5.5.1

Table Of Contents
Using the vCenter Orchestrator REST
API 2
The Orchestrator REST API provides functionality that allows you to communicate with the Orchestrator
server directly through HTTP and perform various workflow-related operations over workflows.
The Orchestrator REST API exposes the objects from the inventories of the Orchestrator server and the
installed plug-ins as resources at predefined URLs. You make HTTP calls at these URLs to trigger
operations in Orchestrator. In this way, you can perform various tasks over workflows:
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Run a workflow, schedule a workflow, retrieve the runs of a workflow, answer to a user interaction,
and cancel a workflow run.
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Retrieve details about a workflow such as its input and output parameters and its presentation.
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Retrieve details about a workflow run, such as its state, generated logs, start date, and end date.
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Browse the inventories of Orchestrator and the installed plug-ins.
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Import and export workflows, actions, and packages.
By using the Orchestrator REST API you can easily integrate Orchestrator workflows in custom applications
that you can build in any programing language.
The Orchestrator REST API also provides eTag support as well as a mechanism for caching of response data.
This chapter includes the following topics:
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“Authenticating Against Orchestrator and Third-Party Systems,” on page 12
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“Accessing the Reference Documentation for the Orchestrator REST API,” on page 14
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“Using the Java REST SDK,” on page 14
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“Operations with Workflows,” on page 15
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“Working with Tasks,” on page 29
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“Finding Objects in the Orchestrator Inventory,” on page 31
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“Importing and Exporting Orchestrator Objects,” on page 33
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“Deleting Orchestrator Objects,” on page 38
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“Setting Permissions on Orchestrator Objects,” on page 39
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“Performing Operations with Plug-Ins,” on page 45
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“Performing Server Configuration Operations,” on page 47
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“Performing Tagging Operations,” on page 48
VMware, Inc.
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