Embotics® vCommander® automation allows you to automatically approve requests checking a condition. Among the many time-savings opportunities this presents is the ability for users to provision standard requests without your intervention, but require human approval when CPU, memory or storage resources have been modified in the request.


For example, you may have a standard Web server template as part of your service catalog with 2 GB memory. You can allow your users to request more memory, and be notified for approval only if the request exceeds the default amount.


Configuring Conditional Approval

The steps below describe how to create an approval workflow that notifies you only when the VM resources have been modified. Otherwise, approval is automatic. If you have automatic deployment options enabled, the entire process will be hands-free barring any environmental issues.

  1. Login to Embotics vCommander and choose Service Request Configuration under Configuration.
  2. Switch to the Approval Workflow tab and click Add.
  3. On the Name & Type page, enter a meaningful name for the approval workflow. Choose to apply this workflow when a new request is created.


  4. On the Assignment page, choose which users, groups and organizations are applicable to this workflow. Otherwise, set the workflow as available globally. Click Next.
  5. On the Steps page, click Add and choose Send Approval Email.
  6. Edit the Step Name to something meaningful, such as Request Approval If Resource Change.
  7. Choose Execute when conditions are met for Step Execution.
  8. Click Edit and enter the Condition #{request.resourcesChanged} -eq true. Click OK.


  9. Add recipients to the Address List. When a request has had a resource changed from default, one of these people will have to approve it in order for it to continue.
  10. Edit the Email Subject and Email Body as suitable for your needs. Click Next.
  11. On the Automation Options page, choose to Automatically deploy approved requests, selecting Set primary owner as administrator if suitable for your needs. Click Next.
  12. Review your configuration on the Summary page and click Finish when complete.
 

Using Other Resource-based Conditions

The example above used any resource change for as the condition for approval, but you can also use the following  variables to specify more specific conditions:

  • #{request.cpuChanged}
  • #{request.memoryChanged}
  • #{request.storageChanged}