Tasks all require some level of input/output to make them useful by themselves or within a workflow, and it is more easily explained with examples of how tasks use these values.
Simple Task
To understand a task and some of its input/output, let us look at using a simple built-in storage task - 'Add Host to Storage Host Group' - which should be self-explanatory.
First, we have three required inputs as shown below.
'Add Host to Storage Host Group' Inputs within the UI:
To explain these inputs in a little better detail, we'll give a short explanation of each:
Storage Device - This will be a selection of the storage array we are running the task against. NOTE: This must be a device already claimed into Intersight via the Intersight Assist virtual appliance.
Host Group - This input is a selection for the existing host group on the array, and the host groups will be listed once a user selects a storage array. The host group will be selected by clicking the radio button for a particular array within the list of existing host groups. (An example is shown below these input descriptions)
Host Name - This input is a string for the name of the host to be added to the host group.
Host Group Selection within the UI:
Complex Task
To understand a complex task and where we may need to do some mapping in the Workflow Designer for vendor-specific options, let us look at using a simple built-in storage task - creating a 'New Storage Volume'.
First, we have five required inputs as shown below.
'New Storage Volume' Inputs within the UI:
Similar to our explanation of the task above, we'll give a short explanation of each:
Storage Device - This will be a selection of the storage array we will run the task against. NOTE: This must be a device already claimed into Intersight via the Intersight Assist virtual appliance.
Storage Vendor Virtual Machine - This is used for storage arrays that use a storage virtual machine (SVM). NOTE: As this is not used for Everpure, this input can be hidden when working with a Pure array for this task.
Storage Vendor Aggregate - This input is more of a backend data field, as it will handle mapping some vendor platform details specific to the type of storage platform the task is being run against.
Storage Vendor Volume Options - This input will modify the subsequent selection of the options to be displayed for the volume capacity, which are specific to the type of storage platform the task is being run against.
Volume Capacity - Finally, we see our input for volume capacity, requiring volume size & unit. For a Pure Array, this will ask for an integer value for the unit, and give us the appropriate unit values, as seen below.
'Volume Capacity' Inputs within the UI: