4.2.1

Table Of Contents
Bind the Simple Workflow Example Action Elements
You bind a workflow's elements together in the Schema tab of the workflow editor. Bindings define how the
action elements process input parameters and generate output parameters.
Prerequisites
You must have created the Start VM and Send Email workflow, defined its parameters, laid out its schema,
and linked the schema elements together.
Procedure
1 Click the startVM action element.
2 Set the following general information in the Info tab.
Interaction
No external interaction
Color
None
Business status
Check the check box and add the text Sending start VM.
Description
Leave the text Start / Resume a VM. Return the start task
3 Click the IN tab in the schema element properties pane at the bottom of the Schema tab.
You will see the two possible input parameters available to the startVM action, vm and host.
Orchestrator automatically binds the vm parameter to vm[in-parameter] because the startVM action can
only take a VC:VirtualMachine as an input parameter. Orchestrator detected the vm parameter you defined
when you set the workflow input parameters and so bound it to the action automatically.
4 Set host to NULL.
This is an optional parameter, so you can set it to null. However, if you leave it set to Not set, the workflow
will not validate.
5 Click the OUT tab in the schema element properties pane.
The default output parameter that all actions generate, actionResult, appears.
6 Click the actionResult parameter's Not set button.
7 Click the Create parameter/attribute in workflow button.
The Parameter Information dialog box opens, where you can define the values for this output parameter.
The output parameter type for the startVM action is a VC:Task object.
8 Name the parameter powerOnTask.
9 Provide a description for this parameter.
For example, Contains the result of powering on a VM.
10 Click Create workflow ATTRIBUTE with the same name.
11 Click OK to exit the Parameter Information dialog box.
12 Repeat the preceding steps to bind the input and output parameters to the vim3WaitTaskEnd and
vim3WaitToolsStarted action elements.
“Simple Workflow Example Action Element Bindings,” on page 74 lists the bindings for the
vim3WaitTaskEnd and vim3WaitToolsStarted action elements.
13 Click Save at the bottom of the workflow editor's Schema tab.
Chapter 1 Developing Workflows
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