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
5 Follow the instructions in the input parameters dialog box to provide the information that the workflow
requires.
You provided information to a workflow that was waiting for user input during its run.
Calling Workflows Within Workflows
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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Workflow Elements that Call Workflows on page 48
There are four ways to call other workflows from within a workflow. Each way of calling a workflow or
workflows is represented by a different workflow schema element.
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Call a Workflow Synchronously on page 50
Calling a workflow synchronously runs the called workflow as a part of the run of the calling workflow.
The calling workflow can use the called workflow's output parameters as input parameters when it runs
its subsequent schema elements.
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Call a Workflow Asynchronously on page 51
Calling a workflow asynchronously runs the called workflow independently of the calling workflow.
The calling workflow continues its run without waiting for the called workflow to complete.
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Schedule a Workflow on page 52
You can call a workflow from a workflow and schedule it to start at a later time and date.
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Call Several Workflows Simultaneously on page 53
Calling several workflows simultaneously runs the called workflows synchronously as part of the run
of the calling workflow. The calling workflow waits for all of the called workflows to complete before it
continues. The calling workflow can use the results of the called workflows as input parameters when
it runs its subsequent schema elements.
Workflow Elements that Call Workflows
There are four ways to call other workflows from within a workflow. Each way of calling a workflow or
workflows is represented by a different workflow schema element.
Synchronous Workflows
A workflow can start another workflow synchronously. The called workflow
runs as an integral part of the calling workflow's run, and runs in the same
memory space as the calling workflow. The calling workflow starts another
workflow, then waits until the end of the called workflow's run before it starts
running the next element in its schema. Usually, you call a workflow
synchronously because the calling workflow requires the output of the called
workflow as an input parameter for a subsequent schema element. For
example, a workflow can call the Start virtual machine and wait workflow to
start a virtual machine, and then obtain the IP address of this virtual machine
to pass to another element or to a user by email.
Asynchronous
Workflows
A workflow can start a workflow asynchronously. The calling workflow starts
another workflow, but the calling workflow immediately continues running
the next element in its schema, without waiting for the result of the called
workflow. The called workflows run with input parameters that the calling
workflow defines, but the lifecycle of the called workflow is independent from
the lifecycle of the calling workflow. Asynchronous workflows allow you to
create chains of workflows that pass input parameters from one workflow to
Developing with VMware vCenter Orchestrator
48 VMware, Inc.