Microsoft System Center Orchestrator Reviews

Our primary use case for Microsoft System Center Orchestrator is to manage Windows machines, including workstations and servers. We utilize it to deploy purchases and monitor activities across our environment.

The product's management aspect needs enhancement. It affects the visibility of powerful scripts that were previously accessible. Furthermore, the focus is shifting towards cloud-based features, specifically for Azure machines. However, these features are not available for on-site installations.

We are currently using it.

Initially, after installation, the product was stable. However, approximately four years ago, it began exhibiting downtime and requiring constant maintenance and workarounds to keep it operational. Maintaining it has become increasingly difficult over time. The solution has not improved with time but has become more complicated, aligning with the trend observed in many Microsoft solutions.

It is a scalable product.

Despite having dedicated IT personnel for the entire System Center suite and a significant investment in premium support, we do not receive enough assistance to resolve our issues.

The initial setup was quite complex. It required careful preparation of installation steps, as many tasks were not automated as expected. Special attention was needed to prepare groups, users, and permissions at each step to ensure a smooth setup process. Please do so accurately to avoid having to start over. Challenges encountered during deployment included issues with installation and configuration and difficulties detecting machines and executing tasks as expected. Some solutions were found through trial and error during installation, while others were discovered through recommendations from other users. Despite these challenges, the deployment and rollout of Orchestrator took approximately one and a half months to ensure proper functionality.

We implemented the product with the help of our in-house team.

The platform was almost free of cost for us. We obtained a license that bundled Windows Server with System Center at no additional cost.

Microsoft System Center Orchestrator proves valuable in various scenarios, particularly in managing changes within our infrastructure. It can manage multiple servers and workstations from a single location.

We only utilize the workflow management capabilities partially. We integrate it with other tools since our machines are categorized differently, allowing us to manage each group independently. This setup enables us to automate tasks, facilitating efficient management of specific sets of machines when necessary.

I rate it a 9.

I use the solution for automation purposes, such as sending SMS or emails, or for generating reports. I use Microsoft System Center Orchestrator mostly for these things, or to synchronize with the service manager, for example setting active users or assigned to.

I worked on a project for a big company in Iran. For example, it was a telecom project or bank project, or an electronic payment project. I used the solution for a ticketing system, service managers, and service desk projects.

Automation is the most valuable feature of the solution. Instead of using my time to create reports by hand, I can use automation tools to write the scripts and generate the reports, so I can focus my time on other tasks.

I find the Orchestrator UI to be problematic. The table it uses to power my scripts is not very user-friendly.

I have been using the solution for two and a half years.

I give the stability an eight out of ten.

I give the scalability an eight out of ten.

We have five people using the solution in our organization.

The initial setup is straightforward. I give the setup an eight out of ten.

The deployment takes between two and three hours depending on if there are errors.

I give the cost of the solution a five out of ten.

I give the solution a six out of ten.

I believe the concept is good. And because solving the problem is going to require both a conceptual solution and an implementation solution, we could find our solution in Microsoft System Center Orchestrator. I recommend the solution.