Microsoft says the 2012 version of the System Center management suite will be a hybrid cloud system manager-- handling not only Windows Server in data centres, but also workloads in on-premises clouds and Window Azure public clouds.
Currently available as a release candidate, System Center 2012 now can manage blocks of heavily virtualised servers in a more automated way, incorporating terms like cloud cloudadmin. Users can use it to build and operate private clouds delivering applications across both private and public cloud platforms.
It integrates x8 products into one solution, which the company says reduces installation and deployment times. Two components are new-- App Controller (allowing administrators to copy and move .NET applications from one OSE to another via drag and drop) and Orchestrator (automating the cration and deployment of system services and numerous workflow tasks).
Self-service capabilities should also simplify processes further, with "service offerings" end-users can build to suit their application needs and schedules within resource limitation presets.