Configuring the VIS actor adapter

You configure an adapter in Grid Manager. The configuration provides information about how the adapter interacts with the VMware Infrastructure application. While each adapter must have a unique name, you can create multiple adapters with the same adapter type to allow for different configuration properties.

Note

Before creating an adapter configuration, ensure that you have completed all the prerequisite tasks.

To configure the actor adapter

  1. Log on to TrueSight Orchestration Grid Manager. 
  2. To access the adapters page, click the Manage tab, and click the Adapters tab. 
  3. On the Adapters in Repository page, select the check box corresponding to the version.
  4. Click Add to Grid.
    The adapter is now listed under Adapters on Grid. 

  5. Click Configure corresponding to the newly added adapter.

    Note

    The actor adapter does not support setting up of multiple configurations with a single adapter instance. 

  6. On the Add an Adapter Configuration page, perform the following substeps to configure the adapter using the form view or jump to Step 7 to configure the adapter using the XML view: 
    1. Specify a name for the adapter. 
    2. Specify a description for the adapter. 
    3. Under Properties, enter or select values for the configuration elements. 
      Include all required elements indicated with an asterisk (*).
  7. (optional) Configure the adapter in the XML view using the following substeps: 

    1. Specify a name for the adapter.

      The default adapter name is VMwareInfrastructure.

    2. Specify a description for the adapter. 

    3. Click Switch to XML View.

      Switching to the XML view to specify configuration elements means that you cannot thereafter use the form for modifying the adapter configuration.

    4. Click OK. 
    5. On the Warning message that appears, click Switch View.

    6. In Properties, type the adapter configuration properties in an XML format, including all required elements.

      The Properties text box must contain a valid XML configuration node for the adapter, as shown in the following code sample. This sample shows all possible elements. If the default value for a non-required element is acceptable, omit the element. Do not include empty elements. 
      XML sample for configuring the actor adapter       

      <config>
       <soap-url>https://dev1:443/sdk/vim</soap-url>
       <transport>https-rpc</transport>
       <user-name>administrator</user-name>
       <password>xyz345</password>
      <return-mob-ref>false</return-mob-ref>
      <use-ssl-certificate>true</use-ssl-certificate>
      <install-certificate>true</install-certificate>
      <passphrase>changeit</passphrase>
      <allow-unsigned-certificate>true</allow-unsigned-certificate>
      </config>

    7. Click OK.
    8. On the Warning message that appears, click Save.
      This saves the adapter configuration with settings in the XML view permanently. The newly configured adapter is now listed in the Adapters on Grid list.

The following table describes the adapter configuration elements and attributes for the adapter that you can specify using the form view, XML view, or both.

 Node elements for configuring the actor adapter 

 

UI Label

Element

Description

Required

Soap URL

<soap-url>

Specifies the URL for the remote SOAP service running on the VMware VirtualCenter 

If the <soap-url> element is not specified, the request uses the VirtualCenter Server details specified in the adapter configuration. 

Default format for HTTPS: https://<hostName>:<port>/sdk/vim 
Default format for HTTP: http://<hostName>:<port>/sdk/vim 

Note: If you want to use an HTTP value, you might need to change the configuration of the VMware Infrastructure application.

No

Transport

<transport>

Specifies the transport protocol for the message 

If the <transport> element is not provided, the request uses the VirtualCenter Server details specified in the adapter configuration. 

Valid values: https-rpc (default), http-rpc

 

Note: If the value of the <transport> element is https-rpc, you must install the security certificate for the VMware Virtual Center to the keystore of the peer on which the adapter is enabled.

Yes

User Name

<user-name>

Specifies the user name that is used for HTTP basic authentication on the VMware Virtual Center

Conditional: required if not specified in the request

Password

<password>

Specifies the password corresponding to <user-name>

Conditional; required if <user-name> is specified

Return Mob Ref

<return-mob-ref>

Specifies the format of the adapter response 

Valid values: true, false (default) 

If <return-mob-ref> is set to true, all the adapter responses contain Managed Object IDs. 
If <return-mob-ref> is set to false, all the adapter responses contain display names.

No

Use SSL Certificate

<use-ssl-certificate>

Specifies whether to use an SSL certificate to establish a secure connection 

Valid values: true, false (default)

Conditional:

  • Set the value of this element to true when<soap-url>uses HTTPS. 
  • Set the value of this element to false or leave it blank when <soap-url> uses HTTP.

Install Certificate

<install-certificate>

Specifies whether to install security certificates automatically 

Note: Set the value of this element to true if you prefer to have security certificates installed automatically (common). 

Set the value of this element to false if you prefer to manually export the security certificate from the VirtualCenter server and manually import it into the TrueSight Orchestration's local peer's cacerts file (rare).

Valid values: true, false (default)

No

Passphrase

<passphrase>

Specifies the password to the keystore file (cacerts) local to the TrueSight Orchestration peer 

Default value: changeit 

Warning:

  • The value of the <passphrase> element is the passphrase for the cacerts certificate stored on the TrueSight Orchestration local peer (CDP or AP) and not the BMC Network Automation target host. 
  • Changing the passphrase can be tricky and might destroy the cacerts security file integrity.

Verify the cacerts passphrase using the following command in UNIX or Linux: 

$ /opt/bmc/ao/cdp/jvm/bin/keytool -list -keystore 
/opt/bmc/ao/cdp/jvm/lib/security/cacerts

No

Allow Unsigned Certificate

<allow-unsigned-certificate>

Specifies whether to allow unsigned certificates from trusted zones 

Valid values: true, false (default) 

Commonly, set the value of this element to true if you are using self-signed SSL certificates. 

Rarely, on e-commerce sites or military installations, if you need to use signed certificates such as Verisign or Thawte, set the value of this element to false.

No

Enabling custom logging

To enable custom logging for the adapter, you must specify a log file name. You can also provide additional parameters for logging.

Note

You must be using TrueSight Orchestration version 8.1 or later to use the custom logging feature. These parameters will be ignored in earlier versions of TrueSight Orchestration Platform.

These parameters are available with supported adapter versions. See TrueSight Orchestration Content documentation for details.

  • Log File Name: Provide a name for the log file.
    This file will be stored in the AO_HOME/tomcat/logs directory. If Log File Max Backup Index value is greater than 0, the log file name is suffixed with the backup index. For example, if the parameter value is a.log, backup log files will have names, such as a.log.1, a.log.2.
  • Log File Size: Specify a size limit for the log file. 
    If the value specified for Log File Max Backup Index is greater than 0, when the specified size is reached, the current file is renamed with the suffix .1. Otherwise, the log file will be reset and over-written. The default value is 10MB. The available units are KiloBytes (KB), MegaBytes (MB) or GigaBytes (GB).
  • Log File Max Backup Index: Enter the maximum number of backup files allowed. The default value is 10.
  • Log File Append: Select this option to append new log information to the existing information in the file. If unselected, the file will be overwritten with new log information.

  • Log Level: Enter the logging level using one of the following choices:

    Logging level

    Description

    DEBUG

    The most detailed logging level; logs low-level messages, normal execution, recoverable erroneous conditions, and unrecoverable erroneous conditions

    INFO

    (default)

    Logs normal execution, recoverable erroneous conditions, and unrecoverable erroneous conditions

    WARN

    Logs recoverable erroneous conditions and unrecoverable erroneous conditions

    ERROR

    The least detailed logging level; logs only error conditions that are not usually recoverable

Encrypting an element's contents

You can add the attribute secure="true" to an XML adapter element XML view to ensure that the element's contents is encrypted when displayed.

Note

You must be using TrueSight Orchestration Platform version 8.1 or later to use this encryption attribute.

 

Tip: For faster searching, add an asterisk to the end of your partial query. Example: cert*