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Create a ZIP package for Python runtime extensibility actions including proprietary Python libraries

You can create a ZIP package that contains the Python script and dependencies used by your vRealize Automation Cloud Assembly extensibility actions.

There are two methods of building the script for your extensibility actions:

Writing your script directly in the extensibility action editor in vRealize Automation Cloud Assembly. Creating your script on your local environment and adding it, with any relevant dependencies, to a ZIP package. By using a ZIP package, you can create a custom preconfigured template of action scripts and dependencies that you can import to vRealize Automation Cloud Assembly for use in extensibility actions.

Furthermore, you can use a ZIP package in scenarios where modules associated with dependencies in your action script cannot be resolved by the vRealize Automation Cloud Assembly service, such as when your environment lacks Internet access.

You can also use a ZIP package to create extensibility actions that contain multiple Python script files. Using multiple script files can be useful for organizing the structure of your extensibility action code.

Requirements

vRA 8.X or vRA Cloud with ABX or Azure FaaS or AWS Lambda and associated configured Cloud Accounts
Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS
Python 3.6.9
pip 9.0.1
dnspython==1.16.0
  • Please note that the runtime of action-based extensibility in vRealize Automation Cloud Assembly is Linux-based. Therefore, any Python dependencies compiled in a Windows environment might make the generated ZIP package unusable for the creation of extensibility actions. Therefore, you must use a Linux shell.

Install Python 3

Ubuntu 18.04 ships with both Python 3 and Python 2 pre-installed. To make sure that our versions are up-to-date, let’s update and upgrade the system with the apt command to work with Ubuntu’s Advanced Packaging Tool:

sudo apt update
sudo apt -y upgrade

check the version of Python 3 that is installed in the system by typing:

python3 -V

Output

   Python 3.6.9

If you had a python 2 version still installed you may need to define the priority

sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python python /usr/bin/python2.7 1
sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python python /usr/bin/python3.6 2

Then make sure the version 3 is on the default when running this command

sudo update-alternatives --config python

To manage software packages for Python, let’s install pip, a tool that will install and manage programming packages like the requirements for our ABX Action

sudo apt install -y python3-pip

Create and activate a new Python environment:

Create an activate a python3 development environment ( Please note my $HOME "/root" may be different than yours please adapt the folder locations )

root@ubuntu_server: mkdir environments
root@ubuntu_server: python3 -m venv vraDNSDev 

Create and move to the root folder for your ABX Action

(vraDNSDev) root@ubuntu_server: mkdir vraDNS-action    
(vraDNSDev) root@ubuntu_server: cd /root/enviroments/vraDNSDev/vraDNS-action

Define your library requirements and install them with PIP at your action root folder

Copy or Create then place the requirements.txt inside your ABX action root folder For our example only the "dnspython==1.16.0" propetary library is needed, which it is not included in the standard Python or FaaS Engines

(vraDNSDev) root@ubuntu_server: vi requirements.txt 
	dnspython==1.16.0     

Now install "dnspython==1.16.0" in your Python virtual enviroment

(vraDNSDev) root@ubuntu_server:  pip install -r requirements.txt --target=/root/enviroments/vraDNSDev/vraDNS-action/lib   

You should see following folders:

(vraDNSDev) root@ubuntu_server:~/enviroments/vraDNSDev/vraDNS-action/lib# ls -lrt
total 408
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 Apr 20 14:17 python3.6
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 Apr 20 14:38 dns
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Apr 20 14:38 dnspython-1.16.0.dist-infofo
  • Note, you could install dependencies at the Python Script root level, however if you would like to re-use the bundle for vRO 8.1 and greater, it is mandatory to install dependencies at the "lib", otherwise you may get handler issues

My principal and only Python Script is "main.py" It is a basic sample for translating a MSISDN number into ENUM format calling dnspython's dns.e164.from_e164() it also resolves and lists the MX records for a given domain via dnspython's dns.resolver.query() and finally resolve A record with prebuilt python's socket library

/////////main.py/////////////////

import socket
import dns.resolver
import dns.e164

def handler(context, inputs):
    print('Action started.')
    msAddr = inputs["msisdn"]
    dnsMX = inputs["dnsMX"]

    # Log Input Entries
    #print (inputs)
    #print (msAddr)
    #print (dnsMX)

    # Converts E164 Address to ENUM with propietary library dnspython
    n = dns.e164.from_e164(msAddr)
    print ('My MSISDN:', dns.e164.to_e164(n), 'ENUM NAME Conversion:', n)

    # Resolve DNS MX Query with propietary library dnspython
    answers = dns.resolver.query(dnsMX, 'MX')
    print ('Resolving MX Records for:', dnsMX)
    for rdata in answers:
	print ('Host', rdata.exchange, 'has preference', rdata.preference)

    # Resolve AAA with prebuilt socket library
    addr1 = socket.gethostbyname(dnsMX)
    print('Resolving AAA Record:', addr1)

    return addr1

Now let's package the main Script with the customized installed libraries Both your script and dependency elements must be stored at the root level of the ZIP package. When creating the ZIP package in a Linux environment, you might encounter a problem where the package content is not stored at the root level. If you encounter this problem, create the package by running the zip -r command in your command-line shell.

(vraDNSDev) root@ubuntu_server: cd ~/enviroments/vraDNSDev/vraDNS-action
(vraDNSDev) root@ubuntu_server: zip -r9 vraDNS-actionR08.zip *

Let's use now the ZIP package to create an extensibility action script by importing it at vRA Log In to vRA with a user having Cloud Assembly Permissions Go to [ Cloud Assembly ]--> [ Extensibility ] --> [ Actions ] --> [ Create a New Action ] and associate to your Project

New Action

Instead of "Write Script", Select Import Package and import your zip file (e.g. vraDNS-actionR08.zip is a pre-staged working action)

importAction

Define inputs required by the script ( see defaults below ) and define the Main Function as point of entry

inputAction

Please note that for actions imported from a ZIP package, the main function must also include the name of the script file that contains the entry point. For example, if your main script file is titled main.py and your entry point is handler (context, inputs), the name of the main function must be main.handler.

You can select your prefered FaaS Provider or simply let vRA to do it for you by selecting "Auto"

Save and Test your ABX Action

saveAction

Click on "See Details" to see your Python Script execution details Please note that the first time you execute it, it takes more time as it needs to upload your action to your local or remote FaaS providers

detailsAction

You can change the input and FaaS provider ( please note that the MSISDN is in international format and dnsMX don't need WWW as it is an EMAIL Exchange Record)

From this point you could create an Extensibility Subscrition or expose this action at vRA's Service Broker Catalog

Don't forget to deactivate your Python enviroment

(vraDNSDev) root@ubuntu_server:~/enviroments# deactivate
root@ubuntu_server:~/enviroments#

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