It was created by Microsoft Research and introduced the Virtual Actor Model as a novel approach to building a new generation of distributed systems for the Cloud era.
Hmmm, getting a very strong Microsoft Enterprise Library vibe.
The Microsoft Enterprise Library is a set of tools and programming libraries for the Microsoft .NET Framework. It provides APIs to facilitate proven practices in core areas of programming.
Packed full of Best Practices and more Enterprisey than Kirk, it was inscrutable to me.
Based on the novel Virtual Actor Design model, I assume Orleans is Design Patterns all the way down.