4.2
Table Of Contents
- Developing with VMware vCenter Orchestrator
- Contents
- Developing with VMware vCenter Orchestrator
- Updated Information
- Developing Workflows
- Principal Phases in the Workflow Development Process
- Accessing the Orchestrator Client
- Testing Workflows During Development
- Workflow Editor
- Provide General Workflow Information
- Defining Attributes and Parameters
- Workflow Schema
- Obtaining Input Parameters from Users When a Workflow Starts
- Requesting User Interactions While a Workflow Runs
- Add a User Interaction to a Workflow
- Set the User Interaction security.group Attribute
- Set the timeout.date Attribute to an Absolute Date
- Calculate a Relative Timeout for User Interactions
- Set the timeout.date Attribute to a Relative Date
- Define the External Inputs for a User Interaction
- Define User Interaction Exception Behavior
- Create the Input Parameters Dialog Box for the User Interaction
- Respond to a Request for a User Interaction
- Calling Workflows Within Workflows
- Running a Workflow on a Selection of Objects
- Developing Long-Running Workflows
- Configuration Elements
- Workflow User Permissions
- Validating Workflows
- Running Workflows
- Develop a Simple Example Workflow
- Create the Simple Workflow Example
- Define the Simple Workflow Example Parameters
- Create the Simple Workflow Example Schema
- Link the Simple Workflow Example Elements
- Create Workflow Zones
- Define the Simple Workflow Example Decision Bindings
- Bind the Simple Workflow Example Action Elements
- Bind the Simple Workflow Example Scripted Task Elements
- Define the Simple Example Workflow Exception Bindings
- Set the Simple Workflow Example Attribute Read-Write Properties
- Set the Simple Workflow Example Parameter Properties
- Set the Layout of the Simple Workflow Example Input Parameters Dialog Box
- Validate and Run the Simple Workflow Example
- Develop a Complex Workflow
- Create the Complex Workflow
- Define the Complex Workflow Example Input Parameters
- Create a Custom Action For the Complex Workflow Example
- Create the Complex Workflow Example Schema
- Link the Complex Workflow Example Schema Elements
- Create the Complex Workflow Example Zones
- Define the Complex Workflow Example Bindings
- Set the Complex Workflow Example Attribute Properties
- Create the Layout of the Complex Workflow Example Input Parameters
- Validate and Run the Complex Workflow Example
- Scripting
- Orchestrator Elements that Require Scripting
- Limitations of the Mozilla Rhino Implementation in Orchestrator
- Using the Orchestrator API
- Access the Scripting Engine from the Workflow Editor
- Access the Scripting Engine from the Action or Policy Editor
- Access the Orchestrator API Explorer
- Use the Orchestrator API Explorer to Find Objects
- Writing Scripts
- Add Parameters to Scripts
- Accessing the Orchestrator Server File System from JavaScript and Workflows
- Accessing Java Classes from JavaScript
- Accessing Operating System Commands from JavaScript
- Exception Handling Guidelines
- Orchestrator JavaScript Examples
- Developing Actions
- Creating Resource Elements
- Creating Packages
- Index
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Calling Workflows Within Workflows on page 48
Workflows can call on other workflows during their run. A workflow can start another workflow either
because it requires the result of the other workflow as an input parameter for its own run, or it can start
a workflow and let it continue its own run independently. Workflows can also start a workflow at a given
time in the future, or start multiple workflows simultaneously.
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Running a Workflow on a Selection of Objects on page 54
You can automate repetitive tasks by running a workflow on a selection of objects. For example, you can
create a workflow that takes a snapshot of all the virtual machines in a virtual machine folder, or you
can create a workflow that powers off all the virtual machines on a given host.
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Developing Long-Running Workflows on page 56
A workflow in a waiting state consumes system resources because it constantly polls the object from
which it requires a response. If you know that a workflow will potentially wait for a long time before it
receives the response it requires, you can add long-running workflow elements to the workflow.
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Configuration Elements on page 60
A configuration element is a list of attributes you can use to configure constants across a whole
Orchestrator server deployment.
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Workflow User Permissions on page 62
Orchestrator defines levels of permissions that you can apply to users or groups to allow or deny them
access to workflows.
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Validating Workflows on page 63
Orchestrator provides a workflow validation tool. Validating a workflow helps identify errors in the
workflow and checks that the data flows from one element to the next correctly.
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Running Workflows on page 64
A workflow runs according to a logical flow of events.
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Develop a Simple Example Workflow on page 66
Developing a simple example workflow demonstrates the most common steps in the workflow
development process.
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Develop a Complex Workflow on page 87
Developing a complex example workflow demonstrates the most common steps in the workflow
development process and more advanced scenarios, such as creating custom decisions and loops.
Principal Phases in the Workflow Development Process
The process for developing a workflow involves a series of phases.
The order in which you perform the tasks that developing a workflow involves generally conforms to the
following sequence of phases.
1 Provide general information about the workflow.
2 Create the input parameters.
3 Create the logical flow of the workflow by laying out and linking the schema.
4 Bind the input and output parameters of each element to workflow attributes, creating the necessary
parameters and attributes as you define each element.
5 Write any necessary scripts for scriptable task or custom decision elements.
6 Create the layout and behavior of the input parameters dialog box that the user sees when they run the
workflow by creating the workflow presentation.
7 Validate the workflow.
Developing with VMware vCenter Orchestrator
12 VMware, Inc.