5.5
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
- Index
10 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.
11 Define any exception behavior in the Exceptions properties tab.
12 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.
13 Click Close.
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.
Prerequisites
n
Create a workflow.
n
Open the workflow for editing in the workflow editor.
n
Add some elements to the workflow schema.
n
Define a trigger event that is encapsulated in a Trigger object.
Procedure
1 Drag a Waiting Event element from the Generic menu to the position in the workflow schema at which
you want to suspend the workflow's run.
The scriptable task that declares the trigger must immediately precede the Waiting Event element.
2
Click the Edit icon ( ) of the Waiting Event element in the workflow schema.
3 Provide a description of the reason for the wait in the Info properties tab.
Chapter 1 Developing Workflows
VMware, Inc. 67