HCL Launch Process As Code Compiler(PACC)

HCL launch comes with advantages likes capabilities extension through large plug-ins, restful API, and easy for integrations.

With 7.1.1.0 release it has become even more developer & integration friendly with feature called PACC - Process as Code Compiler.

PACC introduces a simple language to provide instructions to HCL Launch to create processes. This type of interface can be used by customers to integrate UCD process creation in their automations.

Few well noted advantages are as below

1.     Easy language to understand

2.     Easy to onboard the PACC. One can start understanding PACC by getting existing process into PAC file format using download commands as explained below

3.     Convert PACC code into JSON and vice versa. This helps to quickly learn and use PACC files and rectify any issues if at all were in your coding

4.     Create processes using PAC file easily and quickly

5.     Upload and download any processes with required steps [which comes through plug-ins] with this interface.

6.     Upload and download commands are secure so that processes cannot be downloaded or uploaded without authorised users

7.     The commands that translate PAC to JSON and vice versa does not need password

Getting started with PACC

1.     Install or upgrade HCL Launch server to 7.1.1.0 version.

2.     Download PACC tool from Help->Tools->Process-as-Code Compiler to any of the location on server.

3.     Extract it into a folder and start using commands such as ccap, pacc, upload-*, download-*

4.     Please note we have kept a readme.md file which can be referred for syntax of the language and usage guidelines of commands.

Creating a simple JPetStore deployment component process

If we are going to create a JpetStore web component process design, it would like below in HCL Launch

Pic-1 : JpetStore Web component process Design view from HCL Launch

And if you convert it into PAC file using the command

C:\> download-component-process admin https://localhost:8443 1751e0fd-9502-e59c-4e93-9018d1ce2515 6 jpetWebProc.pac

start is

   start "Clean working directory"

end

plugin step "Clean working directory" is

   plugin "File Utils"

   command "Delete Files and Directories"

   property "baseDir" = "."

   property "includes" = "**/*"

   property "excludes" = ""

   property "followSymlinks" = "false"

   property "caseSensitive" = "true"

on success

   start "Download Artifacts"

end


plugin step "Download Artifacts" is

   plugin "UrbanCode Deploy Versioned File Storage"

   command "Download Artifacts"

   property "directoryOffset" = "."

   property "artifactSetBaseDir" = ""

   property "fileIncludePatterns" = "**/*"

   property "fileExcludePatterns" = ""

   property "syncMode" = "true"

   property "handleIncrementalVersions" = "false"

   property "fullVerification" = "true"

   property "setFileExecuteBits" = "false"

   property "verifyFileIntegrity" = "false"

   property "charset" = ""

   property "versionId" = "${p:version.id}"

   property "versionType" = "${p:version.type}"

   property "serverUrl" = "${p:server.url}"

   property "compId" = "${p:component.id}"

   property "resId" = "${p:resource.id}"

   property "envId" = "${p:environment.id}"

   property "maxMemory" = "1G"

   property "label" = ""

on success

   start "Start Tomcat"

end



plugin step "Start Tomcat" is

   plugin "Tomcat"

   command "Start Tomcat"

   property "launcherLocation" = "${p:environment/tomcat.start}"

   property "options" = ""

   property "timeout" = "60"

   property "port" = "8085"

   property "hostname" = ""

   property "catalinaBase" = ""

   property "catalinaHome" = ""

   property "javaHome" = ""

on success

   start "Undeploy Application"

end



plugin step "Undeploy Application" is

   plugin "Tomcat"

   command "Undeploy Application"

   property "tomcatManagerUrl" = "${p:environment/tomcat.manager.url}"

   property "tomcatUsername" = "tomcat2"

   property "tomcatPassword" = "****"

   property "tomcatContext" = "/${p:environment/tomcat.contextroot}"

on complete

   start "Deploy Application"

end


plugin step "Deploy Application" is

   plugin "Tomcat"

   command "Deploy Application"

   property "tomcatManagerUrl" = "${p:environment/tomcat.manager.url}"

   property "tomcatUsername" = "tomcat2"

   property "tomcatPassword" = "****"

   property "tomcatContext" = "/${p:environment/tomcat.contextroot}"

   property "warFile" = "./JPetStore.war"

   property "configFile" = ""

on success

   finish

end

To understand various other important things try following

For this you can create a component process and run command as below

download-component-process <userid> <server_url> <Component_Template_Process_Id> <testdata.pac>

This would help you to know required PAC code snippets of various steps, properties, step input values to use in future complex process designs.

Also, try to learn following few important steps to know how they are represented in PAC code

Install Multiple Components
Uninstall Multiple Components
Run Operational Process for Multiple Components
Rollback Multiple Components
Run GenericProcess For each Affected Resource
Acquire and Release Lock
Set Status
Add Warning
Switch
Join
Note
Run Generic Process
Manual Application Task
For Each Agent

For Each Tag