Lab: Build Event-Driven Approval Workflow

VCF 9.0Intermediatevcap-advanced⏱ 90 min

Objectives

Create a multi-step approval workflow using event subscriptions: quota check → approval → CMDB creation → deployment.

Prerequisites

VCF lab environment deployed and operational

Lab Environment

Standard VCF lab environment for Advanced VCF 9.0 Automation

Tasks

Task 1 Lab: Build Event-Driven Approval Workflow

Create a multi-step approval workflow using event subscriptions: quota check → approval → CMDB creation → deployment.

Step 1

Subscribe to "com.vmware.cac.blueprint.request" with blocking action "check-quota"

Step 2

Add second blocking subscription "route-approval" that sends request to ServiceNow approval queue

Step 3

Subscribe to "com.vmware.cac.blueprint.request.approved" (non-blocking) for CMDB record creation

Step 4

Test with valid request (quota available, auto-approved) → proceeds to deploy

Step 5

Test with quota exceeded → deployment rejected, approval never reaches ServiceNow

Step 6

Enable event tracing and verify execution order and durations

Validation Gate

Check: Verify lab completion

Expected: Lab exercise completed successfully

Common Errors

Approval workflow blocking deployments when approver is unavailable

Fix: Configure escalation: if primary approver doesn't respond within SLA (e.g., 4 hours), escalate to backup approver or auto-approve with logging. A stuck approval queue blocks all developer deployments.

Not differentiating approval requirements by resource size

Fix: Small deployments (1 VM, 2 vCPU) shouldn't require the same approval as large deployments (10 VMs, 64 vCPU). Configure tiered approvals: auto-approve below threshold, single approver for medium, multi-approver for large.

Event subscriptions not filtering correctly causing excessive triggers

Fix: VCF Automation event broker fires on all matching events. An unfiltered subscription triggers on every VM creation across all projects. Use event filters: project scope, resource type, and action type to limit trigger scope.

Final Validation

Lab completed successfully

✓ All steps completed → No errors observed

Cleanup / Restore

• Revert to snapshot if needed

Design Reflection (VCDX)

Governance automation balances control with agility. VCDX panelists test whether your approval process is operationally sustainable — a process that blocks developers drives shadow IT.

⚠ Known Pitfalls (from Community KB)

Requiring approval for every deployment regardless of size — this creates bottlenecks and drives shadow IT.

Not configuring escalation for absent approvers — stuck queues block entire teams.

Mark complete