Introduction to SL1 PowerFlow and the PowerFlow Builder

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SL1 PowerFlow provides a generic platform for integrations between SL1 and third-party applications, such as ServiceNow, Restorepoint, xMatters, Opsgenie, or Cherwell Service Management. The PowerFlow platform sits between SL1 and the third-party application, where it handles the flow of data.

From the PowerFlow user interface, you can use the PowerFlow builder to create complex workflow automations with logical branching, using drag-and-drop components.

What is SL1 PowerFlow?

SL1 PowerFlow enables intelligent, bi-directional integration between SL1 and third-party applications to promote a unified management ecosystem. PowerFlow contains default workflows that let users translate and share data between SL1 and third-party applications, and it also allows the development of standardized, reusable snippets called "steps" that non-developers can use to create integration workflows without writing code. In addition, PowerFlow is designed to provide high availability and scalability.

The following image shows an example of a PowerFlow application workflow and its steps in the PowerFlow user interface:

The key elements of the PowerFlow user interface include the following:

  • SyncPacks. A SyncPack contains all the code and logic needed to perform integrations on the PowerFlow platform. You can access the latest steps, applications, and configuration objects for a third-party application (such as ServiceNow, Cherwell, or Restorepoint) by downloading the most recent SyncPack for that application. You can download SyncPacks from the PowerPacks & SyncPacks page at the ScienceLogic Support Site at https://support.sciencelogic.com/s/. You can access all SyncPacks that have been uploaded to your PowerFlow system on the SyncPacks page in the PowerFlow user interface ().

    A SyncPack can include the following items:

    • Steps. A step is the basic building block in PowerFlow. A step is a generic Python class that performs a single action, such as pulling data from SL1 or a third-party application. In the image above, the steps display as part of the flowchart in the main viewing pane as well as the Steps Registry pane. You can access all steps by using the PowerFlow builder on the Applications page ().

      For more information, see What is a Step?

    • Applications. A PowerFlow application or workflow is a JSON object that includes all of the information required for executing an integration on the PowerFlow platform. In the image above, the group of connected steps in the large pane make up the "Sync Organizations from SL1 to ServiceNow Companies" application. You can access all applications on the Applications page (), and you can create new applications using the SL1 PowerFlow builder.

      For more information, see What is a PowerFlow Application?

    • Configuration Objects. A configuration object is a standalone JSON file that contains a set of configuration variables used as input for an application. Configuration objects can include variables like hostname, user name, password, or other credential information. You can access all configuration objects on the Configurations page ().

      For more information, see What is a Configuration Object?

What is a Step?

In PowerFlow, a step is a generic Python class that performs a single action, such as gathering data about an organization.

Steps can accept zero or many input parameters or data from previous steps, and steps can specify output to be used by other steps. The input parameters are configurable variables and values used during execution.

You can use existing steps to create your own workflows, and you can re-use steps in more than one workflow. When these steps are combined in an application, they provide a workflow that satisfies a business requirement. All Python step code should be Python 3.7 or later.

The following image shows a step from the PowerFlow user interface:

Using Steps in a PowerFlow Application

You can create new steps or use existing steps to create your own workflows, and you can re-use steps in more than one workflow. When these steps are combined as part of a PowerFlow application, they provide a workflow that satisfies a business requirement.

For example, the set of steps below in the "Sync Organizations from SL1 to ServiceNow Companies" application in the PowerFlow user interface gathers data about SL1 organizations and ServiceNow companies, processes that data based on the configuration settings specified for that set of steps, and posts that data to SL1 and ServiceNow to keep the organization and company data in sync in both places:

In the PowerFlow builder user interface, if you click the ellipsis icon () on a step, you can select View step code to view the Python code for that step:

Using Input Parameters to Configure a Step

You can configure how a step works by adjusting a set of arguments called input parameters. The parameters specify the values, variables, and configurations to use when executing the step. Parameters allow steps to accept arguments and allow steps to be re-used in multiple integrations.

For example, you can use the same step to query both the local system and another remote system; only the arguments, such as hostname, username, and password change.

To view and edit the input parameters for a step in the PowerFlow builder:

  1. Go to the Applications page of the PowerFlow user interface and click the name of a PowerFlow application.

  2. Click the Open Editor button.

  3. Click the ellipsis icon () on the step and select Configure. The Configuration pane for that step appears:

Sharing Data Between Steps

A step can pass the data it generates during execution to a subsequent step. A step can use the data generated by another step. Also, you can run test data for that step by hovering over the Run button and selecting Custom Run.

PowerFlow analyzes the required parameters for each step and alerts you if any required parameters are missing before running the step.

Types of Steps

Steps are grouped into the following types: 

  • Standard. Standard steps do not require any previously collected data to perform. Standard steps are generally used to generate data to perform a transformation or a database insert. These steps can be run independently and concurrently.
  • Aggregated. Aggregated steps require data that was generated by a previously run step. Aggregated steps are not executed by PowerFlow until all data required for the aggregation is available. These steps can be run independently and concurrently.
  • Trigger. Trigger steps are used to trigger other PowerFlow applications. These steps can be configured to be blocking or not (in other words, if the step is set to be blocking and it fails to trigger the application, the application will fail).

A variety of generic steps are available from ScienceLogic, and you can access a list of steps by sending a GET request using the API /steps endpoint.

What is a PowerFlow Application?

In PowerFlow, an application is a JSON object that specifies which steps to execute and the order in which to execute those steps. An application also defines variables and provides arguments for each step.

An application combines a set of PowerFlow steps that execute a workflow. The input parameters for each step are also defined in the application and can be provided either directly in the step or in the parent application.

The following is an example of a PowerFlow application:

PowerFlow application JSON objects are defined by configuration settings, steps that make up the application, and application-wide variables used as parameters for each step. The parameters of each step can be configured dynamically, and each step can be named uniquely while still sharing the same underlying class, allowing for maximum re-use of code.

You can run an application in the PowerFlow user interface. You can also execute an application through the REST API, and PowerFlow will process the application as an asynchronous task. Executing an application from the REST API lets you dynamically set parameter values for the variables defined in the application.

During processing, PowerFlow generates a unique task ID for the application and each of its tasks. Using the task IDs, you can poll for the status of the application and the status of each individual running step in the application.

The required parameters of applications are strictly enforced, and PowerFlow will refuse to execute the application if all required variables are not provided.

For more information about PowerFlow applications, see Managing PowerFlow Applications.

What is a Configuration Object?

Configuration variables are defined in a standalone JSON file called a configuration object that lives on the PowerFlow system and can be accessed by all PowerFlow applications and their steps. Configuration objects can include variables like hostname, user name, password, or other credential information.

Each global variable is defined as a JSON object in the configuration object. Typically, the JSON code for a configuration object looks like the following:

{
   "encrypted": true,
   "name": "var_name",
   "value": "var_value"
}

Configuration objects allow the same application to be deployed in multiple PowerFlow instances, with different configurations. Click the Configure button from an application in the PowerFlow user interface to access the configuration object for that application.

Configuration objects can map variables from the SL1 platform to a third-party platform. For instance, SL1 has device classes and ServiceNow has CI classes; the configuration object maps these two sets of variables.

Each global variable in the configuration can be encrypted. The values of encrypted variables are encrypted within PowerFlow upon upload through the REST API.

You can access a list of all available configurations on the Configurations page () of the PowerFlow user interface. You can also create and edit configuration objects on this page.

For more information about configuration objects, see Managing Configuration Objects.

What is the SL1 PowerFlow Builder?

You can use the SL1 PowerFlow builder in the PowerFlow user interface to create complicated applications with logical branching and data transformation features using drag-and-drop components. You access the PowerFlow builder on the Applications page in the PowerFlow user interface.

If your current ScienceLogic SL1 solution subscription does not include the SL1 PowerFlow builder, contact your ScienceLogic Customer Success Manager or Customer Support to learn more.

From the Steps Registry pane on an Application page, you can drag a Condition operator () onto an application workflow to create the option for branching flows, such as If-Else or If-Then-Else statements:

Image of the PowerFlow Builder Steps Registry pane.

You can drag a Transform operator () from the Steps Registry pane onto an application workflow to pull data gathered by a previous step and modify or transform the data to fit into the next step:

Image of a Transform operator on the PowerFlow Builder page.

You can also use the Trigger Application operator () to launch one or more PowerFlow applications from within a new or existing PowerFlow application. This operator uses the same functionality as the "Trigger Application" step from the Base Steps SyncPack:

Image of the Trigger Application operator on the PowerFlow Builder page.

Clicking the eye icon () next to a triggered application generates a smaller window, also called a "picture-within-a-picture", that displays the step or steps for the triggered application.

For more information about the PowerFlow builder and PowerFlow applications, see Managing PowerFlow Applications.

Elements of the PowerFlow User Interface

The PowerFlow user interface matches the layout of the SL1 user interface, with the navigation tabs located on the left-hand side of the window. The tabs provide access to the following pages: PowerFlow Control Tower, SyncPacks, Applications, Configurations, Reports, API Keys, and Admin Panel.

Logging In and Out of the PowerFlow User Interface

You can log in to PowerFlow using one of the following authentication types:

  • Local Authentication. The same local Administrator user (isadmin) is supported by default. Local authentication only supports the isadmin administrator user.
  • Basic Authentication. PowerFlow continues to support Basic Authentication as well. Because the PowerFlow SyncPacks, diagnostic scripts, and the iscli tool continue to use Basic Authentication, ScienceLogic does not recommend disabling Basic Authentication.
  • OAuth. Lets PowerFlow administrators use their own authentication providers to enforce user authentication and lockout policies. Authentication using a third-party provider, such as Active Directory, or using a protocol like LDAP, requires additional configuration. For optimal security, ScienceLogic recommends that you disable the local Administrator user (isadmin) and exclusively use your own authentication provider.
  • Common Access Card (CAC) Authentication. Lets a PowerFlow user provide a CAC card through a browser to the PowerFlow root IP address. After identifying the CAC card, the ingress proxy verifies and authenticates the user. CAC authentication bypasses Dex authentication and does not use OIDC protocols. You can also use CAC authentication with LDAP, or CAC authentication with LDAP and SAN.
  • API Key Authentication. Provides access to the PowerFlow API in a controllable manner, with options to restrict which hosts may or may not use certain tokens.

Depending on the authentication used by your PowerFlow system, the PowerFlow login page will display a single option for logging in, or more than one option:

Image of the PowerFlow login page

For more information about configuring authorization for users, see Managing Users in PowerFlow.

On a PowerFlow system configured for Military Unique Deployment (MUD) and Department of Defense (DoDIN), a login banner containing information specific to DoDIN appears after you log in.

If you get a "SyncPacks service is not reachable" pop-up message in the user interface and the various pages are empty, log out of the PowerFlow user interface and log back in again. You can also click Refresh in your browser to automatically log out. This situation occurs only if the user interface is idle for a long period of time.

After you log in, pop-up notification appears at the bottom of the PowerFlow user interface that states the last time you logged into the PowerFlow system. This notification disappears after a short period of time, or you can close it. Additional notifications will display in this same area at the bottom left of the window.

To log out of PowerFlow, click your user name in the navigation bar in the top right of any window and select Log off.

PowerFlow Pages

The PowerFlow Control Tower page () provides a graphical view of the various tasks, workers, and applications that are running on your PowerFlow system. This page was called the Dashboard page in previous versions of PowerFlow. For more information, see Using the PowerFlow Control Tower Page.

The SyncPacks page () lets you import, install, and view SyncPacks, which contain applications, steps, and configuration objects that you can use in PowerFlow. For more information, see Managing SyncPacks.

The Applications page () provides a list of the applications available on your PowerFlow system. This page was called the Integrations page in previous versions of PowerFlow. From this page you can run and schedule applications. If you are a Premium solution user, you can use the PowerFlow builder to create applications that use logical branching and data transformation between steps. For more information, see Managing PowerFlow Applications.

The Configurations page () lets you create or use a configuration object to define a set of variables that all steps and PowerFlow applications can use. For more information, see Managing Configuration Objects.

The Reports page () contains a list of reports associated with PowerFlow applications that have the reporting feature enabled, such as the "Report: Identify Unmapped Device Classes" and the "System Diagnostics" application. For more information, see Generating and Viewing Reports for PowerFlow Applications.

The API Keys page () lets you create API keys, which you can use to send requests to PowerFlow API endpoints, specifying them by a header or a query string. These API keys are based on PowerFlow roles. For more information, see Creating and Using API Keys in SL1 PowerFlow.

The Admin Panel page () contains a list of user groups, which lets you determine the roles and access for your users. You can also manage user sessions on this page. Only users with the Administrator role for this PowerFlow system can edit this page. For more information, see Managing Users in PowerFlow.

While the SyncPacks, Applications, Configurations, Reports, API Keys, and Admin Panel pages are loading or running a procedure, you will see a dark blue, animated line running across the top of the page until the process completes. On the PowerFlow Control Tower page, the System Health widget displays an image that shows the progress of data loading in that widget.

Additional Navigation

The "Auto Refresh" counter lets you see when data on the following pages will update: SyncPacks, Applications, Configurations, and API Keys. On these pages, you can also click "Auto Refresh" to refresh the page immediately.

Also, pop-up messages have a countdown timer that displays until it closes, along with a Close icon ().

Clicking the Help button in the navigation bar in the top right of the PowerFlow user interface opens the Help Menu pane on the right-hand side of the user interface. The Help Menu pane contains an overview of the current page, a list of actions you can take on this page (with accompanying links to the corresponding Help topics), and a link to the corresponding page in the product documentation for more information.

Clicking the Notifications button in the navigation bar opens the Notification Center pane, which contains a log of all previous pop-up notifications that appeared in the PowerFlow system about applications that were run successfully or with warnings or failures. The button also displays a light-blue "badge" with the number of current notifications. For more information about a notification, click the link for the page where the notification appeared and review the Step Log and Step Data tabs for the application steps.

To clear the contents of the Notification Center pane, click the Delete All button. Click the Close icon () to close the Notification Center pane.

The user name drop-down, which is found in the navigation bar in the top right of the PowerFlow user interface, contains the following options:

  • About. Displays package versions, user information for the current user, version information for PowerFlow, and licenses used by PowerFlow. This page also display whether the PowerFlow system is licensed, and when the license expires.
  • Log Off. Logs you out of the PowerFlow user interface.

Using the API or Command Line Tool to Create PowerFlow Components

Instead of using the PowerFlow user interface, you can create steps, applications, and configurations in your own editor and then upload them using the API or the command line tool (iscli).

For more information, see SL1 PowerFlow for Developers.