Home
Configuration variables
A configuration variable defines an alias that resolves at run time to a value that is specific to a deployment environment. A deployment environment is represented by a server group. By associating the values of a configuration variable with different server groups, you can run the same map in different environments, servers, and platforms without changing the map.
Configuration variable alias resolution
When a map that includes an alias deploys to a server, the server where the map runs and the server groups defined in the configuration variable determine how the alias resolves.

Configuration variables
A configuration variable defines an alias that resolves at run time to a value that is specific to a deployment environment. A deployment environment is represented by a server group. By associating the values of a configuration variable with different server groups, you can run the same map in different environments, servers, and platforms without changing the map.
- Configuration variable alias resolution
  When a map that includes an alias deploys to a server, the server where the map runs and the server groups defined in the configuration variable determine how the alias resolves.
- Maximum resource lengths after alias resolution
  Aliases resolve when a map initializes. The type of resource determines the limit on the length of resource after alias resolution.
- Alias expansion in external interface functions
  During map execution, alias resolution in an external interface function can expand the string by up to 256 bytes longer than its original length.
- Defining configuration variable values with environment variables
  You can avoid customizing a configuration variable for specific deployments by defining configuration variable values as operating system environment variables. At run time, the $GETENV() function resolves aliases that are defined as environment variables. The $GETENV() function can be used with or without encryption.
- Master key creation to generate a new cipher key for encryption
  As configuration-variable values contain sensitive data, they are encrypted with a default cipher key. Sensitive data may include user credentials or database passwords among others. An administrator can choose to not use the default cipher key, and create a new master key file to generate a new cipher key to ensure strict confidentiality of the key. Integration Platform uses the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm to encrypt and decrypt configuration-variable values by using a secure encryption key. A single key encrypts all configuration variables during installation of the Integration Platform.
- Encrypting configuration variables and creating a new master key file
  The Design Server comes with a default master key file (MKF) that contains a cipher key. However, the administrator can create a new MKF to generate a fresh cipher key to ensure that the key is known to none other than only the authorized people.
- References to Resource Registry in messages and log files
  Some messages and log files refer to the Resource Registry, which resolves configuration variables at run time.

Configuration variable alias resolution

When a map that includes an alias deploys to a server, the server where the map runs and the server groups defined in the configuration variable determine how the alias resolves.

An administrator must define a default server group for a configuration variable, but other server groups are optional. An administrator might choose to define only the default server group when the same value applies to multiple server groups.

For example, if an administrator defines the configuration variable USERID with the following values:

Server group	USERID value
Default	level1_user
Design Server	dsgn_team
Development	devl_00
Test	QA_all
Production	prod1_admin

USERID resolves as follows:

When the map deploys to one of the defined server groups, USERID resolves to the value specified for that group.
When the map deploys to a server that's not included in a defined server group, USERID resolves to the default value.