Comparing Configuration Manager Orchestration Groups to Beekeeper

In version 1909 of Configuration Manager, Microsoft implemented Orchestration Groups as a Pre-Release feature. Orchestration Groups allow you to set patching order and pre/post patching scripts. These are very basic options that Beekeeper has been doing for years.

Orchestration Group configuration allows some options for patching order:

Configuration Manager Orchestration Groups allow you to set a percentage of nodes to patch at the same time, one at a time, or specify the patching order. Beekeeper allows to configure patching order, and you decide whether to Parallel or Sequentially Patch your groups.

Configuration Manager Orchestration Groups have Pre-Scripts and Post-Scripts.

Beekeeper allows you to set a full range of Validation Task:

Beekeeper can run PowerShell scripts, as well as DSC, Check a Port, Check a Process, Check a Service, Check last SQL Backup, Check a URL, Run IISReset, Run an Orchestrator Runbook, Run a Program, and Run a SQL Query.

Beekeeper allows you to run these Validation tasks at different phases during the patching process:

You can set the Validation Tasks to run during any of the phases, as well as sequencing multiple Validation Tasks during the same Phase.

To execute the patching cycle on Configuration Manager Orchestration Groups, you have to start them manually:

Beekeeper allows you to schedule the patching cycle or execute immediately:

You can configure a schedule in Beekeeper to be a relative offset from Patch Tuesday. By setting the day offset to 4, you have a schedule that runs on the Saturday after Patch Tuesday!

Beekeeper augments Configuration Manager’s patching abilities way beyond Orchestration Groups. Patching Exchange DAGs, Windows Failover Clusters, and SQL Availability Groups is so easy with Beekeeper.

You can review the videos on Beekeeper:

Make sure you request a trial!

-JFH