Unable to pass an array to a custom function

abuchmann — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 05:58:46 GMT

Hello everyone,

I'm stuck while implementing a workflow in our company.

What I would like to achive:

I would like to create a workflow with the following actions:

User enters a server, a SID of an oracle db and the size for arch, data, log
Creation of 3 volumes and qtree according to the data above
Send an E-Mail with the complete "scli disk create" string to the user
APPROVAL POINT
Thin-provisioning of the LUNs

What I have done:

Copied and Customized the Send Email command
Created a custom command for thin provisioning

The commands

Send EMail with CMD

param (
  [parameter(Mandatory=$true, HelpMessage="SMTP server for sending the email item")]
  [string]$SmtpHost,
  
  [parameter(Mandatory=$true, HelpMessage="Recipient's SMTP email address")]
  [string]$To,
  
  [parameter(Mandatory=$true, HelpMessage="From field's SMTP email address")]
  [string]$From,
    
  [parameter(Mandatory=$true, HelpMessage="Subject of the email item")]
  [string]$Subject, 
    
  [parameter(Mandatory=$false, HelpMessage="SMTP port")]
  [ValidateRange(1,65535)]
  [int]$SmtpPort = 25,
    
  [parameter(Mandatory=$false, HelpMessage="Use SSL for secure connection if server demands it")]
  [bool]$UseSsl = $false,
  
  [parameter(Mandatory=$true, HelpMessage="The command you would like to generate. Either sdcli disk connect or sdcli disk create")]
  [ValidateSet("connect", "create")]
  [string]$Action, 
  
  [parameter(Mandatory=$true, HelpMessage="The Server which the LUNs should be mapped to")]
  [string]$Server, 
  
  [parameter(Mandatory=$true, HelpMessage="Domain, which the server belongs to")]
  [string]$DomainName, 
  
  [parameter(Mandatory=$true, HelpMessage="The name of the arrays, where the volumes where created")]
  [string]$Controller,
  [parameter(Mandatory=$true, HelpMessage="A list the luns to connect/create, like /vol/volumename/qtree/lunname.lun")]
  [array]$LunList,
  
  [parameter(Mandatory=$false, HelpMessage="A list of the size in GB")]
  [array]$SizeList,     
  
  [parameter(Mandatory=$true, HelpMessage="A list of the mountpoints")]
  [array]$MountList
)
function ConvertFromSecureToPlain{
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
        [System.Security.SecureString] $SecurePassword
    )
    # Create a &amp;quot;password pointer&amp;quot;
    $PasswordPointer = [Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::SecureStringToBSTR($SecurePassword)
  
    # Get the plain text version of the password
    $PlainTextPassword = [Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::PtrToStringAuto($PasswordPointer)
    # Free the pointer
    [Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::ZeroFreeBSTR($PasswordPointer)
    # Return the plain text password
    $PlainTextPassword
}
if($UseSsl)
{
   if(!$SmtpUserName)
   {
        throw "FOr Secure Connection user details are mandatory"
   }
}
if($SmtpUserName)
{
  
    $SMTPCreds = Get-NaCredentials -Host $SmtpHost
    if (!$SmtpUserPassword -and !$SMTPCreds) {
        throw "Could not find SMTP credentials"
    }
    if ($SMTPCreds) {
        if ($SMTPCreds.Username -ne $SmtpUserName)
        {
            throw "Could not find SMTP credentials of user : " + $SmtpUserName
        }
    }
    if ($SMTPCreds) {
        $SmtpUserPassword =  ConvertFromSecureToPlain -SecurePassword $SMTPCreds.Password
    }
}
if(!$SmtpUserName -and $SmtpUserPassword)
{
    throw "Missing credentials information"
}
$smtpClient = New-Object System.Net.Mail.SmtpClient
$mailMessage = New-Object System.Net.Mail.MailMessage
$smtpClient.host = $SmtpHost
try
{
    $mailMessage.To.add($To)
}
catch
{
    throw "'To' value is not in the SMTP address format"
}
try
{
    $mailMessage.from = $From
}
catch
{
    throw "'From' value is not in the SMTP address format"
}
if( -not (-not $SizeList -or (($LunList.length -eq $SizeList.length) -and ($LunList.length -eq $MountList.length))))
{
          throw "LunList, SizeList and MountList must have the same amount of values"
}
$mailMessage.Subject = $Subject
#$mailMessage.Body = "Email from WFA system:`n"
#$mailMessage.Body += "Workflow Name = “ + $(Get-WfaRestParameter "workflowName") + "`n"
#$mailMessage.Body += "Workflow ID = “ + $(Get-WfaRestParameter "workflowId") + "`n"
#$mailMessage.Body += “Command Name = " + $(Get-WfaRestParameter "commandName") + "`n"
#$mailMessage.Body += “Job ID = " + $(Get-WfaRestParameter "jobId") + "`n"
#$mailMessage.Body += “Workflow executed by User = " + $(Get-WfaRestParameter "userName") + "`n"
# Customized by ABuchmann
$mailMessage.Body += "Führe folgende Zeilen auf dem Server " + $Server + " aus: `n`n"
for($i=0;$i -lt $LunList.Length;$i++)
{
          $Cmd  = "sdcli disk  " + $Action + " -d " + $MountList[$i] + " -p " + $Controller + ":" + $LunList[$i] + " -I %computername% iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:%computername%." + $DomainName + " -dtype dedicated"
          if($Action -eq "create")
          {
                    $Cmd += " -rs n -z " + $SizeList[$i] + "GB"
          }
          $mailMessage.Body += $Cmd + "`n"
}
$mailMessage.IsBodyHtml = $False
if($SmtpUserName)
{
    $smtpClient.Credentials = New-Object System.Net.NetworkCredential($SmtpUserName, $SmtpUserPassword); 
}
$smtpClient.Port = $SmtpPort
$smtpClient.EnableSsl = $UseSsl
Get-WFALogger -Info -message $("Sending email to " + $To)
$smtpClient.Send($mailMessage)

I tested the command above with the "Test"-Button in the "Command Definition"-window. Everything works fine, I can pass arrays to the variable $LunList, $SizeList, $MountList by separating the values using a comma and I am able to send/receive the mail.

But when I try to use the command inside of my workflow, I'm definitly not able to pass comma separated values to the command. it always fails with the following error:

Illegal expression: "/vol/" + datavolume.name + "/" + dataqtree.name + "/" + datavolume.name + ".lun","/vol/" + logvolume.name + "/" + logqtree.name + "/" + logvolume.name + ".lun","/vol/" + archvolume.name + "/" + archqtree.name + "/" + archvolume.name + ".lun"

At command 'Send Email with CMDs', tab 'Parameters', property 'LunList'

I also tried to pass a string list like "vol1", "vol2", "vol3" but I received the same error.

Is there a limitation with array?

It would be nice to use the "Send Email with CMDs"-Command because like that, it can be used for multiple Workflows with a different amount of LUNs

Kind regards,

Adrian

Re: Unable to pass an array to a custom function

sinhaa — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 03:40:24 GMT

Hello Adrian,

I haven't tried your command code but l think I know the problem. Can you try providing double // instead of a single / in the Parameters in the workflow. I think this should work.

Re: Unable to pass an array to a custom function

shailaja — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 15:07:27 GMT

Hi Adrian,

Well, I attempted your command in my setup and when I passed from the workflow the following string. Worked in preview. Did not try execution however.

"/vol/" + datavolume.name + "/" + dataqtree.name + "/" + datavolume.name + ".lun,/vol/" + logvolume.name + "/" + logqtree.name + "/" + logvolume.name + ".lun,/vol/" + archvolume.name + "/" + archqtree.name + "/" + archvolume.name + ".lun"

The difference between your parameter input and this one is that the comma between different lun names is within the quotes.

Thanks,

Shailaja

Re: Unable to pass an array to a custom function

abuchmann — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 14:09:19 GMT

You are right. Thank you!

May you also know more about the following issue:

If I use the function above to pass multiple volumes to the send-email-param. I sometimes have the problem that the value like

"/vol/" + datavolume.name + "/" + dataqtree.name + "/" + datavolume.name + ".lun,/vol/" + logvolume.name + "/" + logqtree.name + "/" + logvolume.name + ".lun,/vol/" + mastervolume.name + "/" + masterqtree.name + "/" + mastervolume.name + ".lun,/vol/" + snapvolume.name + "/" + snapqtree.name + "/" + snapvolume.name + ".lun"

is too long. I can add it to a command, but I'm unable to save the workflow as I always receive the following error:

Is there a reason why there's a limit of 256 characters per field? Is there a way to set a highter limit?

Re: Unable to pass an array to a custom function

shailaja — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 14:49:20 GMT

Hi Adrian,

I assume you are referring to each individual field in this screenshot which is about providing values to specific command parameters in the workflow design.

If yes, you are right that the limit is 255 characters in WFA releases of 2.0 and 2.0.1.

This has been fixed in the upcoming release of WFA 2.1. We were able to expand that limit to 2000 characters as of now.

WFA 2.1 will be available shortly.

Thanks,

Shailaja

topic Re: Unable to pass an array to a custom function in Active IQ Unified Manager Discussions

Unable to pass an array to a custom function

Re: Unable to pass an array to a custom function

Re: Unable to pass an array to a custom function

Re: Unable to pass an array to a custom function

Re: Unable to pass an array to a custom function