Proposed Workflow Enhancement Request

[TKILLAHOME]

It would be great if there were a "Workflow" section after "Dashboard" where various templates could be clicked together in a specific order to execute different playbooks/roles in a certain sequence. I think this is a missing feature. Personally, I would find such a feature useful. What do you think, fiftin?

[rbohyra]

Bump for this feature, this feature is really needed to be added to semaphore

[fiftin]

How this should works? Each run of first task in the sequence should trigger the sequence? Or sequence must be triggered explicitly?

[rbohyra]

I was thinking about workflow as a ability to define a sequence of tasks that need to be executed in order. I suggest adding it as an additional tab on the left side (under Task Template/Schedule). A few points below:

1. Vars are actually specified in each prepared tasks, so workflow will just start already configured task, but survey variables should also be as additional option in workflow template. And I am wondering if adding environment variables to the workflow on the same way we have args in template its ok or not.
2. Semaphore must support for conditional execution of tasks based on success or failure of previous tasks.
3. Possibility to add workflow to schedule jobs.
   I guess this will enhance Semaphore’s capabilities by providing a way to automate and streamline multi-step processes :)

[jengstrom440]

I am assuming you are asking for something similar like in Ansible Automation Platform 2 or AWX, where you can string together multiple playbooks based on success or failure? If it helps. you can make a mail.yaml file, and from there call playbooks in order. You should be able to register success or failure and take action based on those. I use something like this, to keep my code small and purpose built, so I can reuse them over:

  - name: Server Bootstrap
    hosts: all
    gather_facts: true
    tasks:
      - name: Print Connection Data
        include_tasks: 9_connection.yaml
  
      - name: Run test for winping
        include_tasks: 10_winping.yaml
  
      - name: Set Time Zone to Central
        include_tasks: 12_win_timezone.yaml
  
      - name: Add AD RSAT PowerShell
        include_tasks: 14_add_rsat_powershell.yaml

This way they execute in order. Not as pretty as a workflow, but is gets some of the things done. The numbers are just so you can visualize them easier in VSCode so you know which one executes in order on the file tree like a task sequence. Hope that helps.

[rbohyra]

Yeah, I can create such a playbooks, but workflow allows for modular, reusable tasks and provides a clearer view of task dependencies and outcomes, which is ideal for complex, production-level automation. It makes "job" more accessible, maintainable, and auditable. And in the end of the day I don`t really want to create extra playbooks only to handle conditional flows :) I have no idea how it is in AWX, but workflows exist in many similar systems, and I only propose to add it to the Semaphore too

[jengstrom440]

I hear you as well. I have had numerous calls with our Ansible Automation Platform support team, asking them to build a more robust conditional workflow (not just success/failure). The problem they stated is that ansible only really has a success or failure built in, that they said there isn't any way to build this into ansible. I explained to them that building success/ failure conditions into the playbooks itself makes the code less reusable, and they didn't understand those concepts or understand. I explained that it would be ideal to have the conditions of the playbooks chained from one Ansible Job Template/ Playbook in a link something Like System Center Orchestrator that can evaluate variables or conditions, but not built into the play itself to make it more reusable, but they disagreed or didn't understand. I don't understand why they think these things should be in the playbook itself, and not dynamic code that applies to each condition, but I digress. I think this would be a wonderful addition, but am not sure how it would work. It would be nice if it could just use a yaml file or something that represented the link with conditions to take certain actions in between plays but I don't know if that is doable. It would be great if it were possible. I almost think it would have to make something of a codeless code playbook builder in the back end, and just make another playbook in between runs that a user doesn't write themselves.

[fiftin]

@jengstrom440 So, you mean we need some script which parse Ansible playbook result and directed the flow depending on the logic programmed into the script? This script should be stored in different repo and can be edited from UI?

[jengstrom440]

@fiftin Maybe, I was brainstorming more or less. I don't know if it needs to be stored in a different repo or maybe just in the DB if that's possible. The conditions should be small, like if this var equals this, do this, if that, do that, or other, other thing. I think the whole thing would need to be like a codeless frontend that wrote playbooks in the backend, but maybe there would be a better way. It would be equally glorious as it would be difficult.