New

Add a new task to the delivery plan.

Up

Down

Change the order of tasks in the task list.

Indent

Outdent

Group or ungroup tasks.

For example, if you create a task and click Indent , the task becomes a subtask of the task above it.

Delete

Delete a task (and all subtasks beneath it).

Workflow Type

The default is Internal. This is the only option displayed for a site that has no Service Link integrations defined with external systems and no Service Item tasks. Choose Internal if the task is executed within Service Catalog.

Choose the appropriate External option if the task is executed in an external application (not within Service Catalog). For external tasks only, an ellipsis (...) button appears next to the Workflow Type after you have saved the task. See the Configuring an External Task for more information.

Choose Service Item Task if you are using Service Item Manager module to design service items and track these items. More information on service item tasks is given in the Defining Service Item Task in a Delivery Plan and in Managing the Services and Attributes.

Choose Queue Service Request to publish the Service Request data to a rabbitmq message broker server. An external system subscribed to rabbitmq broker and the specific exchange will receive the message and can execute its own work flow.

Choose NsApi Task to grant or revoke permissions for a service item or multiple service items that are created using grid dictionaries within the service delivery plan. For more information, see Creating Service Delivery Tasks for Granting and Revoking Permissions for a Service Item.

Choose Directory Task if the operation is for adding or updating Organization Designer entities (organizational units, people, queues) or Service Link agents.

See Defining Delivery Tasks for more information.

Task name

A brief title for the task. This appears as the subject of the task in Service Manager. The delivery task name may include the service name, using the #Name# namespace. Service data (#Service.Data....#) can also be used.

Using form data for a task name allows task performers to more easily differentiate tasks in Service Manager. However, it presents challenges in the reporting modules, since the task would no longer be automatically groupable by the task name; report designers would need to use “Custom Groups” to aggregate by such tasks. It may also require administrators to configure Service Manager to allow “contains” searches, which may adversely affect performance. Service designers should think carefully before including form data namespaces as part of a task name.

Create Agent

After you have saved the task, a Create Agent button appears. Click this button to use the Integration Wizard. See the Cisco Prime Service Catalog Adapter Integration Guide for complete details.

The Integration Wizard automates many of the steps involved in implementing an integration. It is available only for creating integrations between Service Catalog and web services.

The Integration Wizard works by retrieving the Web Services Description Language (WSDL) and operation to be invoked by the web service integration. Based on that definition of the integration, the Integration Wizard creates:

• The Service Link agent that can be used in an external task to perform the integration
• A transformation to transform nsXML into the SOAP message required by the web service
• Agent parameters for all data required both in the initial web service request and the response
• A dictionary containing fields mapped to the agent parameters
• An active form component containing the dictionary created to hold agent parameter values

Subtasks execute

Use the drop-down menu to choose the order in which any “child” tasks of this task execute: one after the other (sequentially) or at the same time (concurrently).

Child tasks (subtasks) become active (ongoing) in the delivery plan, and must be completed before their parent task becomes active.

If child tasks are executed sequentially, the service duration includes the durations of all such tasks. If tasks are executed concurrently, the service duration includes the maximum duration of any child task.

Duration

The expected length of time between when the system says the task is active (begins) and when the task is completed, rounded to two decimal places.

For example, if installing a software program only takes one hour, you might give the performer a duration of 16 hours to finish the task, as the performer's workload and priorities may vary throughout the course of two workdays.

The Duration value is not visible to the customer or performer, but is used to calculate the due date for the task.

Effort

The actual length of time it should take the performer to complete the task, rounded to two decimal places. For example, it might take one hour to install a software program. While Duration is “total elapsed time”, Effort is “time on task”.

The Effort value is not displayed to any users or used in due date calculations; it is used instead as an Internal Productivity Target.

Priority

Set the task priority to low, normal, or high. No system behavior is tied to the priority for a task, other than a flag which is visible in Service Manager.

• If the priority is set to high, the system sets a red exclamation point in the Service Manager view where the task is displayed.
• If the priority is set to low, the system sets a blue down-arrow in the Service Manager view where the task is displayed.
• If the priority is set to normal, no flag is displayed in Service Manager.

Condition

A conditional statement allows tasks to be initiated or skipped based on the whether the expression used in the condition evaluates to true (include this task) or false (skip the task). The expressions are formulated using the namespaces and operators documented in Namespaces.

After you enter an expression, click Validate to make sure that the expression is correct.

Validation checks if:

• Namespace specified is valid for the current scope (the specific level of review/authorization or task), with the exception of dictionary fields (Data.DictionaryName.FieldName ). However, it may cause a runtime error: if the specified namespace, for example, Data.EUIT_ACCESS.Access_Type, does not exist.
• Correct relational and arithmetic operators are used.

The message “unexpected token” indicates that the namespace used is not valid in this context or, perhaps, that you have forgotten to enclose an alphanumeric literal in quotes.

If a condition has been entered, you must decide when that statement will be evaluated. The condition for each task (approval, review, or delivery) can be evaluated either:

• At the beginning of a phase (Authorization or Delivery moment), or
• When the activity becomes active.

Use a condition that always evaluates to false (for example, “1=2”) in a conditional statement to specify a task that will automatically be skipped.

The most common use cases for this are:

• When a service needs to “auto-complete” without having any tasks completed. The skipped task is the only task in the delivery plan. When it is skipped, the requisition is marked as complete.
• When an email needs to be sent without having to complete a task or when multiple emails are needed during a given moment in the following ways:
  • Create a parent task. On the Email subtab, choose an email to be sent out at completion. (You may also configure a notification to go out when the activity becomes active.) For more information, see Defining Email Notifications for Delivery Tasks.
  • Create a child task with the condition 1=2. Set the condition to evaluate when the activity becomes active

Allow a scheduled start date

To make the task a delayed task, check Allow a scheduled start date .Then,in the Form data for start date field, do one of the following:

• Enter a date and time in the following format: “YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM” such as “2006-12-23 13:30” (The quotes are required.)
• Or, enter the name of the dictionary field you want to use to hold the date and time of the starting-point for the task. Use the following syntax:
  • Data.DictionaryName.FieldName for a field from a dictionary in one of the service’s active form components.
  • ParentData.DictionaryName.FieldName for a field from one of the parent service’s dictionaries (in the case of a bundled service).

For more information about delayed tasks, see System Behavior for Scheduled Start Tasks.

Form data for start date

If you have checked the “Allow a scheduled start date” option, you may enter form data for the start date and click Validate .

Evaluate condition when delivery phase starts

If you have specified a condition, click the option button to indicate when the condition will be evaluated. Choose this if you want the condition to be evaluated when the delivery moment starts for this service. This means that the information required to correctly evaluate the expression must be available before the delivery moment begins. Each authorization or review has its own moment; all delivery tasks are performed within the Service Delivery moment.

Authorization tasks are always serial. You could put one conditional on one task saying if field = “x” and a conditional on another saying field < > “x”. That way, you know one authorization task will always be executed, and if you choose “when authorization phase starts” only one authorization task will appear in the process view. If you choose “when task becomes active” both tasks would be displayed, but one would be skipped.

The “if conditions evaluate to “false”, times will be computed as zero” statement means that Service Catalog will evaluate the conditions at the beginning of the phase. If these conditions are false, then the corresponding tasks will not be executed, and the Due Date for the service will be calculated without including the duration of these tasks.

Evaluate condition when task becomes active

If you have specified a condition, click the option button to indicate that the condition must be evaluated only when the delivery process has reached this task in the delivery plan.

Service Catalog evaluates the condition at the beginning of each task. If the condition is false, the corresponding task will not be executed. Durations for any task configured with this option will be used to calculate the due date upon submission.

Re-evaluate expressions as plan advances

This feature enables you to dynamically change the performer assignment for a task, as well as the name of the task, based upon form data. This is useful if you have designated that a task name or a performer assignment should be derived from a namespace expression using form data, and when the form data will be changed during the delivery process.

Setting this flag specifies that the expression should be evaluated when the task becomes active (not when the entire delivery plan is initiated). If this option is not checked, all information used in expressions in the authorization task must be present during the Ordering moment.

The Re-evaluate Expressions feature is useful for designs in which there are multiple sequential authorizations or tasks. It enables the person performing a task to enter information in the service form that is used to recompute the expression used to assign the performer for a subsequent task.

This feature allows dynamic assignment of a task to a user (person or queue) and dynamic adjustment of the task title. Once the task becomes active, the expression is evaluated and the task is assigned appropriately.

Do not allow cancellation of service after task starts

If you select this check box, the customer will no longer be able to cancel the service after this task becomes active.

For example, check this if the task will cause the delivery team to incur substantial costs or take an action that is not easily reversible.

The “Cancel” option in My Services is deactivated once the delivery team begins this task.

Display Effort subpage on a delivery task

If you check this box, an “Effort” subtab for a delivery task is shown in Service Manager.

Service Item-Based Dictionary Field

Resulting Subscription

Login Name

OU Name

Customer

OU

None

None

Customer of Requisition

Home OU of Customer

None

Blank, Inv

alid Value, or Zero

Customer of Requisition

NULL

None

Valid OU

Customer of Requisition

OU provided

Login Name

OU Name

Customer

OU

Blank or Invalid Value

None

NULL

Home OU of Customer

Blank, Invalid Value, or Zero

Blank, Invalid Value, or Zero

NULL

NULL

Blank, Invalid Value, or Zero

Valid OU

NULL

OU provided

Valid Customer

None

Customer provided

Home OU of Customer

Valid Customer

No Value

Customer provided

NULL

Valid Customer

Valid OU

Customer provided

OU provided

When service item is updated

Service Item-Based Dictionary Field

Resulting Subscription

None

None

No change

No change

None

Blank, Invalid Value, or Zero

No change

NULL

None

Valid OU Name

No change

OU provided

Blank, Invalid Value, or Zero

None

NULL

No change

Blank, Invalid Value, or Zero

Blank, Invalid Value, or Zero

NULL

NULL

Blank, Invalid Value, or Zero

Valid OU Name

NULL

OU provided

Valid Customer

None

Customer provided

Home OU of Customer

Valid Customer

Blank, Invalid Value, or Zero

Customer provided

NULL

Valid Customer

Valid OU Name

Customer provided

OU provided

• Create a new queue
• Update existing queue
• Create or Update existing Queue

Input: (* Mandatory for Create operation)

Name* – Text(100)

Email_Address* – Text(100)

Home_Organizational_Unit* – Text(200)

Timezone* – Text (50)

Output:

Person_ID – Text(50)

Organization_ID – Text(50)

ErrorDescription – Text(80)

Create a new queue or perform an update if the queue already exists.

Organizational units or groups referenced are created automatically if they do not exist in the system.

The value for the Timezone field should be in the form of the short name as seen in the Time Zone selections in Organization Designer, for example, “America/Los_Angeles”.

The values for Person_ID and Organization_ID fields are updated back to the request form when the queue or Home OU are created.

• Activate a person
• Deactivate a person

Input:Login_ID – Text(50)

Output: ErrorDescription – Text(80)

Modify the status of a person to “Active” or “Inactive” accordingly

Create New Organizational Unit

The Dictionary fields supported are: Organization_ID, Name*, Description, Type*, Parent_Name, Parent_Type, Billable, Parent_Description

The ID of the created Organization is returned to the form in the Organization_ID field.

If you select this operation in the directory task workflow, you can enable the user to create a new organizational unit as a task during the service workflow. The user does not need access permissions for the Organization Designer Module. While the task is being executed, Parent_name field already exists in the order form where you can add a parent name. Application either creates a new parent if the parent does not exist or associates it with the existing parent. The ID of the created Organization is returned back to the form in the Organization_ID field.

• Create a new person
• Update existing Person
• Create new person / Update existing person

Input: (* Mandatory for Create operation)

First_Name* – Text(50)

Last_Name* – Text(50)

Login_ID* – Text(50)

Password* – Text(50)

Email_Address* – Text(100)

Home_Organizational_Unit* – Text(200)

Timezone* – Text(50)

Is_Locked

LoggedIn_UserPwd

Organizations – Text(4000)

Groups – Text(4000)

Roles –

Personal_Identification – Text(512)

Title – Text(100)

Social_Security_Number – Text(100)

Notes – Text(4000)

Company_Code – Text(200)

Division – Text(200)

Business_Unit – Text(200)

Department_Number – Text(200)

Cost_Center – Text(200)

Management_Level – Text(200)

Region – Text(200)

Supervisor_ID – Text(200)

Employee_Type – Text(200)

Location_Code – Text(200)

Company_Street_1 – Text(100)

Company_Street_2 – Text(100)

Company_City – Text(100)

Organizational units or groups referenced are created automatically if they do not already exist.

The values for the Person_ID and Organization_ID fields are returned to the service form when the person or Home OU are created during the operation.

The value for the Timezone field should be in the form of the short name as seen in the Time Zone selections in Organization Designer; for example, “America/Los_Angeles”.

The input type for the Organizations, Groups and Roles fields should be set to “select (multiple)” in the Active Form Component used.

In an Update operation, the Login_ID field is used to look up the person record. Person attributes absent from the dictionary are excluded from the update.

If an user’s account is locked due to retry policy violation the IsLocked field is enabled automatically. To unlock the user account, disable the IsLocked field and then reset user password.

Enter the LoggedIn_UserPwd only if you are creating a user or changing a user password.

Level – Text(100)

Cubicle – Text(100)

Personal_Street_1 – Text(100)

Personal_Street_2 – Text(100)

Personal_City – Text(100)

Personal_State – Text(100)

Output:

Person_ID – Text(50)

Organization_ID – Text(50)

ErrorDescription – Text(80)

Personal_Postal_Code – Text(100)

Personal_Country –Text(100)

External User Authentication (EUA) allows to override default authentication mechanism within Prime Service Catalog and authenticate a user against an external source.

If EUA is not enabled or if you are using a backdoor url the authentication for password change in user profile, the LoggedIn_UserPwd fields must contain the database password of the logged in user trying to change the password. If EUA is enabled you must use the LDAP password in the LoggedIn_UserPwd field.

An error is returned if:

• If a person with the same login name already exists while you create a person or
• If the person does not exist while you update a person
• If the password does not conform to the password policies.

Update Organizational Unit

Name*

Type*

Description

Status

Billable

ErrorDescription

If you need to modify the type of OU, then add a field named '”Change_Type”'.

Rename Organizational Unit

Name*

New_Name*

Type*

ErrorDescription

Activate/Deactivate organizational unit

Name*

Activate*

Type*

ErrorDescription

The Activate field should be set to "true" or "yes" for updating the organizational unit status to “Active”, or to “false” or “no” for updating the status to “Inactive”.

Update existing agent properties

Name*

This feature enables you to order a service with a directory task operation that updates inbound and outbound agent properties.

Create account / update account

Ensure that the dictionary you associate with the directory task workflow for this operation has the following fields:

Name*

AccountType*

Description

BillingRateGroup

OrganizationalUnit

ErrorDescription

1) The maximum length for Name is 100 characters.

2) AccountType value should be “Project Account “or “Tenant Account”.

3) The maximum length for Description is 500 characters.

4) The Organizational Unit field takes the input of a multi-select box and the values are assumed to be of type “Business Unit”. For tenant accounts, only one organizational unit may be specified.

5) Functional positions and custom attributes cannot be specified at this time.

Create agreement

Name*

AccountType*

Account*

AgreementTemplate*

Description

ErrorDescription

Role

Task Performer Role: The task performer is the person, queue, or position to whom the task is assigned.

Task Supervisor Role: The task supervisor provides a measure of control over task performance. When combined with the Administration setting “Allow Task Supervisor to cancel task”, it allows the designated person, queue, or functional position to cancel (skip) the task

Name

Name of the Performer Role, meaning the entity who will perform the task. This name appears in the “By” column in the task list in the Plan tab.

Or/And

Name of the person in the supervisor role, meaning the supervisor of the person who will perform the task/deliver the service.

Assign

Choose how the performer/supervisor of the task is assigned:

• From a position: The person currently filling a functional position defined in Organization Designer.
• A person/queue : People or queues as defined in Organization Designer.
• From an expression : A conditional expression shown in the “ Assign to” field.
• None.

Assign to

Assigning Roles Based on an Expression

As with authorizations, the service team or person assigned to tasks in the delivery plan may depend on data on each requisition, such as a customer’s location. Expressions can be used to intelligently route tasks, rather than creating different forms or workflows for each possible scenario.

Performer, Supervisor, and Project Manager roles can all be dynamically assigned.

• If you choose “From a position” or “A person/queue”, click the “... ” button to bring up a select dialog box to choose who the task is assigned to. Click Add or OK to save your selection.
• If you choose “From an expression”, click the “...” button to bring up the Edit Expression dialog box to enter the expression to be evaluated for assigning the task. Click Set Expression to save your selection.

URL

Enter the full URL beginning with “http://” you wish to link.

URL Description

Enter a brief description to explain what the user will see when they link to the URL, or to include HTML in the checklist item.

For example:

<a href=”URL">Click Here</a> for more information on how to complete your task.

Task Instructions

Use this text field to enter task instructions, if desired.

Items

The items in this list comprise the checklist the performer sees in Service Manager.

Use the Up or Down Arrows to rearrange the item order. Items at the top should be performed first.

Name

Enter the name for the checklist item.

Make checklist items mandatory for task completion

Check this option to make all the items mandatory for completion of the task. This means the person performing the task will not be able to close out the work for the task until they have checked all of the items in the checklist in Service Manager.

1

Tools Pane

4

Outline Pane

2

Toolbar

5

View Tools

3

Work Area

A workflow consists of a series of tasks, arranged in sequence. Use the Task tool to add a task to the workflow.

Tasks can be grouped as child tasks to a parent task.

Use the Associate tool to specify the sequence of tasks and to associate parent with child tasks.

Once an object has been selected, the select-cursor appears. Any objects marked with the select cursor are subject to the next Copy, Move, or Delete command.

The connect cursor allows you to associate the highlighted task with another task. With the connect cursor displayed, drag the mouse to the task to be connected to the current task. When you release the mouse, a task sequence (association) is established.