The following table shows the value types by which published data are categorized.

When an activity runs in a runbook, it can return any number of data items. Subsequent activities in a runbook are automatically provided and can subscribe to the activities’ published data and use it in their configuration. Link conditions also use published data to add filtering and decision-making capabilities to runbooks.

Each data item is passed to the activity that follows after going through link conditions filtering. When the next activity in the runbook runs, it runs one time for each item of data that the previous activity produced. For example, the Query Database activity runs and retrieves three rows from the database. These three rows of data make the next activity run three times, one time for each row returned. This next activity does not have to subscribe to the data for this action to occur.

An activity can also retrieve information from an outside source. “Get” activities and “Monitor” activities demonstrate this behavior. Data output from an activity might be a list of computers. Data can be passed on as multiple individual outputs, which invoke the next activity as many times as there are items in the output.

Note
You also have the option of passing on data as a single output.

For information about how to configure published data with multiple values, see Common Tabs.

1. Right-click an activity from your runbook, select Properties from the menu, and then select the Details tab to open the activities properties dialog box.

2. From a text box, right-click to open a menu, select Subscribe, and then select Published Data to open the Published Data dialog box.

3. From the Activity drop-down list, select the activity that returns the data that you want to subscribe to. By default, the dialog box only displays published data that is specific to that activity. To include published data that is common to all activities, click Show common Published Data.

4. Select the Published Data item that you want to use, and then click OK.

   A placeholder {published data item} will be inserted into the text box.

1. From the text box click the data placeholder to open the Published Data dialog box.

2. From the Activity drop-down list, click the activity that returns the data that you want to subscribe to. By default, the dialog box only displays published data that is specific to that activity. To include published data that is common to all activities, click Show common Published Data.

3. Click the Published Data item that you want to use, and then click OK. The published data placeholder changes to reflect the new activity and published data that you selected.

1. Find a published data item that has already been inserted into a box in the Properties dialog box of an activity.

2. Select the published data item that you want to copy.

3. Use the keyboard shortcut CTRL+C, or right-click the selected item, and then click Copy.

4. Open the Properties dialog box or document to which you want to copy the published data item.

5. Place your cursor where you want the published data item to appear and use the keyboard shortcut, CTRL+V, or right-click the insertion point, and then click Paste. The published data item appears.

With System Center 2012 - Orchestrator, you can transform the existing published data content or variable items into new content according to rules that you specify, by using the Map Published Data activity.