5.5.1
Table Of Contents
- Developing with VMware vCenter Orchestrator
- Contents
- Developing with VMware vCenter Orchestrator
- Developing Workflows
- Key Concepts of Workflows
- Phases in the Workflow Development Process
- Access Rights for the Orchestrator Client
- Testing Workflows During Development
- Creating and Editing a Workflow
- 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
- Debugging Workflows
- Running Workflows
- Resuming a Failed Workflow Run
- Generate Workflow Documentation
- Use Workflow Version History
- Restore Deleted Workflows
- Develop a Simple Example Workflow
- Create the Simple Workflow Example
- Create the Schema of the Simple Workflow Example
- Create the Simple Workflow Example Zones
- Define the Parameters of the Simple Workflow Example
- Define the Simple Workflow Example Decision Bindings
- Bind the Action Elements of the Simple Workflow Example
- Bind the Simple Workflow Example Scripted Task Elements
- Define the Simple Workflow Example Exception Bindings
- Set the Read-Write Properties for Attributes of the Simple Workflow Example
- 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 Example
- Create a Custom Action for the Complex Workflow Example
- Create the Schema of the Complex Workflow Example
- Create the Complex Workflow Example Zones
- Define the Parameters of the Complex Workflow Example
- Define the Bindings for the Complex Workflow Example
- 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 Scripting 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
- Creating Plug-Ins by Using Maven
- Index
Procedure
1
Click the Edit icon ( ) of the User Interaction element in the workflow schema.
2 Click the Attributes tab for the user interaction.
3 Click Not set for the timeout.date source parameter to set the timeout parameter value.
4 (Optional) Select NULL to allow the user interaction to set the workflow to wait indefinitely for the user
to respond to the user interaction.
5 Click Create parameter/attribute in workflow to set the workflow to fail after a timeout period.
The Parameter information dialog box opens.
6 Name the parameter.
7 Select Create workflow ATTRIBUTE with the same name to create a Date attribute in the workflow.
8 Click Not set for the parameter Value.
9 Use the calendar to select an absolute date and time until which the workflow waits for the user to
respond.
10 Click OK to close the calendar.
11 Click OK to close the Parameter information dialog box.
You set the timeout.date attribute to an absolute date. The workflow times out if the user does not respond
to the user interaction before this time and date.
What to do next
Define the external input parameters that the user interaction requires from the user. See “Define the
External Inputs for a User Interaction,” on page 51.
Calculate a Relative Timeout for User Interactions
You can calculate in a Date object a relative time and date at which a user interaction times out.
You can set an absolute time and date in a Date object. When the time on the given date arrives, the request
for a user interaction times out. Alternatively, you can create a workflow element that calculates and
generates a relative Date object according to a function that you define. For example, you can create a
relative Date object that adds 24 hours to the current time.
Prerequisites
n
Open a workflow for editing in the workflow editor.
n
Add a user interaction element to the workflow schema.
n
Set the security.group attribute for the user interaction.
Procedure
1 Drag a Scriptable task element from the Generic menu to the schema of a workflow, before the element
that requires the relative Date object for its timeout.date attribute.
2
Click the Edit icon ( ) of the Scriptable task element in the workflow schema.
3 Provide a name and description for the scripted workflow element in the Info properties tab.
4
Click the OUT properties tab, and click the Bind to workflow parameter/attribute icon (
).
Chapter 1 Developing Workflows
VMware, Inc. 49