IBM Cloud Pak for Business Automation - On premises

IBM Cloud Pak for Business Automation (IBM CP4BA On premises) is a modular set of integrated software components, built and designed to automate work and accelerate business growth. This document describes how to connect IBM watsonx Orchestrate to IBM Cloud Pak for Business Automation - On premises and import skills on watsonx Orchestrate.

Configuring the connection

As a builder, you can connect to IBM CP4BA - On premises and access skills in the following IBM apps -

To connect watsonx Orchestrate to IBM CP4BA - On premises

  1. Enter the following connection details:
    • Review the general considerations before connecting to IBM CP4BA - On premises.
    • Specify the Username to log in to your IBM CP4BA - On premises instance.
    • Specify the API key.
    • On Connection URL, set the Cloud Pak for Data (CPD) URL of your IBM CP4BA - On premises instance . For example: cpd-instance.apps.containers.appdomain.cloud.
  2. Click Connect.

Upon successfully connecting to IBM CP4BA - On premises, you can discover skills from apps and automations built in your specified environment. Following are the steps to import skills on watsonx Orchestrate:

  1. On the Add skills page, expand the folder containing the skills and select the skill of your choice. Each skill has a unique set of features. You can expand each skill to understand what it does.
  2. Select the skills that you want to add.
  3. Click Save as draft. You’ll see a notification when the skill is imported.

The newly added skill is now listed on the Skills and apps page with a Ready to publish status. It's now time to enhance and customize the skill to suit your requirements. Publish the skill to the skill catalog so that your team can start using it.

General considerations

Before connecting watsonx Orchestrate with IBM CP4BA - On premises, take note of the following general considerations:

Parameters Details
API Key
  • If you use an API key, you can authenticate without entering your username and password. To generate a platform API key

    •   1. Log in to the web client of any IBM Automation product.
      2. From the toolbar, click your avatar.
      3. Click Profile and settings.
      4. Click API key > Generate new key.
      5. Click Generate.
      6. Click Copy and save your key somewhere safe. Important: You can’t recover this key if you lose it.
Connection URL
  • The Connection URL is your Cloud Pak for Data (CPD) URL and you must specify it while connecting watsonx Orchestrate with IBM CP4BA - On premises.
Certificates
  • The Cloud Pak Platform user interface (Zen) enables access to all of the Cloud Pak services and features. By default, the Zen service generates a self-signed CA certificate and mounts it automatically through the IBM Cert Manager without requiring user input.
  • However, IBM® watsonx Orchestrate® does not trust the self-signed certificates since they are generated by your server. You must use a certificate that is purchased from a public certificate authority (CA).
  • See Customizing the Cloud Pak entry point for more details.
Note: If you are not sure on the Connection URL or the certificates, contact IBM Support or your IBM CP4BA - On premises account administrator.

Using the skills

As a user, you can access the prebuilt apps and skills that IBM CP4BA - On premises offers for IBM Automation Decision Services, IBM Business Automation Workflow and IBM Operational Decision Manager and use them.

To connect watsonx Orchestrate to the IBM CP4BA On premises skills, complete the following steps:

  1. Enter the username and password while you run the skill.
  2. Specify the member credentials. Refer the Supported authentication schemes for the respective apps.
  3. Click Connect app.
  4. Use the skills.

Supported authentication schemes

The following are the supported authentication schemes for the respective apps:

Apps Authentication type
IBM Automation Decision Services Zen API key
IBM Business Automation Workflow Basic auth (LDAP)
IBM Operational Decision Manager Basic auth - Static credentials
Notes:

  • Zen API key: For the skills that are discovered through IBM CP4BA - On premises with a security type as API key, an API key must be entered during skill invocation in the following format: ZenApiKey base 64 encoded value of username:apikey .
  • If you are not sure on the Zen API key details, contact IBM Support or your IBM CP4BA On premises account administrator.

Info: Review the known issues for Building skills from apps.

Parent topic:

→ Building skills from apps