5.5.1

Table Of Contents
Accessing the Server from Web Service Clients
By default, Orchestrator permits access to workflows from Web service clients. However, the Orchestrator
administrator can configure the server to deny connections from Web service clients.
If the Orchestrator administrator has disabled access to the server from Web service clients, the server only
answers Web service client calls from the echo() and echoWorkflow() methods, for testing purposes.
The Orchestrator administrator enables and disables access to the server from Web service clients by setting
a system property. For information about setting system properties, see Installing and Configuring VMware
vCenter Orchestrator.
Create a Web Service Client
You can use the Orchestrator Web service API to create a Web service client to connect to the Orchestrator
Server. The Web service connection allows you to access workflows in the Orchestrator server and perform
operations on them.
Prerequisites
You must have generated the Web service client stub from the Orchestrator WSDL definition by using a
code generator.
Procedure
1 Connect to the Orchestrator Web Service on page 57
Web service applications use the HTTPS protocol to establish connections to the Orchestrator server
through simple object access protocol (SOAP) binding.
2 Find Objects in the Orchestrator Server on page 58
To perform any useful task with a workflow, you must find the objects on which the workflow will
run. The Orchestrator Web service API provides functions for finding objects of all types in the
VMware Infrastructure inventory.
3 Find Objects by Using the find Operation on page 58
You can use the find operation to find objects of any type that match a particular search criterion, that
you set in the query parameter.
4 Find Objects by Using the findForId Operation on page 59
You can use the findForId operation to find an object if you know a specific object's unique ID.
5 Find Objects by Using the findRelation Operation on page 60
You can use the findRelation operation to locate the children of a particular object.
6 Find Workflows in the Orchestrator Server on page 61
When you have found the objects with which to interact, you must find the workflows that perform
these interactions.
7 Find Workflows by Using the getAllWorkflows Operation on page 62
The getAllWorkflows operation lists all workflows that a user can access as an array of Workflow
objects.
8 Retrieve the ID of a Workflow on page 62
Every workflow has a unique ID that you can retrieve by using the Orchestrator client and a text
editor. You need the workflow ID to perform operations over a workflow by using the Orchestrator
SOAP API.
Developing a Web Services Client for VMware vCenter Orchestrator
56 VMware, Inc.