Step Definitions - Metadata

Step Definitions stored in DeployR in the database in JSON blobs. When you break down the JSON, and compare it to the Step in the console, it all makes pretty good sense. In Step Definitions, we basically dig down a few layers to find everything.

Get-DeployRMetadata -Type StepDefinition

Metadata Properties

• id: DeployR Unique ID (GUID) created at the time of the item's creation.

  • Built in Items typically start their pre-assigned ids with 00000000

• name: Friendly name of the item that is display in the console

• description: optional field to include additional information

• typeName: a property you can set to whatever you like, I try to use it for organization in autoamation

• versions: this is a JSON blob that contains additional details about the individual version, of which there can be many per item. This will look different depending on the purpose of the item. See the detailed areas to dig in more.

• versionCount: the count of versions associated with an item

• createdDate: the date the item was orginally created in DeployR

• lastModifiedDate: the date the item was last modified by a user or process

• readOnly: [True / False] lets you know if you can modify the item. Built in items are set to True.

Versions Deeper Drive. This metadata is consistent amoung different content item purposes, however not all items are used, it depends on the purpose.

• id: a unique GUID created for each version

• stepDefinitionId: the GUID id of the parent content item.

• versionNo: the version count in the content item

• status: the current status of that version (In Development, Active, Deprecated)

• description: an optional property that you can provide additional information

• options: where the content WIM file resides in your DeployR Content folder

• validators

• createdDate: date the version was created

• lastModifiedDate: date of the last modificiation to the version

Options Deeper Dive. This metadata will comprise all of the different options in the step

• name: name of the option you're setting, completely custom string

  • if the option is for a script, use: scriptName

  • if the option is for a content item with your scripts, use: content

• displayName: Friendly Name shown in console

• description: a description of what is going on with this option, shows up in the "Hover Over"

• defaultValue: the default value for the option, will be different based on the option type

• type: type of option it is

  • Text

  • Large text

  • Boolean

  • Script

  • Content

  • Content list

  • Dropdown

  • Task sequence

• contentItemPurpose: Filter for when using a content option

• hidden: True/False, will this option be shown in console? Often scripts and related content items are set to hidden True, so they don't show up.

• validations: is there a regex validation associated with the option?

• dropdownOptions: drop down table info

Lets take a look at a step definition in PowerShell

$Steps = (Get-DeployRMetadata -Type StepDefinition | Where-Object {$_.id -notlike '0000*'})
$Steps | Select-Object -Last 1
($Steps | Select-Object -Last 1).versions

This step definition is for advanced formatting of a disk. Lets dig into the options:

This step definition has several types leveraged to assist the user in determing which options they want to leverage. It also is using a script: Format-Disk.ps1, which is located in the content item d819ff51-72a1-4e3c-bdf3-fcb69cf1bbab:1 . When this step is triggered in the task sequence, it knows to download that content item, and run the Format-Disk script, and apply the parameters set in the step. Lets look this step in the Console:

Now lets look at it after it's added to a task sequence:

For reference, here is a blank option when you're adding a new one into a definition.