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
2 Link the Scriptable Task element to the elements that precede and follow it in the workflow schema.
One of the elements that precedes the Scriptable Task must generate a VC:Task object as its output
parameter.
3 Click the Scriptable Task element to show its properties tabs in the bottom half of the Schema tab.
4 Provide a name and description for the trigger in Info properties tab.
5 Click the IN properties tab.
6 Right-click in the IN tab and select Bind to workflow parameter/attribute.
The input parameter selection dialog box opens.
7 Select or create an input parameter of the type VC:Task.
This VC:Task object represents the time-consuming event that another workflow or element launches.
8 (Optional) Select or create an input parameter of the Number type to define a timeout period in seconds.
9 Click the OUT properties tab.
10 Right-click in the OUT tab and select Bind to workflow parameter/attribute.
The output parameter selection dialog box opens.
11 Create an output parameter with the following properties.
a Create the Name property with the value trigger.
b Create the Type property with the value Trigger.
c Click Create ATTRIBUTE with same name to create the attribute.
d Leave the value as Not set.
12 Define any exception behavior in the Exceptions properties tab.
13 Define a function to generate a Trigger object in the Scripting tab.
For example, you could create a Trigger object by implementing the following JavaScript function.
trigger = task.createEndOfTaskTrigger(timeout);
The createEndOfTaskTrigger() method returns a Trigger object that monitors a VC:Task object named
task.
14 Click Save at the bottom of the workflow editor.
You defined a workflow element that creates a trigger event for a trigger-based long-running workflow. The
trigger element generates a Trigger object as its output parameter, to which a Waiting Event element can bind.
What to do next
You must bind this trigger event to a Waiting Event element in a trigger-based long-running workflow.
Create a Trigger-Based Long-Running Workflow
If you know a workflow will have to wait for a response from an outside source during its run, but do not
know how long that wait will last, you can implement it as a trigger-based long-running workflow. A trigger-
based long-running workflow waits for a defined trigger event to occur before resuming.
You implement a workflow as a trigger-based long-running workflow by using the Waiting Event element.
When the trigger-based long-running workflow arrives at the Waiting Event element, it will suspend its run
and wait in a passive state until it receives a message from the trigger. During the waiting period, the passive
workflow does not consume a thread, but rather the long-running workflow element passes the workflow
information to the single thread that monitors all long-running workflows in the server.
Chapter 1 Developing Workflows
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