Cisco Cisco Process Orchestrator 3.0 Guida Utente

Runtime user instances can be shared across targets and processes. For example, if a single set of 
credentials can be used to access a set of network devices, only one runtime user instance must be 
created. When it is time to change the credentials, users can go to the runtime users list and edit the single 
instance to change the credentials. This greatly reduces the configuration load when credentials tend to 
change often in some environments.

Runtime user credentials can be used in a process, but no process can retrieve credentials. If your process 
must access credentials, use hidden string variables (see 

The runtime user concept allows the product to implement delegation. For example:

An IT help desk operator comes to Process Orchestrator to run a process. 

This operator is presented with a list of processes that Process Orchestrator’s role-based access 
control allows them to run. These processes might include activities that require a level of security 
permission that the operator does not natively have. 

The operator can perform actions as a part of the established process that are not possible for them 
to perform manually.

This concept can also be leveraged to reveal where operators make changes outside of a process. By 
examining auditing logs such as Windows logs for things being done under the operator’s credentials 
rather than the Process Orchestrator runtime user credentials, it is possible to determine how the operator 
is doing things outside of process and determine how to close things down. So a side effect of Process 
Orchestrator automation is that customers might be able to tighten security in their environment.

Use Process Orchestrator to automate an IT processes by defining a process, then running instances of 
the defined process. 

An element of the process is the process workflow. The workflow defines the automation steps 
(activities), the logic or flow between these steps, and how to flow data from one step to the next.

The engine manages the state and lifecycle of a process, bringing it into existence, running its steps, and 
finally terminating it. During and (by default) after process execution, the engine retains information so 
that operators can view the status of their running processes.

Workflow activities provide the logic or flow aspects of the process workflow. Workflow activities are 
exposed in the Logic tab of the toolbox in the Process Editor.