Create an SSH activity

Create an activity that extracts data from a target host that uses the SSH network protocol.

Before you begin

Role required: activity_creator or workflow_admin

About this task

For instructions on using the activity template process flow, see create custom activities.

Procedure

1. Create a custom activity.

   This action creates a custom activity using a template.

2. After setting up general properties and creating input variables, configure the SSH Execution Command.

**Note:** You can map parameter values in a test payload to variables in the **Outputs** tab automatically. See [automap output variables](automap-output-variable-inputs.md).

Advanced SSH script options

To run a MID Server script on the target host, specify the script type and pass the name of the script into the ${syncFile()} parameter. The system uses this parameter to locate the named script in the MID Server Script File [ecc_agent_script_file] table and run it on the target host. For example, a bash script can be expressed as:

bash ${syncFile("<MID script name>")} argument1 argument2 argument3

A base script (main_script.bash) can reference another script (my_include.bash) as well as a separate file (.my_profile) located on the target host. Both scripts and the file referenced must be synced to the MID Server, using the ${syncFile()} parameter, to execute properly.

source ${syncFile(".my_profile")}
cp ${syncFile("my_include.bash")} /usr/ssmith/my_include.bash
bash ${syncFile("main_script.bash")} one two three four five six 
rm /usr/ssmith/my_include.bash

A Python example with inline comments might look like this:

set $LIB_DIR=/usr/bin;. 
# Sync a file that is referenced inside myF5CreateLBPool.py 
cp ${syncFile("specialFunctions.py")} ~/specialFunctions.py 
# set up environment variables 
source ${syncFile(".python_profile")} 
# call script that sets up dependencies on the box from remote package repos 
python ${syncFile("setupPythonDependencies.py")} pycontrol 
# call a script that requires functions from the package as well as a function from myIncludedFile 
python ${syncFile("myF5CreateLBPool.py")} snow_pool myActualValue 
# user is responsible for their own cleanup 
rm ~/specialFunctions.py 

What to do next

• Use auto-mapping to generate outputs and parsing rules
• If you do not use auto-mapping, you can manually create output variables and create parsing rules

Parent Topic:Orchestration custom activity templates

SSH template execution parameters

Use execution parameters to create the input process script in the Pre Processing form of the activity designer.

For descriptions of the command fields, see Configure the SSH execution command.

Note: You must use the executionParam. prefix with all variables in this table.

var valueCapability = {'NEW_MID_CAPABIILTY':'NEW_MID_CAPABILITY_VALUE'};
executionParam.valueCapabilities.push(valueCapability);

SSH post-processing parameters and payload parsing

Use these parameters to create a post-processing script, payload parsing, and tagging.

%%tagname1%%
output1 line 1
output1 line 2
…
%%</p>
<p>%%tagname2%%
output2 line 1
output2 line 2
…
%%
<div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><code>The tags returned are JavaScript hashmap objects in which each key is prefixed with `tag` appended with the tagname.

Configure the SSH execution command

Use the input variables you created to configure the command that Orchestration executes on the host target.

Before you begin

Create the input variables you need in the Inputs form before you advance to the Execution Command stage.

Role required: activity_creator, admin

Note: You can test the SSH connection between the MID Server and the target without having to run the acvitity in a workflow context. For details, see test template outputs.

Procedure

1. Drag variables from the list of inputs and drop them into command fields.

   The system formats the variable in the proper syntax for the command.

1. Complete the fields shown in the table.

1. Click Save.

2. Click Continue to advance to the Outputs stage.