Configuring Virtual DataPort Properties¶

For those scenarios where you work with several environments, Virtual DataPort allows you to export its metadata in a parameterized way, using two files. On the one hand, you have a parameterized VQL file with the definition of all the elements of the catalog; on the other hand, you have a properties file with all the environment-dependent values, like the URL of a JDBC data source or the final location of an XML file. Solution Manager makes use of this feature for promoting changes from one environment to another. The VQL changes from the source environment are applied to the target environment using the Virtual DataPort properties from the latter.

Virtual DataPort properties are administered from the environment dialog. Open it and go to the section VDP Properties. You will see a dialog like the one below, which displays all the Virtual DataPort properties of that environment in a hierarchical view.

Dialog to administer Virtual DataPort properties¶

Those properties that represent passwords show their values hidden by default.

This dialog allows you to perform the following operations:

• Add a new property: Click the button. A new dialog will appear. Enter its name and value (if any).

  To assign an undefined value to a property, select the checkbox Set as undefined. This is useful if you do not know the value of a property but you want to create it anyway. Properties with an undefined value are not valid when you deploy or validate a revision. To see the properties with an undefined value, select the Show only undefined properties option in the combo.

  If you want to use for a property the value it had when the revision was created, select the Use revision source value checkbox. This is useful to automatically update in a target environment the value of a property with the value it has in a lower environment when promoting a revision created in that lower environment. Once defined as Use revision value, there is no need to update the value of the property manually.

  This option allows the flexibility of specifying a different setup for the same property in different environments. For example:

  • You can have the same value for a database URI for development and staging. In this case, the staging environment would have the option Use revision source value checked. If the data source URI changes in development:

    • You create a new revision containing the data source in the development environment.

    • You deploy the revision in the staging environment. The database URI is updated in the staging environment with the value in the source environment, that is development environment.

  • On the other hand, you have a specific value for production. In this case the option Use revision source value is unchecked and the property has the corresponding value in the production environment.

  Click save to create the property.

• Edit the value of a property: Select the property you want to edit and click the button. Enter the new value for the property in the dialog that appears and confirm.

• Edit the value of several properties: Select several properties from the tree and click the button. Enter the new value for the selected properties in the dialog that appears and confirm.

  Note

  It is not possible to edit password and normal properties at the same time.

• Remove properties: Select several properties from the tree and click the button.

• Import a properties file: Click the button and a new dialog will appear.

  

  Dialog to drag & drop a file with Virtual DataPort properties¶

  You can drag and drop a file from your machine with Virtual DataPort properties.

  Important

  If you specified a custom password to encrypt the properties, you will need to provide the same password in the import properties process.

  As soon as the upload finishes, a new dialog will appear where you can preview and confirm the new values of the properties.

  

  Dialog to confirm the new values of the imported Virtual DataPort properties¶

  You can restore the old value of a single property, restore the old value of all the properties with the button or edit the new value. Also, you can select several properties from the tree and click to edit the value of more than one property at one time. You can select the check box Show only properties with distinct values to filter those properties with actual changes from the previous values. Take into account that the imported properties whose value are empty, will lose their old values.

  If you want to use for the property the value it had when the revision was created, you can select the Use revision source value checkbox for the corresponding property.

• Export the properties to a file: Click the button and a file will start downloading to your machine with all the Virtual DataPort properties. Undefined and use revision source value properties will not be included in the output file.