Administering Global Variables

This section describes how to use the swadm server configuration utility to administer iProcess Engine global variables.

The iProcess Engine server uses global variables to configure settings and behavior of procedures. Global variables and their values are stored in a database table. Global variables can be accessed within any procedure by using the GlobalVariable expression that allows the procedure to define how to control and configure application behavior. For example, the procedure can contain connection, host, or port information about a service, file name or location information, or just configuration flags to adapt behavior.

Note: Global variables store all the values as Text. For example, if you set a date or a number to a global variable, it is only stored and read as a text field.

You can also use a global variable to turn on behavior. For instance, a customer can test a global variable to determine how a procedure must behave and roll out the new version of the procedures into production, weeks before the behavior must come into effect. Later, just by changing the global variable, the procedure then immediately starts adopting the new behavior.

For example:

  1. Administrator can create (at the request of procedure developers) one or more Global Variables from iPAC.

    • These Global Variables might be paths to a tool, Database Schema names, or locations. System configurations differ between the development, testing, and production.

  2. An iProcess user or Developer can design procedures by using the Global Variables, to perform the following activities :

    • access database or tables for EAIDB steps (for example, DataDev, DataTest, or DataProd)

    • configure mail for EAIMAIL

    • access tools or libraries via a PATH on the system

    • perform procedure calls to external system JMS, JavaRemote call, and so on

    When you export the procedure and deploy it to test or production server, no changes are required to the procedure. However, it continues to work against test or production instances of the database, JMS, and so on.

  3. All procedure configuration (including behavior if required) can be controlled outside the procedure by using the Global Variables.

For more information about Global Variables, see TIBCO iProcess® Engine Administration Console User Guide and TIBCO iProcess® Expressions and Functions Reference Guide.