Update workflow node aliasing to be seperate from the identifier

[sean-m-sullivan]

ISSUE TYPE

• Feature Idea

SUMMARY

• Adds support for workflow node aliasing via identifier field #10592 Added using the identifier as an alias in the Workflow job template visualizer.

However the Identifier has been setup to be used as a unique ID

    identifier:
      description:
        - An identifier for this node that is unique within its workflow.

And with the previous UUID system they were unique, and identifiers to differentiate and know which node was which.

Proposal
An alias field should be added to the API for the workflow_nodes to be used as the alias when displayed in the visualizer, so the user has the option of using Both the Identifier as a unique ID as has been the practice until this previous change, AND an alias that is separate from the identifier.

[termlen0]

This is critical for controller config as code. The identifier is used for tying together the workflow nodes and having the identifier to use a different string than the JT name will make it easy to manage.

[AlanCoding]

This came up in #2032, as a UI feature, and there was no resistance to the idea.

[IPvSean]

This came up in #2032, as a UI feature, and there was no resistance to the idea.

From reading the initial issue... the problem is not the alias (I want an alias), the problem is the alias IS the unique identifier for a node within a workflow.

So to summarize:
Yes, I would like an ALIAS for the visualization of jobs in the workflow visualizer. Look how un-human friendly a workflow can be without an alias (this is my blog on ansible.com this week)->

but.... if we use the ansible.controller.workflow_job_template_node I would expect that the identifier!=alias... (which I think is what @sean-m-sullivan is saying).

https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/collections/awx/awx/workflow_job_template_node_module.html#parameter-identifier

Imagine someone provisions Automation controller with Ansible (Automation controller as code) like we do in workshops, demos, consulting engagements). Then someone, out of band, adds an alias. The workflow will break next time the workflow is run. It is also confusing because it is not a common design flow to have a unique identifier be something like an alias. Alias is defined as "used to indicate that a named person is also known or more familiar under another specified name."

Hopefully this makes more sense?

[termlen0]

100% what @IPvSean said.

[sean-m-sullivan]

Bumping this again as it was on Long term 2.3 Roadmap, and no longer in the 2.4 Roadmap, Ran into this again at another customer.

[DE110283]

Voting for this!