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Workflow Design
This flow diagram provides the step-by-step actions that are taken on the machine/Configuration Item by the workflow. These are the technical actions that are taken as per the requirement provided.
A workflow design should have a starting point which can be referred to as an initiation. The initiation may happen in different ways – such as Incident, Service request, Work Order.
Key Benefits
- A clear picture of the entire operational flow is obtained
- A collaborative decision-making process helps in better outcomes for all stakeholders
- Data processed together rather than in silos
- Clear definition of roles and responsibilities
- Complex processes like adding recipient to security group, whitelisting MAC addresses, printer installation can all be automated
Workflow Design Platform
- Serial Execution
- If and Else condition
- Pass script output between Executions
- Script deviation based on current script Output/status (success or failure)
Workflow Designer UI
Click on the top right corner of the Service Automation home page to create a new workflow or use case.
Figure: Create new workflow
Figure: Workflow configuration
Workflow Configuration
You can configure the Service Automation Workflows for Incidents, Service Requests (SRs), and Work Orders. In Service Automation Workflows, a condition is defined. If this condition is met, the defined Service Automation workflow is linked, and scripts are executed. This does not require any manual intervention from the Analysts and the actions are performed by the Service Automation Scripts if the precondition is met. Using drag and drop, you can add a Script or Condition to the Workflow.
Following are the Workflow Configuration Variables
Configuration Variables | |
Workflow name | Name the use case |
Module | Select Incident Management, Service Request, Work Order |
Trigger Event | On create, on update, On Create/Update (Always) |
Tenant | Select the Tenant for which the Orchestration is applicable. |
Workflow Category | Search for the desired category |
Active | Indicates the status of Orchestration. · If selected the Orchestration is active. · If cleared, the Orchestration is inactive. |
Description | Describe the function of the workflow |
Following are the Content Parser & Condition Configuration
Content Parser
Parser Type
Lists the configured parser types:
Line: If Incident/Service Request/ Work Order description is in line format then select Parser Type as Line. Line parser type can only be applied for Description content type.
Free-form: If Symptom/Description is in paragraph format then select Parser Type as Free Form. It is used to extract the words between two words. Free-form can be applied to either Description or Symptom content type.
Following are the Line variables
Line
The line delimiter is a character which indicates the end of the line or splits the description value into multiple line.
Based on Line Delimiter, content is divided into lines. Select the line delimiter from the list. By default, New Line option is selected. If you select Others, type in the character that is considered as a line delimiter in the text box.
The Key Delimiter is a character that separates the User-defined key and the other text in the output.
Based on Key Delimiter, options, the key and value is identified from a line. Select the key delimiter from the list. By default, Colon option is selected. If you select Others, type inthe
character that is considered as a key delimiter in the text box.Specify the location or position of the content that needs to parsed from the Description. If 1 is specified as Line No then the first line from the description is considered as key value.
For example, If the Line No. is represented as one (1) then the first line from the Description is considered as the key value.
If Map to CI is enabled for a specified key and Target Type is set to CI, Target Host Type is set to Incident CI or Service Request CI, the key value will be considered as Target CI if that CI Name / IP Address exists in CMDB.
Click 
icon to add the Keys.
Click 
icon to delete the Keys.
For Example: Below is the description of an Incident for Service Status notification.
Service Status Notification
The following service is down.
- Server Type: Print Spooler <br>
- Service Status: Down <br>
If you configure Line Delimiter as New Line <br>, Key Delimiter as :, Line No. as 1, Key Name as Test_Line1, it will extract the line "Server Type: Print Spooler" from the above description as the key value.
Configured key Test_Line1 will be available in Conditions section under Field Name as Line Parser: Test_Line1 in the list of conditions apart from other default conditions for Description. You can apply the conditions on the Line parser key (Line Parser: Test_Line1).Following are the Free-Form Delimiter variables
Free-Form | |||||||||||||
| Content Type | Select the content type from the drop-down list. Available options are as following:
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| Key Name | Specify a user defined key name. This key name will be displayed in Conditions and Parameter sections. | ||||||||||||
| Preceding Text | Specify the preceding text for the selected Content Type. | ||||||||||||
| Succeeding Text | Specify the succeeding text for the selected Content Type. | ||||||||||||
| Occurrence | Specify a number. In an Incident/Service Request/Work Order, the occurrence of the specified preceding and succeeding text or the preceding text alone in the selected Content Type is represented as a number. For example, If the occurrence is represented as one (1) for the Content Type: Symptom, then the first occurrence of the specified text is considered as the key value. Key Value: In the Incident/Service Request/Work Order, the available text between preceding text and succeeding text is considered as the key value. For example, the Incident/Service Request/Work Order containing the following content: Status: The job (Job: "DBSUtil01 Backup 00007) completed successfully. Status: The job (Job: "DBSUtil02 Backup 00008) completed successfully.
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| Map to CI | If Map to CI is enabled for a specified key and Target Type is set to CI, Target Host Type is set to Incident CI or Service Request CI, the key value will be considered as Target CI if that CI Name / IP Address exists in CMDB. | ||||||||||||
| Action | Click Click |
Following are the conditions variables
Conditions Variables | |
Condition Name | Name the condition |
Operator | Logical expressions which may be evaluated by a workflow engine to decide the sequence of activity execution within a process |
Value | Enter a condition value |
Action | add or delete conditions applicable to the use case |
Workflow designer is accessible once the workflow configuration is submitted.
Figure: Workflow designer
The left panel of the workflow designer displays the IF condition and published scripts grouped by category.
Optional access to Workflow Designer:
Click on the desired workflow record on the Service Automation home page to access the record details.
Figure: Workflow Execution record details
Clicking on a workflow name will switch to its workflow design in the Workflow Designer
Figure: Workflow Designer
Field Description
Script details section can be found under Action Tab on the workflow designer
Figure: Script details section
The following table describes the fields on Script details:
Configure Script Details | |
Script Name | Type in the Orchestration Script name. |
Script Language | Scripts can be in any of the following languages · DOS command · Perl script · PowerShell script · Python script · Shell script(windows) · Shell script(non-windows) · VB script |
Target Type | Configuration Item |
Target Host Type | Script is executed for the selected predefined CI, Service Request CI, Dynamic CI or from a previous output |
Target Host | Select the Operating System on the target machine. |
Schedule Type | Select a Schedule Type (One Time/Recurring) from the drop-down list to schedule the script execution on the target machine.
Example: If the Retry Interval is 5 mins and the Retry Count is 10, the script is executed on the target machine in every 5 minutes for 10 times in case script execution status is FAILED.
Example: If the Retry Interval is 5 minutes and the Recurring Days field is 2, the script is executed on the target machine in every 5 minutes for 2 days in case script execution status is FAILED. |
Retry Interval (In Mins) | Type in the retry interval for the script in minutes. In case script executions status is FAILED, the script is executed on the target machine at the specified interval for the specified number of Retry Count. |
Retry Count | Type in the retry count for the script. In case script executions status is FAILED, the script is executed on the target machine for the specified number of times at the specified interval. |
Parameter details section can be found under Action Tab on the workflow designer
Figure: Parameters section
The following table describes the fields on Parameter details:
Configure Parameters | |
Data Source | Select the data source for the parameter.
|
Fixed Input Value | Type in the Data Field name. |
Data Value Field | Select the Value Field in the list. |
Submit Button | Click Submit to save the action values. |
Best Practices for Designing Exceptional Workflows
- Start by creating simple workflows for generic processes as they are easier to understand and requires minimal steps to be completed
- Move onto newer tasks that need to be verified and approved by different people
- Create a node that will act as the decision point
- The task should then further move down the connection line to reach multiple nodes before it reaches the final stage
- Tasks completed can be marked done in the workflow process
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