5.5.1

Table Of Contents
</output-parameters>
<name>Send Hello</name>
<description></description>
</workflow>
Run a Workflow
You run a workflow through the Orchestrator REST API by creating a new execution object for a particular
workflow.
Prerequisites
Verify that you have imported the sample workflows package in Orchestrator. The package is included in
the Orchestrator sample applications ZIP file that you can download from the Orchestrator documentation
page.
Procedure
1 Retrieve the definition of the workflow that you want to run by making a GET request at the URL of the
definition:
GET http://{vcoHost}:{port}/vco/api/workflows/{workflowID}/
You receive the definition of the workflow in the response body of the request. In the workflow
definition, you can view the input parameters of the workflow, the workflow description, and other
information.
2 Make a POST request at the URL that holds the execution objects of the workflow:
POST https://{vcoHost}:{port}/vco/api/workflows/{workflowID}/executions/
3 Provide values for the input parameters of the workflow in an execution-context element in the
request body.
If you provide an empty execution-context in the request body, the workflow runs with default values
for its input parameters, if any.
If the POST request is successful, you receive the status code 202 with an empty response body and a link to
the newly created execution object in the Location header.
Example: Run the Send Hello Workflow
You can retrieve the definition of the Send Hello workflow and run it.
1 Make a GET request at the URL that holds the definition of the Send Hello workflow:
GET https://localhost:
8281/vco/api/workflows/CF808080808080808080808080808080DA808080013086668236014a0614d16e1/
You receive the workflow definition in the response body of the request:
<xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes">
<workflow xmlns="http://www.vmware.com/vco" customized-icon="false"
href="https://localhost:
8281/vco/api/workflows/CF808080808080808080808080808080DA808080013086668236014a0614d16e1/">
<relations>
<link rel="up"
href="https://localhost:
8281/vco/api/inventory/System/Workflows/Samples/HelloWorld/" />
<link rel="add"
href="https://localhost:
Developing a Web Services Client for VMware vCenter Orchestrator
18 VMware, Inc.