5.5.1

Table Of Contents
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 that
contains the workflow definition:
GET https://{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 Retrieve the definition of the workflow presentation by making a GET request at its URL:
GET https://{vco host}:{port}/vco/api/workflows/{workflowID}/presentation/
3 In the response body of the request, examine the definition of the workflow presentation for any
constraints of the values that you can pass to the input parameters.
For example, an input parameter can have a predefined list of values to choose from.
4 Instantiate the workflow presentation by making a POST request at the URL of the presentation
instances:
POST https://{vcoHost}:{port}/vco/api/workflows/{workflowID}/presentation/instances/
5 Provide an execution-context element in the request body to instantiate the presentation.
You can pass an empty execution-context or pass an execution-context with values only for some of
the input parameters.
6 To pass values to the input parameters in parts, make as many POST or PUT requests as needed at the
URL that holds the presentation instance:
PUT https://{vcoHost}:
{port}/vco/api/workflows/{workflowID}/presentation/instances/{executionID}/
7 Review the response body of the POST or PUT request that you made.
If the values that you passed to the input parameters are valid, you find a valid="true" attribute in the
execution tag. If the presentation is valid, you can take the values that are listed in the out-parameters
element of the response, and pass them as values to the input parameters when you run the workflow.
8 If the values for the input parameters are valid, run the workflow by making a POST request at the URL
that holds the workflow executions:
POST https://{vcoHost}:{port}/vco/api/workflows/{workflowID}/executions/
9 Provide the valid values to the input parameters of the workflow in an execution-context element.
Example: Run the Send Hello Workflow by Validating Its Input Parameters
You can run the Send Hello workflow by validating its input parameters against the definitions of its
presentation.
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/
Developing a Web Services Client for VMware vCenter Orchestrator
20 VMware, Inc.