4.0

Accessing the Server from Web Service Clients
By default, Orchestrator permits access to workflows from Web service clients. However, the Orchestrator
administrator can configure the server to deny connections from Web service clients.
If the Orchestrator administrator has disabled access to the server from Web service clients, the server only
answers Web service client calls from the echo() and echoWorkflow() methods, for testing purposes.
The Orchestrator administrator enables and disables access to the server from Web service clients by setting a
system property. See the VMware vCenter Orchestrator Administration Guide for information about setting system
properties.
Create a Web Service Client
You can use the Orchestrator Web service API to create a Web service client to connect to the Orchestrator
Server. The Web service connection allows you to access workflows in the Orchestrator server and perform
operations on them.
Prerequisites
You must have generated the Web service client stub from the Orchestrator WSDL definition by using a code
generator.
Procedure
1 Connect to the Orchestrator Web Service on page 251
Web service applications establish connections to the Orchestrator server through simple object access
protocol (SOAP) binding, using either the HTTP or HTTPS protocols.
2 Find Objects in the Orchestrator Server on page 252
To perform any useful task with a workflow, you must find the objects on which the workflow will run.
The Orchestrator Web service API provides functions for finding objects of all types in the VMware
Infrastructure inventory.
3 Find Objects by Using the find Operation on page 252
You can use the find operation to find objects of any type that match a particular search criterion, that
you set in the query parameter.
4 Find Objects by Using the findForId Operation on page 253
You can use the findForId operation to find an object if you know a specific object's unique ID.
5 Find Objects by Using the findRelation Operation on page 254
You can use the findRelation operation to locate the children of a particular object.
6 Find Workflows in the Orchestrator Server on page 256
When you have found the objects with which to interact, you must find the workflows that perform these
interactions.
7 Find Workflows by Using the getAllWorkflows Operation on page 256
The getAllWorkflows operation lists all workflows that a user can access as an array of Workflow objects.
8 Find Workflows by Using the getWorkflowsWithName Operation on page 256
If you know the name of a particular workflow, as it is defined in the Orchestrator client, the Web service
application can obtain this workflow using its name or part of its name.
9 Find Workflows by Using the getWorkflowForID Operation on page 257
If you know a particular workflow ID, a Web service application can obtain this workflow by using the
getWorkflowForID operation.
vCenter Orchestrator Developer's Guide
250 VMware, Inc.