This topic describes how to create a workflow in a specific application.  Before you start, make sure you have completed all the prerequisites. See Workflow Creation Prerequisites.

A workflow is constructed as a hierarchy:

• The workflow is the root of the hierarchy.  It has a name.
• Workflow steps are the children of the workflow. They are based on step-types. Each of the steps also has a name.
• Each workflow step may have tasks, as needed. They are based on task templates. Each task has a name.

Create a New Workflow

1. In the left navigation pane of the UI, select the appropriate application

2. Click Alert & Respond -> Cloud Auto-Scaling -> Workflows.
Cloud Auto-Scaling features (under User -> My Preferences -> Advanced Features) must be enabled for this item to be visible. See Automation.

3. Click New +.

3. Enter a name and provide a brief description. The name is how you will access the workflow when you create policies and schedules.

4. Click Create Workflow.

5. Go on to create a set of workflow steps, adding them individually until you have completed your set up.  See Create Workflow Steps.

6. Click Save.

Create Workflow Steps

To create a workflow, you create a set of workflow steps.  Each step has a step-type, and may have one or more tasks that it must complete.  

Select the Step-Type

You must first select the kind of workflow step you are creating.

3. Click the Steps +  icon to designate the step-type of the workflow.

The Create Workflow Step window appears.

4. Give the step a name.

5. Select the type of step:

• • Create new Machines and and configure Them
    As the name implies, this step-type is used to launch new instances in the cloud, and to complete any necessary configuration tasks on them once they are started.
  • Terminate Machines
    This step-type is used to terminate cloud instances and to complete any related tasks.
  • Configure existing Machines
    This step-type is used to complete any necessary tasks on cloud-based machines that are already deployed.
  • Configure a specific Machine
    This step-type is used to complete any necessary tasks on any running instrumented machines, cloud-based or not.
  • Manual
    This step-type pauses workflow execution until required manual steps are taken.

 See below for specific instructions for each step-type.

6. Use the Tasks + icon to add any necessary tasks to the step.  See Add Tasks for Workflow Steps.

7. Click Steps +  icon to add the next step.

8. Click the Save icon in the upper left corner when you have completed your workflow.

To add a "Create New Machine" step

1.Highlight the appropriate icon.

2. Select the cloud provider you wish to use from the Select a Compute Cloud dropdown. If you have not yet registered your provider, you can click Register a Compute Cloud.  See Compute Clouds for more information on registering cloud providers.

3. Select the machine image you wish to use from the Select an Image dropdown. If you have not yet registered your provider, you can click Register an Image.  See Machine Images and Instances for more on registering machine images.

4. Indicate the number of machines you wish to create with this workflow step.

5. In case there are connection issues, specify a timeout, after which the workflow will stop trying to complete the flow.

6. Click Create Workflow Step to create the step for your workflow.

You are returned to the Steps + screen.

4. You can now add any tasks to the workflow step you have just created.  See Add Tasks for Workflow Steps.

To add a "Terminate Machines" step

Use this step to terminate a specific machine or a group of machines in the cloud that were created using the “Create new Machines and Configure them” step.

1. Select the computer provider that is running the instance and the machine image that was used in creating the machine.

2. Select the tier or tiers running on the machines to terminate.

3. In case there are connection issues, specify a timeout, after which the workflow will stop trying to complete the flow.

4. Indicate the number of machines that match the criteria to terminate.

5. Click Create Workflow Step to create the step for your workflow.

5. You are returned to the Steps + screen.

6. You can now add any tasks to the workflow step you have just created.  See Add Tasks for Workflow Steps.

To add a "Configure existing machines" step

Use this step to run tasks on the virtual machines that were previously created as a “Create new Machines and Configure them” step.

1. Select the computer provider that is running the instance and the machine image that was used in creating the machine.

2. Select the tier or tiers to be configured

5. Click Create Workflow Step to create the step for your workflow.

5. You are returned to the Steps + screen.

6. You can now add any tasks to the workflow step you have just created.  See Add Tasks for Workflow Steps.

To add a "Configure a particular machine" step

Use this step to run tasks on a machine on any machine that is running on your system that is instrumented with the Standalone Machine Agent. 

1.Select the machine you wish to affect from the list.

2. Click Save. 

3. You can now add any tasks to the workflow step you have just created.  See Add Tasks for Workflow Steps.

To add a "Manual" step

Use this step if your workflow needs manual user intervention. 

1. Click Save to create this step for your workflow.

 When a workflow with this step-type in it is run, you must re-start the workflow manually when you have completed your non-automated work.