Orchestration Workloads on Custom Targets
Overview
Orchestration Workloads on Custom Targets Solution are automation-only objects that can be manually created and managed within Intelligent Recovery Service. They are intended for Orchestration purposes and are not associated with replication, discovery, monitoring, or resiliency insights.
You can create these workloads configure them through the Basics and Automation tabs and use them as execution targets within recovery workflows. The Insights tab intentionally displays “Insight Not Available" because monitoring and resiliency data are not applicable to these automation targets.
How to use this guide
Use this guide to:
- Manually define targets such as IP addresses, endpoints, network devices, and services so that they can participate in orchestration workflows even though they are not traditional protected workloads.
Solution capabilities
See the following capabilities:
- Enable manual creation and management of automation-only workloads within Intelligent Recovery Service for orchestration use cases.
- Provide support for user-defined execution targets such as IP addresses, endpoints, network devices, and services that are not traditional protected workloads.
- Allow configuration of custom target workloads through the Basics and Automation tabs to support orchestration requirements.
- Enable custom targets to participate in recovery and orchestration workflows as execution endpoints.
- Ensure a clear separation between orchestration targets and protected workloads by excluding replication, discovery, monitoring, and resiliency functions.
- Provide visibility into workload status and configuration while indicating that monitoring and resiliency insights are not applicable through an "Insight Not Available" message on the Insights tab.
- Expand orchestration capabilities by allowing automation workflows to interact with infrastructure components and services beyond standard protected workloads.
- Simplify automation workflow design by enabling users to define and manage orchestration targets directly within Intelligent Recovery Service without requiring associated protection or monitoring configurations.
Risks, Assumptions, Constraints and Dependencies (RACD)
Risks
See the following risks:
- Connectivity issues: Network outages, firewall restrictions, or DNS resolution failures can prevent workflows from reaching target systems.
- Credential and authentication failures: Expired, incorrect, or missing credentials may result in unsuccessful automation execution.
- Limited visibility: Since monitoring and resiliency insights are not available, issues with target health may not be detected proactively through Intelligent Recovery Service.
Dependencies
See the following dependencies:
- External systems and services: Successful workflow execution depends on the availability and responsiveness of configured endpoints, APIs, applications, and network devices.
- Authentication services: Access to targets may depend on credential stores, API tokens, service accounts, or authentication providers.
Features and benefits of the solution
- Enables broader orchestration capabilities by allowing IP addresses, endpoints, network devices, services, and other non-traditional assets to participate in automation workflows.
- Supports diverse automation scenarios, including service validation, API invocation, network configuration updates, script execution, and application dependency orchestration.
- Delivers a clear user experience by explicitly indicating that resiliency insights and monitoring data are not applicable to these workloads.
- Maximizes the value of orchestration workflows by extending automation beyond protected workloads to encompass the broader IT ecosystem.
Prerequisites
Find the prerequisites below:
- Solution configuration: The project must be configured with the Orchestration Workloads on Custom Targets solution.
- Target Information availability: Required target details such as IP addresses, hostnames, URLs, API endpoints, network devices, or service identifiers must be available before workload creation.
- Automation details: Any scripts, commands, credentials, parameters, or automation actions required for execution should be identified and validated.
Setting up the solution
From the Kyndryl Bridge main menu, go to Services -> Kyndryl Services -> Intelligent Recovery Service. From the local navigation, select Setup & Configuration.
For more information, go to Setup & Configuration.
This data collection mechanism enables users to onboard custom resources such as IP addresses, services, endpoints, DNS records, network devices, and other user-defined targets for workflow orchestration. Unlike traditional workloads, these resources are not automatically discovered. Instead, users manually define the resources that will be used as automation targets.
Project creation
From the Kyndryl Bridge main menu 
, go to Services --> Kyndryl Services --> Intelligent Recovery Services. From the local navigation, select Setup & Configuration.
For more information, go to Setup & ConfigurationSetup & Configuration.
Discovery
Initiate Data Collection button will be disabled for “Orchestration Workloads on Custom Targets”.
Data Collection Steps
- Navigate to Discover → Select a project configured with Orchestration Workloads on Custom Targets blueprint
- Click Configure icon under Actions.
- Add Resource Details like Resource Type and resource Name.
- Enter the type of resource.
Examples:
IP Address, DNC Entry, Network Device
Resource Name
Enter a unique name for the resource.
Examples:
AppServer01, DNS-Service-East, AutomationTarget01
- Save Resource.
- The resource is added to the inventory and becomes available for workload creation and orchestration activities.
- You can add one or more resources using the Add Host functionality.
Use the Resource page to select created resource to create Intelligent Recovery Service workloads for executing automation.
Resource
- Navigate to Setup & Configuration -> Resource.
- Select the project and the associated resource of Orchestration Workloads on Custom Targets solution
- Select one or more resources.
- Click Create Workload.
- Enter a meaningful workload name and save the workload.
A resource must be converted into a workload.
Onboarding
To configure a workload, follow the steps below:
- Navigate to Workloads from the Intelligent Recovery Service console.
- Locate the required workload in the workload list.
- Click the Workload Name to open the Workload Details panel.
- In the Workload Details panel, select the Basic tab.
- Provide or update the required configuration details under the Parameters section
- Review all entered information and ensure the values are accurate.
- Click Save to save the Basic configuration.
- Within the same Workload Details panel, select the Automation tab.
- Configure the required automation parameters based on the automation use case.
- Click Save to apply the automation configuration.
- Select the workload and click on Manage tab to onboard the workload.
- Workloads configured under the Orchestration-Workloads-on-Custom-Targets solution are automation-only workloads and do not support workload insights/Monitoring. Therefore, when accessing the insight tab, users will see the following message:
“Insights are not available for this workload because it is configured as an Automation-only solution.”
Assign a Group
To assign a group, follow these steps:
- Navigate to Workloads from the Intelligent Recovery Service console.
- Locate the required workload in the workload list.
- Select the checkbox corresponding to the workload you want to assign to a solution group.
- Click Assign Group.
- In the Assign Group panel, open the Group dropdown.
- Select an existing solution group from the list.
- Click Assign Group to associate the workload with the selected solution group.
- Verify that the workload is successfully assigned and that the selected group name is displayed in the Groups column for the workload.
- Navigate to the assigned solution group and open it for editing.
- Re-import the required workflows to ensure the newly assigned workload is available for workflow composition.
- Verify that the imported workflows are successfully displayed within the solution group.
Execute Workflows
Prerequisites
- A workload must be created using an available resource associated with the "Orchestration-Workloads-on-Custom-Targets" solution.
- The workload must be assigned to a solution group.
- The required workflows must be imported and available for use.
To execute the workflow:
- Navigate to the Solution Group and select Edit.
- Open the Compose Workflow page.
- From the Technology dropdown, select Automation Workloads.
- Verify that the list of available automation workloads is displayed.
- Example automations may include:
- Start Application
- Stop Application
- Execute Command
- Select the required automation workload from the list.
- Add the selected automation workload to the workflow canvas.
- Repeat the process to add additional automation workloads as required.
- Connect the workflow activities on the canvas in the desired execution sequence.
- Review the workflow configuration and validate the activity flow.
- Click Publish Workflow to save and publish the workflow.
- Once the workflow is published, initiate the Run/Execute Workflow operation.
- Verify that the workflow execution starts successfully and progresses according to the defined sequence.