Packages are used for transporting content from one Orchestrator server to another. Packages can contain workflows, actions, policies, Web views, configurations, or resources.
When you add an element to a package, Orchestrator checks for dependencies and adds any dependent elements to the package. For example, if you add a workflow that uses actions or other workflows, Orchestrator adds those actions and workflows to the package.
When you import a package, the server compares the versions of the different elements of its contents to matching local elements. The comparison shows the differences in versions between the local and imported elements. The administrator can decide whether to import the package, or can select specific elements to import.
Packages use digital rights management to control how the receiving server can use the contents of the package. Orchestrator signs packages and encrypts the packages for data protection. Packages can track which users export and redistribute elements by using X509 certificates.
Packages that Orchestrator 3.2 generates are upwardly compatible with Orchestrator 4.x and 5.1. You can import a package from an Orchestrator 3.2 server to an Orchestrator 4.x or 5.1 server. Packages from Orchestrator 4.x and 5.1 are not backward compatible with Orchestrator 3.2. You cannot import a package generated by an Orchestrator 4.x or 5.1 server to an Orchestrator 3.2 server.
For more information about using packages, see Using the VMware vCenter Orchestrator Client.
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| You can export workflows, policies, actions, plug-in references, resources, Web views, and configuration elements in packages. All elements that an element in a package implements are added to the package automatically, to ensure compatibility between versions. If you do not want to add the referenced elements, you can delete them in the package editor. |
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| You set different levels of permission on a package to limit the access that different users or user groups can have to the contents of that package. |