Glossary · System coordination, integration and orchestration
Service orchestration
German: Dienstorchestrierung
In service-oriented architecture, service orchestration is the coordination of several services by a central orchestrator that calls them in a defined order, passes data between them and handles errors, implementing a business or technical process as a composed service.
- System integration
In one sentence
Service orchestration coordinates several services through a central orchestrator that calls them in order, passes data and handles errors.
Example
A changeover service orchestrates the machine services "stop", "load recipe", "change format parts check" and "start" for each module of a packaging line.
How it applies
- Engineering: The orchestrator owns the process logic, which makes it easy to understand and change in one place. Services should expose clear interfaces and states so the orchestrator can react to results and errors.
- Manufacturing: In modular plants, a process orchestration layer orchestrates services of process modules (for example described with the Module Type Package), and in discrete manufacturing skills of machines.
- Operation: The orchestrator is a single point of failure unless made redundant. Monitor it and define safe fallback states for the services it controls.
- Documentation: Document each orchestrated process (steps, services, data, error handling) and the service interfaces. Process diagrams help integrators and operators alike.
Service orchestration vs. service choreography
Orchestration uses a central conductor; Service choreography relies on services reacting to events. Orchestration gives better visibility and control; choreography gives looser coupling.