7.1

congure the WAR component to set the server_home property value to the Apache Tomcat server
install_path property value in your script. As long as the architect who assembles the blueprint binds the
server_home property to the Apache Tomcat server install_path property, then the server_home property
value is set correctly.
Your action scripts can only use properties that you dene in those scripts, and you can only create property
bindings with string and array values. Blueprint property arrays are not returned in any specic order, so
binding to clusterable or scalable components might not produce the values you expect. For example, your
software component requires each of the machine IDs of a cluster of machines, and you allow your users to
request a cluster from 1-10, and to scale the deployment from 1-10 machines. If you congure your software
property as a string type, you get a single randomly selected machine ID from the cluster. If you congure
your software property as an array type, you get an array of all the machine IDs in the cluster, but in no
particular order. If your users scale the deployment, the order of values could be dierent for each
operation. To make sure you never lose values for clustered components, you can use the array type for any
software properties. However, you must design your software components so they don't expect a value
array in any specic order.
See the Examples of String Property Bindings table for examples of a string property value when binding to
dierent types of properties.
Table 4‑35. Examples of String Property Bindings
Sample Property Type Property Type to Bind Binding Outcome (A binds to B)
String (property A) String (property B="Hi") A="Hi"
String (property A) Content (property
B="hp://my.com/content")
A="hp://my.com/content"
String (property A) Array (property B=["1","2"]) A="["1","2"]"
String (property A) Computed (property B="Hello") A="Hello"
See the Examples of Array Property Bindings table for examples of an array property value when binding to
dierent types of properties.
Table 4‑36. Examples of Array Property Bindings
Sample Property Type Property Type to Bind Binding Outcome (A binds to B)
Array (property A) String (property B="Hi") A="Hi"
Array (property A) Content (property
B="hp://my.com/content")
A="hp://my.com/content"
Array (property A) Computed (property B="Hello") A="Hello"
Passing Property Values Between Life Cycle Stages
You can modify and pass property values between life cycle stages by using the action scripts.
For a computed property, you can modify the value of a property and pass the value to the next life cycle
stage of the action script. For example, if component A has the progress_status value dened as staged, in
the INSTALL and CONFIGURE life cycle stage you change the value to progress_status=installed in the
respective action scripts. If component B is bound to component A, the property values of progress_status in
the life cycle stages of the action script are the same as component A.
Dene in the software component that component B depends on A. This dependency denes the passing of
correct property values between components whether they are in the same node or across dierent nodes.
For example, you can update a property value in an action script by using the supported scripts.
n
Bash progress_status="completed"
n
Windows CMD set progress_status=completed
Configuring vRealize Automation
294 VMware, Inc.