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193

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Hi, I am working with a small hosting provider looking for a "motor" to be the central hub for automation their IT-related processes (and possibly other processes as well. An example of this could be a customer ordering a custom virtual server from their website. This server would need to pass through an approval chain (if it's a new customer) or go straight to deployment, where various servers would set this up through scripts. Basically, we're looking for something to be the "hub" where all these scripts are tied together and the various processes described and executed.

I'm keeping a half eye on Biztalk server for this, but I know it's a complex product. Does anyone have any tips on other products we should check out? Although this is a mixed (linuz and windows) environment the process system would run on Windows.

best regards, Trond

A: 

Sounds like the Windows Workflow Foundation "stuff" might be useful: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms735967.aspx

..but if you choose the WF path you have to rememebr you'll have to worry about hosting (including scalability, performance etc.) and management; depending on your requirements that might be a big feat.
Yossi Dahan