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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.
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.

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.

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.

The Design Server comes with a default master key file (MKF) containing the default cipher key. However, the administrator can create a new master key file to generate a fresh cipher key to be known only to the administrator and other authorized people: so to ensure strict confidentiality of the cipher key

The default master key file /opt/hcl/hip1000/config/configvar.mkf contains the encryption key to decrypt the values at runtime, once deployed. If configuration variables are defined using encryption, then during the deployment of a package the master key file (config_var.mkf) deploys with the package to an Integration Platform runtime server to decrypt the values at run time.

An administrator can choose to create a new master key file (MKF) with or without a passphrase. Creating an MKF with a passphrase allows an administrator to reproduce the cipher key using the passphrase: in case the MKF becomes corrupt or gets accidentally deleted. However, generating a duplicate cipher key is only possible if the current operating system is the same as the one used to create the original MKF. If the administrator used no passphrase while creating the MKF, then they need to create a new MKF altogether so to generate a new cipher key.