Configuring input parameters in a process

Any BMC Atrium Orchestrator process that you choose to associate with your BMC Server Automation Workflow Job usually has input parameters defined through its Start activity. These input parameters are passed on to your Workflow Job. By default, such input parameters are passed on to the Workflow Job as string-type input parameters.

This topic also provides information about:

To enable the use of the full range of BMC Server Automation input types in the Workflow Job, as well as to organize the input parameters on Workflow Job panels, you must modify the original process in BMC Atrium Orchestrator.

This can be accomplished in either of the following ways:

• Include metadata within the names of input parameters according to a special naming convention (see Including-metadata-in-input-parameter-names).

• Introduce a special block of XML code into the process properties (see Defining-input-parameter-information-through-XML-code).

  Note

  To help you choose the best method for you, note the following strengths and weaknesses of each method for configuration of input parameters:

  • The method of including metadata in input parameter names is simpler and does not require XML knowledge. However, this method affects parameter names, which can become long and hard to read. In addition, this method does not grant you full control over the order in which parameters are displayed on Workflow Job panels.
  • The method of including a block of XML code in process properties is more flexible. As opposed to the other method, the XML method enables you to
    • define enumeration-type parameters that have sets of possible values.
    • specify default values for list and XML parameters.
    • specify allowed job types for limiting Job or List_Job parameter values.
    • sequence pages and groups. 

   During the transfer of input parameters from the BMC Atrium Orchestrator process to the BMC Server Automation Workflow Job, the XML option takes precedence over the parameter naming option.