Q: What is needed to install System Center Orchestrator 2012 Release Candidate?

A: Installing System Center Orchestrator 2012 is actually very easy. The only item you have to download and install prior to installation is the .NET Framework 4.0, which you can download from the Microsoft website.

You also need to enable the .NET Framework 3.5.1 Features elements of Windows Server 2008 R2 and various IIS components, though the System Center Orchestrator 2012 setup routine will actually do all this automatically. To enable it in advance, use this Windows PowerShell command:

Add-WindowsFeature Web-Static-Content,Web-Default-Doc,Web-Dir-Browsing,Web-Http-Errors,Web-Http-Logging,Web-Request-Monitor,Web-Filtering,Web-Stat-Compression,RDC, NET-Framework, NET-Framework-Core

You also need a SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard or Enterprise database (not 2008) and a Windows Server 2008 R2 server (again, not 2008).

Create an account for the Orchestrator service. It needs to be a normal domain user account, not a domain administrator account. I call it OISService, but you can follow your own naming convention.

1. Launch the Orchestrator setup. Ignore the request for a product key and enter your name and organization, then click Next.
2. You will be prompted for the features to install, which, by default, will include the Management Server, the runbook server, the console and web service, and the runbook designer. Click Next.
3. You will be prompted for your service account. (See the screen shot below.) Click Next.

4. Enter the SQL Server 2008 R2 Server. (See screen shot below.) After testing the connection, click Next.
   
   scorchinstdb-Copy
   
   
   
5. Accept the default database name and click Next.
6. Click Next again to accept the default Orchestrators users group, which will be created as a local group on the server name OrchestratorUsersGroup.
7. The ports for the Orchestrator web services and console will be displayed. They’re port 81 and 82 by default. You can leave the defaults, and click Next again.
8. Confirm the installation location, then click Next.
9. Select if Microsoft Update should be used, and click Next.
10. You will be prompted if you wish to provide feedback automatically. Click Next.
11. A summary of the installation options will be displayed. Click Install.
12. The installation is very fast, and you’re now ready to install Integration Packs and create runbooks!

A great place to go for detailed information is the TechNet deployment documentation for System Center Orchestrator 2012, “Deploying System Center 2012- Orchestrator Release Candidate.”