Select HTTP Activation if it isn’t already selected.
Click Next and follow the prompts to finish the installation. If you have problems, check the issues covered in Troubleshoot Your Orchestrator Installation.
Runbook Designer requirements
Here are the system requirements and considerations to keep in mind before you deploy the Orchestrator Runbook Designer.
Hardware
Orchestrator features require supported hardware. For a list of the supported hardware for each Orchestrator feature, see Hardware.
Operating system
The following table lists the supported operating systems for the Orchestrator Runbook Designer.
| Feature | Operating system |
|---|---|
| Runbook Designer | Windows Server 2008 R2 Windows Server 2012 Windows Server 2012 R2 Windows 7, 32-bit or 64-bit |
Software
The following software must be deployed and available to successfully install the Orchestrator Runbook Designer.
| Requirement | Additional information |
|---|---|
| The Orchestrator management server and database must be already deployed and functional. | |
| Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 | Must be manually installed before running Setup |
Running Orchestrator in an on-premises virtual machine
The system requirements for an System Center 2012 R2 Orchestrator installation in an on-premises virtual machine are the same as they are for Orchestrator on a physical computer. Orchestrator does not require a domain controller to be deployed with it.
Running Orchestrator in a Windows Azure virtual machine
System Center 2012 R2 Orchestrator runs on Windows Azure just as it does on physical computer systems.
Orchestrator was tested by Microsoft by installing and using it in a Windows Azure virtual machine. The testing concluded that Orchestrator was fully functional and operated exactly the same as it does on physical hardware.Stability and performance benchmarks inside a Windows Azure virtual machine were at a level where no special considerations were needed. Orchestrator does not require a domain controller to be deployed with it, and the virtual machine requirements do not differ from what is recommended for the product that is deployed in an on-premises virtual machine.
Other resources for this product
TechNet Library main page for Orchestrator