Create multiple service items for a single requisition

[giuliodipace]

Hi,

I've a couple of questions about if and how is possible to desing a service plan that creates multiple service items for a single request and if it possible to create some sort of looping structrure within a service plan.

More precisely, i've designed a service that enable the customer to order in one single requisition multiple VMs and i'd like to creates a service item for each one of those VMs. For now, my service plan create only one service item that contains data for all the VMs created like all the hostnames and IPs in single fields of that one service item. This solution lead to some trouble managing the VMs created and I think it could be better to have one service item for each machine.

What I would like to implement it's a service plan that calls the orchestrator to create one VM, than creates a service item for that VM and reiterates the process until the value of the fields in the form representing the number of VMs (which i'd like to mantain so that the customer can order multiple VMs of the same type with only one requisition) is reached.

So, is there some kind of looping structure that could be created using conditions in the service plan? Or there is some feature of the Portal that I'm not aware of or I'm using poorly (like the possibility to set a quantity of object with a single order)?

I hope the question is clear.

I'm using  the version 9.3 R2 of CCP

Thanks

Bye

Giulio

[florentd2si]

Hi,

You can't loop in the plan in the actual version. Perhaps that feature will come in the future but we don't have any informations on this.

Depends on how much VM you want to create, but you can easily create multiple service item. I already had to design a service which create 2VMs and 2services items. You need to have 2dictionnaries based on your vm service item.  Add those to your form and fill them with active rules. In the plan, you have to create 4 steps:

-add first vm to service item,

-send request for first vm to cpo,

-add second vm to service item,

-add second vm to service item.

I know it's not a good way, but for now I think it's the easiest and only way to do that.

[giuliodipace]

Hi Florent,

thank you for your answer.

The problem is that I don't actually know how many items will be ordered by the customer, because this is an option of the ordering form.

Unfortunately I don't think is even possible to create a Service Item invoking CPP's WebService (that could be useful because someone could use the orchestrator to create multiple SIs).

By the way, I haven't yet tried set a quantity of items in one single order using the Add button in the form.

Bye

Giulio

[Lee Calcote]

Given the absence of an iterator in Cloud Portal, a common design pattern is to send this form data to the Orchestrator for iteration and SI creation/update. Alternatively, you may look to grids in Cloud Portal, if your use case fits its use.

[florentd2si]

I was just thinking about that: When you create a network, all IP Addresses are created as service item. You have to do the same. Send informations to CPO and parse data to create an output file and use nsapi to add service item.

You can watch the add network service as an example.

[giuliodipace]

Hi all

I'd use  the orchestrator to create and manipulate SI using the nsAPI, but then a question arise: is it possible to create a Service Item with the nsAPI of CCP 9.3 R2? I mean, I didn't find the method in the guide and, by the way, we're not (unfortunately I must say) using CPO as the orchestrator but a product of a third party so I can't look at the flows used to create a network.

I've also a question for Lee: what are grids in Cloud Portal?

Thank you.

Bye

Giulio

[Lee Calcote]

Released in April 2012, Cloud Portal 9.3.2 introduced (among other features) an API for creating, updating, and deleting Service Items and a grid control for displaying and manipulating arrays of data. See "Using Grids on Forms" in section 2-16 of the Cisco Service Portal 9.3.2 Designer Guide.

[giuliodipace]

Thank you

for the information and the link.

Our version is actually older and doesn't provide the useful features (both grids and Service Item Listener Adapter).

I'll check with our clients if they are taking into any consideration the needed upgrade.

Thanks for you're help.

Bye

Giulio

[Lee Calcote]

Giulio,

You bet. Note that the latest generally available release of Cloud Portal is 9.4.1. Should your customer choose to upgrade, they may wish to benefit from additional features in this later version. Also, note that if your use case is the ability to order mulitple virtual machines, the grid feature is likely to be shy of meeting all needs of this use case. You'll want to dig-in (determine the feability of your design) prior to upgrading.    

[giuliodipace]

Actually, the most useful feature for my case seems to be the Service Item Listener Adapter.

Anyway i'll look the other features available in the lastest version of the product.

Again thanks.

Bye

Giulio

[rruckley]

I'm also trying to solve this problem and Service Item Listener seems to be the way to do it.

My problem is there doesn't appear to be any information on how to design an integration for ServiceLink to use ServiceItem Listener.

I would only be guessing on how to use it.

If anyone from Cisco can help me with this that would be great.

--

Ryan

[Lee Calcote]

Ryan,

Have you purchased Cisco Intelligent Automation for Cloud? The content found inside this product provides a substantial framework upon which to build.

[rruckley]

Lee,

Yes we have but I couldn't find anything in the design guide (looking at 9.4.1) which talks about the Service Item Listener. I'm guessing you follow the same route you would for adding other Integrations but mostly for the incoming parameters?

Just better to have a guide than not.

--

Ryan

[rruckley]

Lee,

Sorry my bad, just discovered that DesignGuide is the wrong place to be looking. I'm now looking in the Integration guide. I'll have a read and post back here if I'm still stumped.

Ryan

[giuliodipace]

Hi,

I still have a question slightly related with this topic.

What does the Quantity parameter means? It's only used on the price calculation or does it imply the execution of the service plan multiple times?

Bye

Giulio