4.2

Table Of Contents
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.
The action elements' input and output parameters are bound to the appropriate parameter types and values.
What to do next
Bind the scriptable task elements and define their functions.
Simple Workflow Example Action Element Bindings
Bindings define how the simple workflow example's action elements process input and output parameters.
When defining bindings, Orchestrator presents parameters you have already defined in the workflow as
candidates for binding. If you have not defined the required parameter in the workflow yet, the only parameter
choice is NULL. Click Create parameter/attribute in workflow to create a new parameter.
vim3WaitTaskEnd Action
The vim3WaitTaskEnd action element declares constants to track the progress of a task and a polling rate. The
following table shows the input and output parameter bindings that the vim3WaitTaskEnd action requires.
Developing with VMware vCenter Orchestrator
74 VMware, Inc.