CenturyLink Intros New Multi-Cloud Automation, Orchestration Service

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CenturyLink this week launched Runner, a configuration management and orchestration service that works across hybrid-IT architectures and diverse cloud environments.

Runner aims to reduce private-cloud complexity and administrative workload by allowing for “fast and easy automation of infrastructure in any cloud or data center,” the company said. It offers automation and orchestration on the CenturyLink Cloud Platform, as well as on third-party cloud providers and on-premises infrastructures and devices.

Chris Kent, CenturyLink’s senior product manager for Runner, tells Channel Partners that Runner’s new product marketplace brings “partners and customers closer than ever before.”

“With single, button-click functionality, it’s easy for customers to quickly execute partner products across their infrastructure, which includes outside of the CenturyLink Cloud Platform,” he said.

Whether provisioning, configuring or deploying, Runner makes it “easy to quickly create and run jobs, report on the status and share within your organization, all within the dashboard or API,” Kent said. {ad}

While companies are discovering the value of operating their business in the cloud, some require their own private clouds or the need to maintain their own devices, while others need better distribution in case of failures, he said. With Runner, “you get the same result anytime you run the job, no matter how large your infrastructure, while dramatically reducing human error and operating costs,” he said.

“With Runner’s new ‘Minion’ model, executing jobs and products in a customer’s space has never been easier,” Kent said. “The Minion sits on the customer’s network and interacts with their infrastructure, receives commands, executes them and reports the statuses back.”

Runner includes: one-click management and provisioning; availability anywhere; infrastructure as code; efficient patch management; SSH key management; and simple software configuration.

“I believe partners will play a major role in customer adoption and success,” Kent said. “Our marketplace, specifically partner products, offer customers a simple and easy way to explore Runner and manage their environment; for example: install software, provision infrastructure, configure daily backups, monitor devices and much more. All with the click of a mouse.”