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Understanding workflow snapin
#1 Thu, 08/18/2011 - 20:41
Understanding workflow snapin

I have an Infolblox grid running 6.2.1 and have installed bloxtools on a development box(stand alone non infoblox appliance).  BDK v0.9.1 is installed and setup but I am having a few problems.  I have a single DNS view called default and a holding area called Holding-Area.  The holding are was created via the workflow tool.  When I select the zone where I want to add a record from the default view and try to add the record to the holding area the message no parent zone found is returned.  What am I doing wrong?  

 

Thanks,

 Jeff

 

Update - I was able to work around this by manually creating the zones in the holding area - the documentation states it should auto create the zone but it does not. 

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Re: Understanding workflow snapin
Mon, 08/29/2011 - 01:05
Re: Understanding workflow snapin

The entire workflow app was not designed to work with 6x. In fact we originally wrote it for 4x, before 'scheduled changes' was even a feature in the product (hence it's odd use of views).

so the best advice is 'use with care'

We are currently re-building that entire snapin and modifying it to use the features and advantages of NIOS 6x.

Stay tuned and we will post news and updates soon.

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Re: Understanding workflow snapin
(Reply to #2) Tue, 09/20/2011 - 17:52
Re: Understanding workflow snapin

Hi everybody,

We are trying to get the workflow snappin working with the NIOS version 5.1r3. But we have realised that there are some basic funcionalities that now don't work.

Some of the things that now using the snap-in-bdk-0.91 doesn't work is the Publish phase. After publishing the queue for a specific holding area, the records are created in the correct selected View but them still appearing in the Holding area. So the workflow never cleans up the queue of requests from the Holding Area. We think there is something that has changed and affects the content of the script inside the cgi-bin/process-queue.pl.

Could you help us with this or give us a track to remediate it, please?

We assume the snap-in is something developed a few time ago and It's not updated now.

It would be great if you could take a look on it.

Do you have an estimated date for the new version of the workflow compatible with NIOS 6.x?

Thank you very much

Best Regards

Juanmi

 

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Re: Understanding workflow snapin
(Reply to #3) Wed, 09/21/2011 - 00:05
Re: Understanding workflow snapin

If you set the queue up as a 'DR' queue, it doesn't get cleared when you publish the changes. This was designed to let you make regular repeated changes.

The new workflow app is going through final testing and will be ready real soon. if you would like an advance copy, contact your account rep and they can get you the details.

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Re: Understanding workflow snapin
(Reply to #2) Fri, 11/18/2011 - 00:40
Re: Understanding workflow snapin

Geoff,

I'm looking at deploying the workflow tool in v4.x (might make it to v5 sometime this next year) - are there any caveats using the rebuilt version on v4.x?

Thanks,

Jeff

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Re: Understanding workflow snapin
(Reply to #4) Fri, 11/18/2011 - 01:04
Re: Understanding workflow snapin

The rebuilt version probably won't work at all with 4x, as it uses the 'scheduled changes' feature.

Upgrading is usually your best option (esp from 4x), but if you can describe in enough detail what feature/s you want from the workflow app (either version) there may be some things you can do to the code to get you closer to where you need to be.

 

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Re: Understanding workflow snapin
(Reply to #6) Fri, 11/18/2011 - 01:24
Re: Understanding workflow snapin

Unfortunately we have a very limited window for upgrades December and summer.  I just took over the architecture role for our deployment and found us still sitting on v4 with no upgrade plans, with no plans we missed the trade-in/upgrade program last summer when I could have replaced the 7 of 12 units that aren't "-A" for upgrading to v6.

So I will be on v5 at the best for the near term.

I've just started looking at workflow and it sounds like exactly what we're looking for to replace the manual entry process of both service request tickets and subsequent administration.  I'll be training a new crop of DNS admins as part of my role change so a simple submit/approve workflow will go a long way toward fulfilling our daily task workloads.  I'd like to separate out the 'important' changes (whole zone add/delete) and potentially certain record types in certain zones to higher level admins via the same workflow.  We're not too rigid on timing of updates so if that's all we'd miss then I think we could live without it.

Would v5 get us most of the way there - if so I could request a change management slot for upgrading the grid to v5 and do the install at the same time (if I'm not mistaken I'd then need to reshuffle the bloxTools to a non GM/GMC or is that just in v6?)

Thanks

~Jeff

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Re: Understanding workflow snapin
(Reply to #7) Sun, 11/20/2011 - 23:40
Re: Understanding workflow snapin

For what you are trying to do, you don't need 'DR queues' just normal queues.

However, NIOSv5 would get you most of the way there. Workflow v2 should work with NIOSv5, but it hasn't been strongly tested (and you don't need to move bloxtools to a member for NIOSv5).

I would set up a lab box with upgraded code, install the new workflow and see if that works better for you.

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