Service Manager Authoring Tool workflow activity reference
This article provides guidance for information technology (IT) developers so that they can create custom Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) activities that IT pros can use to build WF workflows that are specific to their IT processes. Custom WF activities extend the Activity Library—the activities that are distributed with the Service Manager Authoring Tool. The Workflow Activity Reference section of this document provides details of the default WF activities in the Activity Library. This information is intended to help developers (or IT pros acting as developers) create custom WF activities, as needed.
For information about how to use WF activities and WF workflows with Service Manager, see Automating IT Processes with Workflows.
Active Directory activities
Use Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) activities to make Active Directory functions part of your workflow in Service Manager.
The Service Manager Authoring Tool provides two default Service Manager activities in the Active Directory Activities group in the Activities Toolbox pane. The sections in this article describe these activities.
Add AD DS Computer to a Group activity
This activity adds a computer to a security group in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) in Service Manager. The computer and the group must belong to the same domain, and all the containers in the domain are searched.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| None | When you use this activity, ensure that the Service Manager Workflow account has sufficient permissions to modify security groups in AD DS. |
Properties
The Add AD DS Computer to Group activity uses the input properties that are described in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Domain | ComputerDomain | String | Yes | The fully qualified DNS domain name where the computer is located (for example, contoso.com). |
| Computer Name | FullyQualifiedComputerName | String | Yes | The name of the computer. |
| Group Name | FullyQualifiedGroupName | String | Yes | The name of the Active Directory Domain Services group. |
The Add AD DS Computer to Group activity generates the output that is described in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output | Output | Boolean | The result of the operation: True if the addition succeeded; False if it failed. |
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| None | None | None |
Add AD DS User to Group activity
This activity adds a user to a security group in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) in Service Manager. The user and the group must belong to the same domain, and all the containers in the domain are searched.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| None | When you use this activity, ensure that the Service Manager Workflow account has sufficient permissions to modify security groups in AD DS. |
Properties
The Add AD DS User to Group activity uses the input properties that are listed in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| User Domain | UserDomain | String | Yes | The fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the user. |
| User Name | UserName | String | Yes | The sign-in name of the user. |
| Group Name | FullyQualifiedGroupName | String | Yes | The FQDN of the group. |
The Add AD DS User to Group activity generates the output that is described in the following table.
| Display Name | Internal Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output | Output | Boolean | The result of the operation: True if the addition succeeded, False if it failed. |
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| None | None | None |
Control Flow activities
Use control flow activities to provide structure—branches, loops, or timer delays—for your workflow in Service Manager.
The Authoring Tool provides four default control flow activities in the Control Flow group in the Activities Toolbox pane.
Delay activity
This activity introduces a delay between activities in a workflow in Service Manager. The Delay activity is derived from the Microsoft .NET Framework DelayActivity class.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| None | None |
Properties
The Delay activity uses the input properties that are listed in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initialize TimeoutDuration | InitializeTimeoutDuration | Internal | Specifies a handler to initialize the TimeoutDuration property. | |
| TimeoutDuration | TimeoutDuration | Timespan | Yes | Duration of the delay. |
The Delay activity doesn't produce an output property.
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| None | For more information about this activity, see DelayActivity Class in the .NET Framework Class Library. | None |
For Each Loop activity
The For Each Loop activity takes as an input an array (collection) of objects and repeats the set of activities within the loop for each object in the collection. For example, if the input collection has five objects, the loop iterates five times. If the collection is empty, the loop doesn't iterate. There's no upper limit to the number of objects in the collection. The For Each Loop activity always runs on the computer on which the workflow runs.
The For Each Loop activity is a composite activity with two containers for activities:
Input Container: This activity sets up the loop and defines the input collection. You can use the Get Incident or the Get Virtual Machine activity in this role.
Loop Container: Named ForEachChildActivity, this activity contains the loop activities. Most Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) activities that you place in this container have two additional properties: Current Item and Property to Bind. For each activity within the loop container, set these properties as follows:
Set Current Item to the Current Item property of the Loop Container activity of the ForEach activity. If this activity is the first activity in the For Each Loop activity, Current Item is set automatically.
Set the value of the Property to Bind property to the value of the property of the current activity that uses the Current Item value.
Two types of activities don't get the Current Item and Property to Bind properties and therefore can't use the objects in the input collection:
Script activities, such as the Windows PowerShell Script activity.
Custom activities or other activities that don't inherit from the WorkflowActivityBase class. Such activities include those activities that are based on the Activity base class, such as native Visual Studio activities.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| None | None |
Properties
The For Each Loop activity uses the input properties that are described in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input Collection | InputCollection | Array/Object | N/A | A collection of objects to be passed, one at a time, to the activities within the For Each Loop activity. If the activity that resides in the input container produces an array of objects as its output property, Input Collection is automatically set to that property. To view the current value of this property, right-click the loop container, and select Properties. |
| Current Item | CurrentItem | Object | N/A | An index into Input Collection that activities within the loop can use as an input property. For the first activity in the loop container, this property is set automatically. |
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The For Each Loop activity uses the custom tracking service that is supplied by Service Manager to log errors and exceptions when the activity runs. The activity generates errors or exceptions under the following conditions: - If any error occurs in the ForEachLoop activity and that isn't with the child activities, the workflow terminates. - If any error occurs within the child activities, the workflow terminates unless ContinueOnError=true. - If any of the input properties are null. The activity doesn't iterate. Each activity within the For Each Loop activity must write its own errors or exceptions to the custom tracking service. The For Each Loop activity doesn't do so itself. |
None | None |
IfElse activity
This activity controls the sequence of activities within a workflow based on a Boolean (True/False) condition. You can use the outcome of a previous activity, such as a script activity, for the condition.
The IfElse activity is a Visual Studio activity that uses rules and conditions. For more information about using rules and conditions in Windows Workflow Foundation (WF), see Tutorial: Use Rules and Conditions in WF in the MSDN Library.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| None | None |
Properties
None.
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| None | For more information about the IfElse activity, see IfElseActivity Class in the .NET Framework 4 Class Library. | None |
Parallel activity
This activity forks the sequence of activities into two simultaneous sequences of activities. The Parallel activity is a Visual Studio activity. For more information about the ParallelActivity class, see ParallelActivity Class in the .NET Framework Class Library.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| None | None |
Properties
None.
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| None | None | None |
Virtual Machine Manager activities
Use virtual machine management activities in Service Manager to build workflows that allow for creating and updating virtual machines. The virtual machine management activities support System Center Virtual Machine Manager.
The Service Manager Authoring Tool provides the following five default virtual machine management activities in the VMM Activities group in the Activities Toolbox pane.
Get VM activity
This activity in Service Manager retrieves a list of one or more virtual machine IDs from a Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) Library.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| None | - The Virtual Machine Manager console and Service Manager must both be installed on the same server. - Ensure that the Service Manager Workflow account has sufficient permissions to modify security groups in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). - The Virtual Machine Manager console and Service Manager must both be installed on the same server. - Ensure that the Service Manager Workflow account has sufficient permissions to modify security groups in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). |
Properties
The Get VM activity uses the input properties in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parameter Set | ParameterSet | String | No; the default is Connection. | Specifies a subset of parameters organized for a particular purpose. For the Get VM activity, you can select one of the following parameter sets: - All: Search for all the available virtual machines. - ID: Search for a virtual machine with a known ID. - Connection: Search for virtual machines that are connected to the Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) server that is designated by the VMMServer property. - VMHostGroup: Search for virtual machines that are connected to the virtual machine host that is designated by the VM Host property. |
| Continue On Error | ContinueOnError | Boolean | No. (The default setting is True.) | Determines whether the workflow should continue running if the activity fails. |
| Has Error | HasError | N/A | Specifies if the activity has an error set. (Read-only) | |
| All | All | Boolean | No. (The default setting is True.) | Available if the Parameter Set is All. If it's set to True, the Get VM activity returns a list of the virtual machine IDs of all of the available virtual machines. |
| ID | ID | String | Required if Parameter Set is ID. | Available if the Parameter Set is ID. If it's set to True, the Get VM activity returns a list of the virtual machine IDs of all of the virtual machines whose virtual machine IDs match all or part of the specified ID value. |
| Management Group | ManagementGroup | String | No | Specifies the management group in which this activity will run. Set to localhost. (Read-only) |
| Script Server | Target | String | Yes | Specifies the Domain Name System (DNS) name of the server that runs the Service Manager console. Don't use localhost. |
| Script Time Limit | TimeoutSeconds | Integer | No. (The default setting is 300 seconds.) | Specifies the maximum number of seconds to allow for the activity to run. |
| VM Host | VMHost | String | Required if the Parameter Set is VMHostGroup | Available if the Parameter Set is VMHostGroup. If this parameter set is selected, the Get VM activity returns a list of the virtual machine IDs of all the virtual machines running on the specified host. |
| VM Name | VMName | String | No | Specifies the name or part of a name of the virtual machine to search for. If the string is part of a name, the activity retrieves the IDs of all the virtual machines that contain the string. |
| VMMServer | VMMServer | String | Yes | Specifies the name of the System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) server that manages the virtual machines. |
The Get VM activity generates the output that is described in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| VM IDs | VMIDList | Array of strings | Specifies the list of the IDs of virtual machines with names that match all or part of the VM Name string. |
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The Get VM activity uses the custom tracking service that is supplied by Service Manager to log errors and exceptions when the activity runs. The activity generates errors or exceptions as appropriate if any of the script properties can't be resolved. | None | None |
Move VM activity
This activity in Service Manager moves a virtual machine from the Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) Library to a maintenance host.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| None | - The Virtual Machine Manager console and Service Manager must both be installed on the same server. - Ensure that the Service Manager Workflow account has sufficient permissions to modify security groups in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). |
Properties
The Move VM activity uses the input properties in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continue On Error | ContinueOnError | Boolean | No. (The default setting is True.) | Determines whether the workflow should continue running if the activity fails. |
| Has Error | HasError | N/A | Specifies whether the activity has an error set. (Read-only) | |
| Block LM If Host Busy | BlockLMIfHostBusy | Boolean | No. (The default setting is False.) | Blocks retrying a Hyper-V live migration if the migration failed because the source host or the destination host is already participating in another live migration. |
| Job Group | JobGroup | Guid (string) | No | Specifies an identifier for a series of commands that will run as a set. |
| Job Variable | JobVariable | String | No | Specifies that job progress is tracked and stored in the variable named by this parameter. |
| Management Group | ManagementGroup | String | No | Specifies the management group in which this activity will run. Set to localhost. (Read-only) |
| Path | Path | String | No | Specifies the destination of the virtual machine on the maintenance host. |
| PROTipID | PROTipID | Guid | No | Specifies the ID of the Performance and Resource Optimization (PRO) tip that triggered this action. Allows for future auditing of PRO tips. |
| Run Asynchronously | RunAsynchronously | Boolean | No. (The default setting is False.) | Specifies that the job runs asynchronously so that control returns to the command shell immediately. |
| Script Server | Target | String | Yes | Specifies the Domain Name System (DNS) name of the server that runs the Service Manager console. Don't use localhost. |
| Script Time Limit | TimeoutSeconds | Integer | No. (The default setting is 300 seconds.) | Specifies the maximum number of seconds to allow for the activity to run. |
| Start VM On Target | StartVMOnTarget | Boolean | No. (The default setting is False.) | Specifies that a virtual machine starts as soon as it reaches its destination host. |
| Use Cluster | UseCluster | Boolean | No. (The default setting is False.) | Forces the use of Windows Server 2008 Cluster Migration for the transfer of a virtual machine that is in a saved state to a host, even if the cluster supports Hyper-V live migration. |
| Use LAN | UseLan | Boolean | No. (The default setting is False.) | Forces a transfer over the local area network (LAN) even if a faster transfer mechanism, such as a storage area network (SAN) transfer, is available. |
| VM Host | VMHostName | String | Yes | Specifies the name of the maintenance host to which the virtual machine will be moved. |
| VM ID | VMID | String | Yes | Specifies the unique ID of the virtual machine to be moved. |
| VMM Server | VMMServer | String | Yes | Specifies the name of the System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) server that manages the virtual machines. |
The Move VM activity generates the output that is described in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| VM ID | VMID | String | Specifies the unique ID of the virtual machine that was moved. The input VM ID and the output VM ID are equal unless the activity failed to find a virtual machine with a VM ID that matches the input VM ID. In that case, the output VM ID is set to Null. |
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The Move VM activity uses the custom tracking service that is supplied by Service Manager to log errors and exceptions when the activity runs. The activity generates errors or exceptions as appropriate if any of the script properties can't be resolved. | None | None |
Shutdown VM activity
This activity in Service Manager shuts down the guest operating system on a virtual machine.
You can use the Shutdown VM activity on a virtual machine on a Windows-based host (a Hyper-V host or a Virtual Server host) only if virtualization guest services are installed on the virtual machine. For a virtual machine that is deployed on a Hyper-V host, the virtualization guest service is called Integration Components. For a virtual machine that is deployed on a Virtual Server host, the virtualization guest service is called Virtual Machine Additions.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| None | - The Virtual Machine Manager console and Service Manager must both be installed on the same server. - Ensure that the Service Manager Workflow account has sufficient permissions to modify security groups in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). |
Properties
The Shutdown VM activity uses the input properties that are described in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continue On Error | ContinueOnError | Boolean | No. (The default setting is True.) | Determines whether the workflow should continue running if the activity fails. |
| Has Error | HasError | N/A | Specifies whether the activity has an error set. (Read-only) | |
| Job Variable | JobVariable | String | No | Specifies that job progress is tracked and stored in the variable that is named by this parameter. |
| Management Group | ManagementGroup | String | No | Specifies the management group in which this activity will run. Set to localhost. (Read-only) |
| PROTipID | PROTipID | Guid | No | Specifies the ID of the Performance and Resource Optimization (PRO) tip that triggered this action. Allows for future auditing of PRO tips. |
| Run Asynchronously | RunAsynchronously | Boolean | No. (The default setting is False.) | Specifies that the job runs asynchronously so that control returns to the command shell immediately. |
| Script Server | Target | String | Yes | Specifies the Domain Name System (DNS) name of the server that runs the Service Manager console. Don't use Localhost. |
| Script Time Limit | TimeoutSeconds | Integer | No. (The default setting is 300 seconds.) | Specifies the maximum number of seconds to allow for the activity to run. |
| VM ID | VMID | String | Yes | Specifies the unique ID of the virtual machine to be shut down. |
| VMMServer | VMMServer | String | Yes | Specifies the name of the System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) server that manages the virtual machines. |
The Shutdown VM activity generates the output that is described in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| VM ID | VMID | String | Specifies the unique ID of the virtual machine that was shut down. The input VM ID and the output VM ID are equal unless the activity failed to find a virtual machine with a VM ID that matches the input VM ID. In that case, the output VM ID is set to Null. |
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The Shutdown VM activity uses the custom tracking service that is supplied by Service Manager to log errors and exceptions when the activity runs. The activity generates errors or exceptions as appropriate if any of the script properties can't be resolved. | None | None |
Start VM activity
This activity in Service Manager starts a stopped or paused virtual machine.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| None | None |
Properties
The Start VM activity uses the input properties in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continue On Error | ContinueOnError | Boolean | No. (The default setting is True.) | Determines whether the workflow should continue running if the activity fails. |
| Has Error | HasError | N/A | Specifies whether the activity has an error set. (Read-only) | |
| Job Variable | JobVariable | String | No | Specifies that job progress is tracked and stored in the variable that is named by this parameter. |
| Management Group | ManagementGroup | String | No | The management group in which this activity will run. Set to localhost. (Read-only) |
| PROTipID | PROTipID | Guid | No | Specifies the ID of the Performance and Resource Optimization (PRO) tip that triggered this action. Allows for future auditing of PRO tips. |
| Run Asynchronously | RunAsynchronously | Boolean | No. (The default setting is False.) | Specifies that the job runs asynchronously so that control returns to the command shell immediately. |
| Script Server | Target | String | Yes | Specifies the Domain Name System (DNS) name of the server that runs the Service Manager console. Don't use localhost. |
| Script Time Limit | TimeoutSeconds | Integer | No. (The default setting is 300 seconds.) | Specifies the maximum number of seconds to allow for the activity to run. |
| VM ID | VMID | String | Yes | Specifies the unique ID of the virtual machine to be started. |
| VMMServer | VMMServer | String | Yes | Specifies the name of the System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) server that manages the virtual machines. |
The Start VM activity generates the output that is described in the following table.
| Display Name | Internal Name | Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| VM ID | VMID | String | Specifies the unique ID of the virtual machine that was started. The input VM ID and the output VM ID are equal unless the activity failed to find a virtual machine with a VM ID that matches the input VM ID. In that case, the output VM ID is set to Null. |
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The Start VM activity uses the custom tracking service that is supplied by Service Manager to log errors and exceptions when the activity runs. The activity generates errors or exceptions, as appropriate, if any of the script properties can't be resolved. | None | None |
Save State VM activity
This activity in Service Manager saves the state of a virtual machine and then stops the virtual machine.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| None | - The Virtual Machine Manager console and Service Manager must be both installed on the same server. - Ensure that the Service Manager Workflow account has sufficient permissions to modify security groups in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). |
Properties
The Save State VM activity uses the input properties that are described in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continue On Error | ContinueOnError | Boolean | No. (The default setting is True.) | Determines whether the workflow should continue running if the activity fails. |
| Has Error | HasError | N/A | Specifies whether the activity has an error set. (Read-only) | |
| Job Variable | JobVariable | String | No | Specifies that job progress is tracked and stored in the variable that is named by this parameter. |
| Management Group | ManagementGroup | String | No | Specifies the management group in which this activity will run. Set to localhost. (Read-only) |
| PROTipID | PROTipID | Guid | No | Specifies the ID of the Performance and Resource Optimization (PRO) tip that triggered this action. Allows for future auditing of PRO tips. |
| Run Asynchronously | RunAsynchronously | Boolean | No. (The default setting is False.) | Specifies that the job runs asynchronously so that control returns to the command shell immediately. |
| Script Server | Target | String | Yes | Specifies the Domain Name System (DNS) name of the server that runs the Service Manager console. Don't use localhost. |
| Script Time Limit | TimeoutSeconds | Integer | No. (The default setting is 300 seconds.) | Specifies the maximum number of seconds to allow for the activity to run. |
| VM ID | VMID | String | Yes | Specifies the unique ID of the virtual machine to be saved. |
| VMM Server | VMMServer | String | Yes | Specifies the name of the System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) server that manages the virtual machines. |
The Save State VM activity generates the output that is described in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| VM ID | VMID | String | Specifies the unique ID of the virtual machine that was saved. The input VM ID and the output VM ID are equal unless the activity failed to find a virtual machine with a VM ID that matches the input VM ID. In that case, the output VM ID is set to Null. |
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The Save State VM activity uses the custom tracking service that is supplied by Service Manager to log errors and exceptions when the activity runs. The activity generates errors or exceptions as appropriate if any of the script properties can't be resolved. | None | None |
Script activities
Use a script activity in Service Manager to run a script as part of a workflow.
Script activities run as a separate process from the workflows; however, they also run under the security context of the Service Manager Workflow account.
The Service Manager Authoring Tool provides the following three default script activities in the Generic Script Activities subgroup of the Script Activities group in the Activities Toolbox pane.
Command Script activity
This activity runs a command-line script as part of a Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) workflow.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| None | None |
Properties
The Command Script activity uses the input properties that are described in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continue On Error | ContinueOnError | Boolean | No. (The default setting is True.) | Determines whether the workflow should continue running if the activity fails. |
| Has Error | HasError | N/A | Specifies whether the activity has an error set. (Read-only) | |
| Management Group | ManagementGroupName | String | No | Specifies the management group to which the script server belongs. By default, this is set to localhost. (Read-only) |
| Script Parameters | Parameters | Dictionary <string,string> | Yes | Specifies command-line switches or switch/value pairs to be passed into the script when it runs. |
| Script Body | ScriptBody | String | Yes | Specifies the text of the script itself. |
| Script Server | Target | String | No | Specifies the Domain Name System (DNS) name of the server that runs the Service Manager console. Don't use localhost. |
| Script Time Limit | TimeoutSeconds | Integer | No. (The default setting is 300 seconds.) | Specifies the maximum number of seconds to allow for the script to run. |
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The Command Script activity uses the custom tracking service that is supplied by Service Manager to log errors and exceptions when the activity runs. The activity generates errors or exceptions as appropriate if any of the script properties can't be resolved. | None | None |
Windows PowerShell Script activity
This activity in Service Manager runs a Windows PowerShell script as part of a Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) workflow.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| The Windows PowerShell Script activity depends upon the following prerequisites at design time: - Windows PowerShell 2.0 |
Windows PowerShell 2.0 |
Properties
The Windows PowerShell Script activity uses the input properties that are described in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continue On Error | ContinueOnError | Boolean | No. (The default setting is True.) | Determines whether the workflow should continue running if the activity fails. |
| Has Error | HasError | N/A | Specifies whether the activity has an error set. (Read-only) | |
| Management Group | ManagementGroupName | String | No | Specifies the management group to which the script server belongs. By default, this is set to localhost. (Read-only) |
| Script Parameters | Parameters | Dictionary <string,string> | Yes | Specifies the name/value list of parameters to be passed into the script when it runs. You can set parameter values to any of the following management pack references: - $Target/...$ - $MPElement[...] - $Data/...$. $Data references are resolved only at run time in the parameters (not in the script itself). Using one of these references as the only value for a parameter sets that parameter to the XML string that represents the input data item (from GetItemXML). |
| Script Body | ScriptBody | String | Yes | Specifies the text of the script itself. |
| Snap-ins | SnapIns | String | No | Lists Windows PowerShell snap-ins to preload into the runspace. |
| Script Server | Target | String | No | Specifies the Domain Name System (DNS) name of the server that runs the Service Manager console. Don't use localhost. |
| Script Time Limit | TimeoutSeconds | Integer | No. (The default setting is 300 seconds.) | Specifies the maximum number of seconds to allow for the script to run. |
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The Windows PowerShell Script activity uses the custom tracking service that is supplied by Service Manager to log errors and exceptions when the activity runs. The activity generates errors or exceptions as appropriate if any of the script properties can't be resolved. | For more information about Windows PowerShell, see Windows PowerShell. | None |
VBScript Script activity
This activity in Service Manager runs a VBScript script as part of a Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) workflow.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| The VBScript Script activity depends on the following prerequisites at design time: None. |
None |
Properties
The VBScript Script activity uses the input properties that are described in the following table.
| Display Name | Internal Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continue On Error | ContinueOnError | Boolean | No. (The default setting is True.) | Determines whether the workflow continues to run if the activity fails. |
| Has Error | HasError | N/A | Specifies whether the activity has an error set. (Read-only) | |
| Management Group | ManagementGroupName | String | No | Specifies the management group to which the script server belongs. (By default, this is set to localhost) (Read-only) |
| Script Parameters | Parameters | Dictionary <string,string> | Yes | Provides the list of the standard switches and any associated values that this script uses when it runs. |
| Script Body | ScriptBody | String | Yes | Specifies the text of the script itself. |
| Script Server | Target | String | No | Specifies the Domain Name System (DNS) name of the server that runs the Service Manager console. Don't use localhost. |
| Script Time Limit | TimeoutSeconds | Integer | No. (The default setting is 300 seconds.) | Specifies the maximum number of seconds to allow for the script to run. |
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The VBScript Script activity uses the custom tracking service that is supplied by Service Manager to log errors and exceptions when the activity runs. The activity generates errors or exceptions as appropriate if any of the script properties can't be resolved. | None | None |
Service Manager activities
Use Service Manager activities in Service Manager to make Service Manager functions part of your workflow.
The Service Manager Authoring Tool provides the following four default Service Manager activities in the SM Activities group in the Activities Toolbox pane.
Create Incident activity
This activity creates and populates an incident in Service Manager.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| None | None |
Properties
The Create Incident activity uses the input properties that are listed in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Required | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incident ID | IncidentID | String | Yes | Specifies the unique identifier who is generated for the Incident object. |
| Action Log Comment | ActionLogComment | String | Yes | Specifies the comment to include in the Incident object's action log. |
| Affected User Domain | AffectedUserDomain | String | Yes | Specifies the name of the Domain Name System (DNS) domain of the primary user who is affected by the incident. |
| Affected User Name | AffectedUserName | String | Yes | Specifies the user name of the primary user who is affected by the incident. |
| Category | Category | Integer | Yes | Specifies the type of incident, such as Networking or Printing. The value is the ID of enum. (Category -enum data field) |
| Continue On Error | ContinueOnError | Boolean | No. (The default setting is true.) | Determines whether the workflow should continue running if the activity fails. |
| Impact | Impact | Integer | Yes | Specifies the impact of the incident on the affected user or users. The value is the ID of enum. (Impact -enum data type) |
| Source | Source | Integer | No | Specifies the source of information about the incident, such as Phone or E-mail. The value is the ID of enum. (Source -enum data type field) |
| Summary | Summary | String | Yes | Specifies the summary text that describes the incident. |
| Urgency | Urgency | Integer | Yes | Specifies the urgency of resolving the incident. The value is the ID of enum. (Urgency -enum data type field) |
The Create Incident activity generates the output that is described in the following table.
| Name | Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| SM Incident | System.WorkItem.Incident | Returns the constructed incident class instance. |
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| None | None | None |
Get Incident activity
This activity retrieves one or more incidents in Service Manager.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| None | None |
Properties
The Get Incident activity uses the input properties that are listed in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Required | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Affected User Domain | AffectedUserDomain | String | No | Specifies the name of the Domain Name System (DNS) domain of the primary user who is affected by the incident. |
| Affected User Name | AffectedUserName | String | No | Specifies the user name of the primary user who is affected by the incident. |
| Category | Category | Integer | No | Specifies the type of incident, such as Networking or Printing. The value is the ID of enum. (Category -enum data field) |
| Continue On Error | ContinueOnError | Boolean | No. (The default is true.) | Determines whether the workflow should continue running if the activity fails. |
| Incident ID | IncidentID | String | No | Specifies the unique identifier that is generated for the incident object. |
| Search Type | SearchType | Integer | No | Specifies the title of the search type that is used with the activity. |
| Status | Status | Integer | No | Specifies the status of incident. The value is the ID of enum. (Status -enum data field) |
| Summary Text | SummaryText | String | No | Specifies the summary text that describes the incident. |
The Get Incident activity generates the output that is described in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| SM Incidents | SMIncidents | Array of System.Workitem.Incident | Specifies an array of incident objects. |
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| None | The Get Incident activity has its own validator to perform error validation on input properties. | None |
Update Incident activity
This activity in Service Manager saves property changes to one Service Manager incident.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| None | None |
Properties
The Update Incident activity uses the input properties that are described in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Action Log Comment | ActionLogComment | String | No | Specifies a comment to include in the Incident object's action log. |
| Affected User Domain | AffectedUserDomain | String | No | Specifies the name of the Domain Name System (DNS) domain of the primary user who is affected by the incident. |
| Affected User Name | AffectedUserName | String | No | Specifies the user name of the primary user who is affected by the incident. |
| Category | Category | Integer | No | Specifies the type of incident, such as Networking or Printing. The value is the ID of enum. (Category -enum data type) |
| Continue On Error | ContinueOnError | Boolean | No. (The default setting is true.) | Determines whether the workflow should continue running if the activity fails. |
| Impact | Impact | Integer | No | Specifies the impact of the incident on the affected user or users. The value is the ID of enum. (Impact -enum data type) |
| Source | Source | Integer | No | Specifies the source of information about the incident, such as Phone or E-mail. The value is the ID of enum. (Source -enum data type) |
| Service Manager Incident | SMIncident | System.Workitem.Incident | No | The constructed incident class instance to be updated. |
| Status | Status | Integer | No | Specifies the status of the incident that generated the activity. The value is the ID of enum. (Status -enum data type) |
| Summary | Summary | String | No | Specifies the summary text that describes the incident. |
| Urgency | Urgency | Integer | No | Specifies the urgency of resolving the incident. The value is the ID of enum. (Urgency -enum data type field) |
The Update Incident activity generates the output that is described in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| SM Incident | SMIncident | System.WorkItem.Incident | Returns an update of the incident class instance. The input SM Incident and the output SM Incident are equal unless the activity failed to find the SM Incident. In that case, the output SM Incident is set to Null. |
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| None | None | None |
Set Activity Status to Completed activity
This activity updates the status of an automated activity in Service Manager.
| Design time prerequisites | Run time prerequisites |
|---|---|
| None | None. |
Properties
The Set Activity Status to Completed activity uses the input properties that are described in the following table.
| Display name | Internal name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Activity ID | ActivityID | String | Yes | Specifies the identifier of a Service Manager automated activity object. |
| Errors and exceptions | Remarks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| None | When you're using this activity in a workflow that is triggered by a Service Manager automated activity, enter $Data/BaseManagedEntityId$ as the value of this property. This value applies to the Set Activity Status to Completed activity at the automated activity that triggered the workflow to run. | None |