Local Execution Action Plugin



This action plugin provides the ability to invoke a third-party application or a script running locally on the workflow server. The integration mechanism conforms to the CGI-BIN protocol used by web and application servers (for example, input parameters are provided as environment variables, and output is provided on the stdio).

Saved Parameters Description

  • Name: The name used to identify a saved Local Execution configured instance.
  • Comments: Some comments about this saved Local Execution configured instance.
  • Command: The command line to be executed. That string can include variables that get replaced during the execution by their run-time values. This field is constructed by appending the command executable selected with the command arguments of the configuration interface. The command exectuable must be placed in the /opt/aspera/scripts folder
  • Multiline: Checking this option causes the result of the stdio to be returned as an array in the Multi output variable, instead of as a text in the stdio output variable
  • Mandatory Inputs: Defines required inputs that will be passed to the script or executable call as environment variables.
  • Optional Inputs: Same as for mandatory inputs, but for optional inputs.
  • Parallel Execution: Checking this option enables the script or executable to communicate intermediate status information while being executed. The API for reporting status is described in the Operating Instructions section.
  • Formatted Outputs: Defines the list of typed outputs expected to be provided by the script or executable. The API for returning outputs is described in Operating Instructions.

Inputs Description

The list of inputs depends on the configuration of the LocalExecution action template. By default, no inputs are provided.

  • Command line inputs: All the variables listed in the command line field are mandatory and must be of type string.
  • Environment variable inputs: The variables listed in either the Mandatory or Optional input fields can be typed, but will be converted to string before being stored in their target environment variable.

Outputs Description

  • Multi: Only if Multiline is selected; the stdio output broken down into an array with one entry for each line of stdio.
  • stdio: Only if Multiline is not checked; the stdio of the execution is a string.
  • Formatted Outputs: If defined, the values returned by the execution for the outputs variable specified in the Formatted Outputs configuration field.
Note: If the command exit code is different from 0, the plugin will return in failure.

Supported Actions

Cancel

Dependencies

None

Operating Instructions

This action executes the command line provided in its configuration. The executable or script identified in the command line is provided some inputs parameters as command line arguments and some as environment variables. The command line string use can contain static text and variable expanded at run-time. Variable are indicated using the syntax <%=variable_name%> embedded into static text, for example, "file_scan.sh <%=file_name%> -s <%=icap_sever_name%>".

The executables or script must be located in #{EXECUTABLE_DIRECTORY}. Scripts must have a leading "shebang" ("!").

If the 'parallel execution' mode is selected, status update can be provided by the executable using the following format: 

'-#STATUS--#--STATUS MESSAGE#-'
Either STATUS or STATUS message can be left empty. For example:
  • * '-#Error--#--Action was stopped#-' -> would update the status to Error with a status message of Action was stopped.
  • * '-#--#--File tester.txt was scanned successfully#-' -> would update just the status message.
If a list of outputs is provided in the formatted outputs field, specified variables will be extracted from the stdio if they follow the following formatting:
'-#OUTPUT:VARIABLE NAME--#--VARIABLE VALUE#-'

For example: '-#OUTPUT:size--#--120568#-' -> will populate an outputs entry @outputs['size']=120568, if an output of type TYPE_INT is specified.

Note: The stdio line containing the formatted inputs above are removed from the stdio or multiline output variable if the formatted outputs field is not empty.