In a private or public cloud solution, end users focus not on virtual machines or servers, but rather on applications and services. Because VMM focuses primarily on virtual machines and service management, you need an additional tool that enables application owners to view services and applications. In previous VMM versions such as System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2, the Self-Service Portal enabled end users to create and manage virtual machines from their
permission scope. However, the Self-Service Portal is orientated to virtual machines, and not to services or applications.
Benefits of App Controller
App Controller enables users to self-manage application components directly from within their browser. It also provides them with a unified view that enables them to manage applications and services across private clouds and Windows Azure™.
App Controller provides the self-service component of this solution by enabling application owners to:
• Configure, deploy, and manage services through a browser window, using a library of standard templates.
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• Provide self-service application management, visibility, and control across both the Microsoft private cloud services, and the Microsoft public cloud services such as Windows Azure.
• Create, manage, and move services without needing to know what servers they are on, or needing to use server-level tools.
• View and connect to virtual machines and services on private and public clouds. Job tracking and history views of jobs and actions taken are also available.
App Controller also enables data center administrators to delegate authority to application owners.
Predefined templates ensure compliance with company IT standards and policies. By using App Controller, data center administrators can create for application owners a customized, role-based view of private and public cloud services, and a view of consumed and available resources. In addition, application owners can customize all service components, including virtual machines, network resources, and load balancing.
You can also use App Controller to move applications and components within public and private cloud environments. You can copy Windows Azure configuration, package files, and .vhd/.vhdx files among Windows Azure subscriptions. You can also copy service templates and resources from one VMM server to another.
App Controller has been updated to work with VMM. App Controller can connect to the version of the Service Provider Foundation that shipped with System Center 2012 SP1 and System Center 2012 R2.
You use the Services page in the App Controller web-based console to deploy new services to public and private clouds, and even change the properties of the services that are already deployed. You also can deploy virtual machines to either VMM, Windows Azure, or to another hosting provider. If a virtual machine is part of a VMM service, it deploys when the service deploys.
The App Controller web-based console can also provide management control of the services in virtual machines that are deployed already on VMM private clouds, and of services that are deployed on Windows Azure.
On the services page, you can list the deployed services and display a diagram, much like the Services Template Designer. The diagram enables you to view or change deployed service properties, and view other tasks that you can perform on deployed services.
To deploy a service to a private cloud, go to the Clouds node in the App Controller console tree. You can then right-click a named cloud in the Clouds details pane, and then click Deploy. Alternatively, on the control bar at the top of the Clouds details pane, you can click the Deploy button. App Controller uses the New Deployment diagram view to configure the settings for the service deployment. The New
Deployment view has a Deploy button that is not available until all required settings have been supplied.
You can also manage deployed services by selecting the Services node in the App Controller console tree.
The All Deployed Services details pane has a list of the various deployed services. A VMM administrator in the VMM console creates service templates. After you create these templates and delegate them to a user role, they display as deployed services in the All Deployed Services details pane. You can then right-click a deployed service name, or select the name and then use the various buttons on the control bar above.
The Open Diagram button brings up a diagram view that enables you to change settings for a particular deployed service. You can also start, stop, suspend, and resume a deployed service. There is also a Servicing icon that enables you to upgrade and delete deployed services and resolve any issues found.
If your organization has a subscription to Windows Azure, you can add the items in that subscription to the App Controller web-based console. You can find Windows Azure hyperlinks and icons in in the App Controller Library.
To deploy a service to Windows Azure, you must first create the Windows Azure configuration and package files. You must first upload these files to the Windows Azure storage account. After you complete this step and after you select the particular configuration file, the diagram view loads with the proper
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information, which enables you to click hyperlinks to configure settings. After this configuration is done, the Deploy button in the diagram view becomes available.
The Virtual Machines node of the App Controller web-based console also has a Deploy button. When you select it, the console displays a New Deployment diagram view that you can use to create a virtual machine. Similar to the deployed services diagram view, you can click hyperlinks in the view to configure the various settings. The Deploy button is available only after you complete all of the required
configurations.
You can also use the Virtual Machines node to select and then right-click a listed virtual machine, which opens a context menu. Alternatively, you can highlight the virtual machine in the Virtual Machines node, and then choose an item from the control bar above to manage it. The functionality in the Virtual Machines node enables you to:
• Open a diagram of an existing virtual machine
• View its properties
• Start the virtual machine
• Store it in a virtual machine library
• Mount an .iso image file to it
• Open a Console to the virtual machine
• Delete the virtual machine
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