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Steamfitter Tasks

A task is an action or command that can be executed against one or more topology resources (that is, a VM). Each task has a result. A result is a single output that is generated when a task is executed against a single topology resource - like a single VM. A result indicates success or failure and typically includes some text describing the outcome.

A task has no results until it is executed.

A task can have multiple results:

  • a task defined to run against one VM will have one result for each time the task is executed
  • a task defined to run against multiple VMs will have on result per VM - each time the task is executed. So, a task that runs against four VMs and is executed three times yields 12 results.

Adding a Task

Name: What this task is supposed to do.

Description: Additional details about what the task does.

Action

  • Select an Action: Power on a VM, power off a VM, read a file, etc. An action is the name StackStorm gives to a single Task/Command.

  • Trigger Condition:

  • Time: A timed trigger is executed automatically after a set delay in seconds. A timed trigger can have multiple iterations executed on a specific interval.
  • Manual: A manual trigger condition is executed by manual intervention - clicking a button, for example, to fire off a task. It's up to a user to intervene to execute the task.
  • Completion: When the parent task completes the dependent task runs - regardless of success or failure.
  • Success: If the expected output is contained in the actual output then the dependent task runs.
  • Failure: Only runs if the expected output is not contained within the actual output.

Expected Output: Whatever you type here, if the actual output contains that text, then it is considered a success. If the output does not contain what is typed here, then it is considered a failure.

Delay / Iteration / Expiration

  • Delay: Set in seconds before executing the task executes.
  • Number of Iterations: An iteration is an execution of a task when the task is configured to iterate for x number of times. Enter the number of times you want the task to execute here.
  • Interval Between Iterations: The time in seconds in between iterations.
  • Iteration Termination:
  • IterationCountTask: The task will execute until exactly the number of iteration times specified above; regardless of whether the task succeeds or fails.
  • UntilSuccess: The task will iterate until the command has a successful completion.
  • UntilFailure: The task will iterate until the command fails.
  • Expiration Timeout: The time, in seconds, where if no response has been received the task expires (times out).

VM Selection

  • VM Mask: Tasks will run against Player VMs that include the text typed here.
  • Choose Actual VMs: Enable Choose Actual VMs to select specific VMs; these are the VMs found in the selected Player view.

Task Menu and Dependent Tasks

Clicking the Task Menu on the newly created task will give you the context menu for the task: Edit, Copy, Cut, New, Delete, and Execute. Selecting New here, however, creates a new dependent task. A dependent task does not execute until the condition on the parent task is met.

A task can be copied and pasted from any other scenario template, scenario, and task.