orcharhino 7.10 Delivers Performance Optimizations, Secure Boot for Proxmox, and Enhanced Automation Features

The platform is also being further developed in the area of automation. Ansible Director, available as a Technology Preview, enables a closer integration of provisioning and configuration management with orcharhino 7.10: Ansible roles can be assigned to hosts and host groups, while newly provisioned systems can automatically schedule an initial Ansible run. At the same time, the orcharhino documentation has been further expanded and supplemented with additional guidance for recurring administrative tasks.

Those interested can find more information about orcharhino at www.orcharhino.com.

Performance Improvements for Upgrades and Remote Execution

With orcharhino 7.10, several processes have been optimized that can significantly impact processing time, particularly in larger installations.

During an orcharhino upgrade, task cleanup is now distributed across multiple CPU cores instead of using just a single core. This accelerates this part of the upgrade process .

Another optimization concerns remote execution jobs. Background processing has been improved, particularly for users assigned to a large number of organizations. This results in shorter loading times in the user interface. Further improvements to the remote execution interface are planned for future releases.

UEFI Secure Boot for Proxmox Compute Resources

With version 7.10, orcharhino extends the provisioning of virtual machines on Proxmox to include support for UEFI Secure Boot. Virtual machines can now be created directly via the Proxmox Compute Resource with Secure Boot enabled.

For administrators, this is particularly relevant for the automated deployment of operating systems that require Secure Boot or are intended to run in environments with corresponding security requirements. During system startup, only trusted and signed boot components are loaded.

This allows Secure Boot to be integrated into standardized provisioning processes with orcharhino, even in Proxmox-based infrastructures.

Enhanced Audit Logs for Logins and Failed Login Attempts

Starting with version 7.10, orcharhino’s audit functions have been enhanced with additional information on user activities. In addition to the events already logged, logins, logouts, and failed login attempts can now also be tracked in the audits.

This enhancement builds on the existing capabilities for external processing of audit logs. Audit events can be logged separately in a structured format and forwarded, for example, to central logging, SIEM, or compliance systems.

The additional login information makes it easier for administrators to track user activities and incorporate security-related events into existing monitoring and compliance processes.

Documentation Is Continuously Expanded

In addition to new features, ATIX AG continues to develop the orcharhino documentation with every release. This process incorporates both technical changes and user feedback. For version 7.10, various chapters have been structurally revised, and additional guidance for typical administrative tasks has been added.

One example concerns working with activation keys and host collections. Hosts can be assigned to a host collection via an activation key as early as the registration phase. Administrators who use host collections—for example, to group systems for updates or distribution upgrades—can thus integrate this assignment directly into the registration process.

The corresponding instructions are now readily available in the relevant sections of the documentation, making it easier to find existing features and incorporate them into administrative workflows.

Tech Preview: Ansible Director Automates the Initial Configuration of New Hosts

Ansible Director, introduced in previous releases, is being further expanded in o rcharhino 7.10 as a Technology Preview. The focus this time is on the direct assignment of Ansible content to managed hosts.

Administrators can assign Ansible roles to individual hosts or entire host groups. This allows common configuration settings to be defined centrally and applied to the respective systems.

This new feature is particularly relevant for provisioning: After a new host is provisioned, an initial Ansible run can be automatically scheduled. This not only provisions the operating system but also allows it to immediately receive the Ansible configuration intended for that specific host.

This process reduces the number of manual steps between provisioning and configuration management. At the same time, it enables the deployment of reproducible configurations, as new hosts can automatically receive their intended configuration after the operating system is installed.

In orcharhino 7.10, Ansible Director remains a Technology Preview and is therefore not yet intended for production use.

About orcharhino
orcharhino is the comprehensive solution for the automation and orchestration of IT infrastructures. The enterprise open-source solution can be deployed in both Windows and Linux environments and enables automated deployment, configuration and lifecycle management, as well as release and patch management. orcharhino can be operated both on-premises and in the cloud.

Developed by ATIX AG as an open-source product for enterprises, orcharhino offers organizations of all sizes maximum flexibility, efficiency, and control—backed by a strong partner network and professional support.

For more information, visit www.orcharhino.com