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VMware vRealize Orchestrator Cookbook

By : Langenhan

4 (3)

VMware vRealize Orchestrator Cookbook

4 (3)

By: Langenhan

Overview of this book

VMware vRealize Orchestrator is a powerful automation tool designed for system administrators and IT operations staff who are planning to streamline their tasks and are waiting to integrate the functions with third-party operations software. This book is an update to VMware vRealize Orchestrator Cookbook and is blend of numerous recipes on vRealize Orchestrator 7. This book starts with installing and configuring vRealize Orchestrator. We will demonstrate how to upgrade from previous versions to vRealize Orchestrator 7. You will be taught all about orchestrator plugins and how to use and develop various plugins that have been enhanced in Orchestrator 7. Throughout this book, you will explore the new features of Orchestrator 7, such as the introduction of the control center, along with its uses. You will also come to understand visual programming, how to integrate base plugins into workflows, and how to automate VMware. You will also get to know how to troubleshoot vRealize Orchestrator. By the end of this book, you will be able to get the most out of your Orchestrator installation, and will be able to develop complex workflows and create your own highly integrated automations of vRealize environments.

Preface

Preface

Changes in this edition

A short history of Orchestrator

Best approaches to reading this book

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Example workflows

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Free Chapter

1. Installing and Configuring Orchestrator

1. Installing and Configuring Orchestrator

Introduction

Deploying the Orchestrator appliance

Important Orchestrator settings

Configuring an external database

Configuring external authentication

Connecting to vCenter

Installing plugins

Updating Orchestrator

Moving from Windows to appliance

Orchestrator Client and 4K display scaling

2. Optimizing Orchestrator Configuration

2. Optimizing Orchestrator Configuration

Introduction

Tuning the appliance

Tuning Java

Configuring the Kerberos authentication

Configuring access to the local filesystem

Configuring the Orchestrator service SSL certificate

Orchestrator log files

Redirecting Orchestrator logs to an external server

Backup and recovery

Control Center titbits

3. Distributed Design

3. Distributed Design

Introduction

Building an Orchestrator cluster

Load-balancing Orchestrator

Upgrading a cluster

Managing remote Orchestrators

Synchronizing Orchestrator elements between Orchestrator servers

4. Programming Skills

4. Programming Skills

Introduction

Version control

Changing elements in a workflow

Importing and exporting Orchestrator elements

Working with packages

Workflow auto documentation

Resuming failed workflows

Using the workflow debugging function

Undelete workflows and actions

Scheduling workflows

Sync presentation settings

Locking elements

5. Visual Programming

5. Visual Programming

Introduction

Scripting with logs

Scripting with decisions

Error handling in workflows

Scripting with loops

Workflow presentations

Linking actions in presentations

Changing credentials during runtime

6. Advanced Programming

6. Advanced Programming

Introduction

JavaScript complex variables

Working with JSON

JavaScript special statements

Turning strings into objects

Working with the API

Creating actions

Waiting tasks

Sending and waiting for custom events

Using asynchronous workflows

Scripting with workflow tokens

Working with user interactions

7. Interacting with Orchestrator

7. Interacting with Orchestrator

Introduction

User management

User preferences

Using Orchestrator though the vSphere Web Client

Accessing Orchestrator REST API

Accessing the Control Center via the REST plugin

Running Orchestrator workflows using PowerShell

Using PHP to access the REST API

8. Better Workflows and Optimized Working

8. Better Workflows and Optimized Working

Introduction

Working with resources

Working with configurations

Working with Orchestrator tags

Using the Locking System

Language packs (localization)

Working with policies

9. Essential Plugins

9. Essential Plugins

Introduction

Working with e-mail

File operations

Working with SSH

Working with REST

10. Built-in Plugins

10. Built-in Plugins

Introduction

Working with XML

Working with SQL (JDBC)

Working with SQL (SQL plugin)

Working with PowerShell

Working with SOAP

Working with Active Directory

Working with SNMP

Working with AMQP

11. Additional Plugins

11. Additional Plugins

Introduction

NSX integration

Horizon integration

vSphere Replication

SRM (Site Recovery Manager) integration

vROps (vRealize Operations Manager) integration

12. Working with vSphere

12. Working with vSphere

Introduction

Working with the vCenter API (to change a VM's HA settings)

Standard vSwitch and Distributed Switch ports

Getting started with vAPI

Custom Attributes and Tags (vAPI)

Executing a program inside a VM

An approval process for VM provisioning

13. Working with vRealize Automation

13. Working with vRealize Automation

Introduction

Working with the vRA-integrated Orchestrator

Automating a vRA instance in Orchestrator

Configuring an external Orchestrator in vRA

Adding Orchestrator as an infrastructure endpoint

Adding an Orchestrator endpoint

Integrating Orchestrator workflows as XaaS Blueprints

Managing AD users with vRA

Using the Event Manager to start workflows

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Using the Locking System

Here we will have a look at the Locking System. We will learn how to lock and unlock objects using locks. Locks are used to make sure objects are only used by one owner.

Getting ready

The Locking System doesn't need anything, as it itself is just virtual.

How to do it...

There are three phases to locking: locking, checking and unlocking.

Create a lock

We will now create a lock:

Create a new workflow and add a scriptable task.
Add the following variables as input:

Name

Type

Section

Use

object

String

IN

Any string

owner

String

IN

Any string

Enter the following script:

LockingSystem.lockAndWait(object ,owner);

Add the workflow Display all Locks at the end.
Save and run the workflow. Enter as object any string, such as Test and as owner or any other string such as Goofy.
Check the logs.

Check for lock

We will now check if an object is locked:

Create a new workflow and add a scriptable task.
Add the following variables as input:

Name

Type

Section...

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