Import Automation Tasks From Excel

[hectorio]

Hi folks:

I want to import my server automation tasks from an excel spreadsheet that contains the computer name, the automation task, an identification label, and the date / time for start. Is that possible?

Thank you very much for your support.

[Paul_Curran]

Hi hectorio - unfortunately no, that is currently not possible.

The plan would need to be defined using the Server Automation (SA) UI or, if you were so inclined, hand crafted as XML imported using the platform REST API. Our SA REST API allows you to run existing plans, but as of yet does not allow you to create them on-the-fly like that.

What you can do though is copy/paste your computer list into the target list for the relevant plan step on the SA UI.

Can I take a stab in the dark and ask if this excel sheet contains is a list of computers with outstanding patches that need to be applied?

[hectorio]

Hi Paul, thanks for the reply!

The idea is to automate…

Currently we have a calendar for patch servers for the entire year, would be help if it can be be imported from somewhere (either Excel or XML ) instead of doing it manually and avoid human errors.

The next operative task would be to update the changes in the calendar for reschedules, and for changes in equipments.

Our Server Automation task for patch has a Baseline, and it will be updated monthly, also we need to ensure his updates will be applied.

If exist an API u other way to do that, it will be appreciated for us!

Thanks for your time.

[dominic]

Hi Hectorio,
If you are running baselines in an Automation Plan make sure you use the new “Baselines from a Site” feature. If you include this particular fixlet in a plan, Server Automation will automatically execute all the baselines contained in a site. In this way you just need to manage your baselines, your Automation Plan will never change.

Dominic

IBM Endpoint Manager for Server Automation 9.2, update SA4.2 released March 26, 2015

Reduce Admin time for complex patching scenarios through automation plans that reference one or more baselines in a Site. Admins can simply update their baselines and the Automation Plan will execute these updates, triggered ad-hoc or based on a schedule (sample automation plans are also provided). Along with a number of performance and quality enhancements, this release also delivers a new feature for VMware to support dual NICs on a created VM, and updated support for WebSphere Application Se…

[dominic]

If I understand your requirements, you need to run the same Automation Plan against different servers at different times. So you could do something like the following:

1. Export a Plan Action XML via the Console to use as a template. All you will be doing is changing the targets during each execution
2. Write some code to insert the new targets into the XML
3. Inject this Plan Action into Bigfix via the REST API

Should work ( in theory )

Dominic

[Paul_Curran]

… or a demo on YouTube: Run Baselines from Sites

[hectorio]

Thanks folks, i’ll reviewing the info and then i’ll post my coments!

Thanks a lot!