Generic Python Jobs

Generic Python Jobs let you run Python scripts on any OS Agent. Generic Python Jobs can be processed on arbitrary host platforms as long as the Agent where they should run is defined. The only prerequisite is that a Generic Python Job template exists on the target platform. In a fresh installation there are two predefined Generic Python Job templates (Windows and Unix) in Client 0 but administrators can create as many as needed. Generic Python Jobs can run independently or they can be added to a Job Group (JOBG), to a Workflow or to a Schedule.

They can be executed on any OS Agent and on Agent Groups.

The Automic Automation / Python integration includes the Python dictionary with the Automic Automation variables that you can use in Python Jobs. This means that you can include Automic Automation variables using Python scripting just as you do with the AE scripting language. You just have to register the name and value of the variable on the Job's Process page first and you can then use it in your script; you use the :REGISTER_VARIABLE script function for this purpose. The integration lets you create your own variables too, and use them in Python Jobs. Using a specific script statement, you can also get a list of the all available variables. For more information about how to register variables and output files and about how to use Python scripting in Python Jobs, see Python Scripting.

A Generic Python Job definition is made up of the following pages:

• Standard pages that are always available, no matter what type of object you are defining:
  • Defining the General Page
  • Defining the Version Management Page
  • Defining the Documentation Page
• Additional pages that are always available for executable objects:
  • Defining the Process Pages in Jobs
  • Defining the Attributes Page
  • Registering External Output Files
  • Defining the Variables Page
  • Defining the Prompt Sets Page
  • Defining the Rollback Page

1. On any of the Process pages, write the script you want this Job to execute on the Agent. Use Python code only or a combination of Python and the Automation Engine scripting language. You can use script variables here.

   For more information, see:

   • Defining the Process Pages in Jobs

   • Script Processing

2. If necessary, specify additional attributes on any of the other definition pages.

   Important! Unlike the other Job types in Automic Automation, you cannot select an Agent on the Attributes page of generic Jobs. This is because the Agent must be set via a script using the &AGENT# or &OVERWRITE_AGENT# variables. The values of these parameters can be defined in a PromptSet or can be inherited from a variable. For more information, see Inheriting Object and PromptSet Variables.

   Important Considerations

   • The &OVERWRITE_AGENT# variable has a higher priority than &AGENT#. If both variables are defined, the &OVERWRITE_AGENT# is used.

   • The Agent must be defined before the script is processed. Therefore, you cannot use :PSET to set the &OVERWRITE_AGENT# or &AGENT# variables.

   • If you use :PUT_ATT to overwrite the Agent, you must not change the platform. This means that, if your &AGENT# variable has the name of a UNIX Agent, you cannot use :PUT_ATT to set a Windows Agent. This action results in a FAULT_OTHER error message.

   • Generic Python Jobs do not work with Agent Groups (HOSTG). You cannot set &OVERWRITE_AGENT# or &AGENT# to the name of an Agent group.

3. In the Start Parameter section on the Python page do the following:

   1. In Python Interpreter enter the Python interpreter that you are using. You have the following options:

      • Leave this file empty. The default python.exe is used. If python.exe is not installed on the target system, py.exe is used instead. If none of them are installed, the Job fails.

      • Enter the full path, for example c:\Prog32\python\ph3.exe.

   2. In Options you can specify parameters for the interpreter. For information about the available commands, see the official Python documentation at cmdline.html

      Important! On Windows, if you use Unicode characters in your scripts, you must enter -X utf8 here. This is because the Windows default is not UTF8 and it would not interpret UTF-8 characters correctly without this option.

   3. Specify the Working Directory in which the Python execution should take place.

   4. In Requirements, you specify the list of Python packages (libraries, frameworks or other programs) that this Job requires to be able to execute. Write out each package. It is not necessary to specify their version. When this Job is executed, the Agent calls the Python package manager (PIP), which installs the specified packages (if not already installed).

      After executing the Job, the Agent generates a dedicated report called PIP that contains the result of installing the specified packages. If any of them could not be installed, the Job cannot execute.

   Important!

   • As happens with all other Jobs, you can use the :PUT_ATT and GET_ATT script statements on the Process pages of these Python Jobs.

   • You can use script variables to populate these fields.

4. Save your changes.