Changing SerializationMethod of a workflow

Question

Update:

After some digging around, I have found a page for Update-TypeData that that has a method that states:

-SerializationMethod
String: Serialize the type as a string. You can use the StringSerializationSource to specify a property of the type to use as the serialization result. Otherwise, the type is serialized by using the ToString method of the object.

This appears to be the problem I am having, however I can't run Update-TypeData in a workflow.

Original Question

I have the following code:

workflow Deploy-Template
{
    Param
    (
        $Credentials, $resourcegroup, $count
    )
    $PSDisableSerializationPreference = $true
    $results = @() 

    $collection = (1..$count) 
    sequence
    {

        foreach -parallel ($item in $collection)
        {
            $subs = Add-AzureRmAccount -Credential $Credentials

            $deploy = New-AzureRmResourceGroupDeployment -Name ([guid]::NewGuid()).guid.tostring() `
                                                    -ResourceGroupName $resourcegroup `
                                                    -TemplateFile "E:\tmp\storage.json"
            $obj= New-Object -type PSObject -Property  @{ 
            output = $deploy
            }
            $workflow:results += $obj
        }
        Write-Output $results 
    }
}

$value = Deploy-Template -Credentials $TenantObject.credential -resourcegroup $resourcegroup -count 1

When I run it and try to query the result I get:

PS > $value[0].output.Outputs.storageAccountName
Microsoft.Azure.Commands.ResourceManager.Cmdlets.SdkModels.DeploymentVariable


PS > $value[0].output.Outputs.storageAccountName | gm 
TypeName: System.String

I've poked around and changed things and it seems that when run within a Workflow $deploy the DeploymentVariable is made a string.

If I just run:

$deploy = New-AzureRmResourceGroupDeployment -Name ([guid]::NewGuid()).guid.tostring() `
                                        -ResourceGroupName $resourcegroup `
                                        -TemplateFile "E:\tmp\storage.json"

I get:

PS > $deploy.Outputs.storageAccountName.Value 
y74ek7r67mq6c

Which is what I'm expecting. (there is no value property when it runs in a workflow)

I tried running it through convertto-json but it is doing the same.

Why can't I get my object out of my workflow?

edited to add

The relevant section of the storage.json file is

"outputs": {
    "storageAccountName": {
        "type": "string",
        "value": "[variables('storageAccount')]"

Run outside of the workflow

$deploy.Outputs.storageAccountName.GetType()

IsPublic IsSerial Name BaseType
-------- -------- ---- --------
True False DeploymentVariable System.Object

While inside the workflow gives

$value[0].output.Outputs.storageAccountName.gettype()

IsPublic IsSerial Name BaseType
-------- -------- ---- --------
True True String System.Object

Running the code inline produces the same result

$deploy = InlineScript
{
  New-AzureRmResourceGroupDeployment -Name ([guid]::NewGuid()).guid.tostring() `
                                        -ResourceGroupName $Using:resourcegroup `
                                        -TemplateFile "E:\Git\Simplifed-Azure-Templates\storage.json"
}

Answer 1

Objects in workflows are deserialized.

The InlineScript activity is useful when you need to run one or more commands as traditional PowerShell script instead of PowerShell workflow. While commands in a workflow are sent to Windows Workflow Foundation for processing, commands in an InlineScript block are processed by Windows PowerShell.

Source is the above link.

You probably have to wrap your invoke within an InlineScript:

You can return output from an InlineScript by assigning the output to a variable.

Try this:

workflow Deploy-Template
{
    Param
    (
        $Credentials, $resourcegroup, $count
    )
    $PSDisableSerializationPreference = $true
    $results = @() 


    $collection = (1..$count) 
    sequence
    {

        foreach -parallel ($item in $collection)
        {
            $workflow:results += InlineScript {
                $subs = Add-AzureRmAccount -Credential $Credentials

                $deploy = New-AzureRmResourceGroupDeployment -Name ([guid]::NewGuid()).guid.tostring() `
                                                        -ResourceGroupName $resourcegroup `
                                                        -TemplateFile "E:\tmp\storage.json"
                New-Object -type PSObject -Property  @{ 
                    output = $deploy
                }
            }
        }
        Write-Output $results 
    }
}

$value = Deploy-Template -Credentials $TenantObject.credential -resourcegroup $resourcegroup -count 1