Automation and Orchestration

Have you ever wondered what the difference between automation and orchestration is?

Wikipedia defines automation as the use of various control systems for operating equipment. The definition I prefer (because it’s easier to understand in network automation environment) is the elimination of well-defined repeatable manual tasks – the emphasis being on well-defined and repeatable.

What about orchestration? According to Wikipedia, it’s an automated arrangement, coordination, and management that defines the policies and service levels through automated workflows, provisioning, and change management. Yet again, a simpler definition might make more sense: grouping of automated tasks in coordinated workflows.

Let’s make this a bit less abstract:

Enabling an interface? ------------>Automation.

Configuring a VLAN on a switch?---------------> Automation.

Creating interface descriptions based on LLDP neighbors?--------> Automation.

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Creating a VLAN service by enabling edge interfaces, configuring access VLANs, creating VLAN-to-VXLAN mappings, and testing the end-to-end connectivity? ---------------------------->Orchestration.

So, while automation refers to a single task, orchestration arranges tasks to optimize a workflow. For example, orchestrating an app means not only deploying an application but also connecting it to the network so it can communicate with users and other app