Creating shared runtime parameters

When you create or edit a predefined job, you can optionally create or edit shared runtime parameters.

A shared runtime parameter allows you to specify a value just once when preparing a job from a predefined job; the single value is used in each action where that shared runtime parameter has been selected. Shared runtime parameters can be used by any of the runtime-parameter-aware actions you include within a single predefined job. Actions that use runtime parameters include custom actions, external script actions, and Deploy to Active and Deploy to Stored actions that use templates containing runtime parameters.

To create or edit a shared runtime parameter

1. In the Add/Edit Predefined Job dialog box, click the Shared Runtime Parameters tab and then click Add.
2. Enter a name, type (Integer, Menu, Password, or Text), and default values for the shared runtime parameter.
    Menu type parameters take multiple values separated by commas. Entering a default value is optional. The name can be any string that represents or explains the data value contained in the runtime parameter. The name appears when you are preparing a job and are prompted to enter the value.
3. Click Enter.
   
   If you have shared runtime parameters in the Predefined Job, when you add an action that has runtime parameters, the runtime parameter data entry page prompts you to select where the value comes from:

   • Local: You can enter the value right here (makes the value fixed for all jobs prepared from this predefined job), or you can leave it blank (to vary the value for each job).

     At job preparation time, you are prompted to supply the value for this particular action (with any value you supplied already filled in). You can specify up to 2000 characters for a text type parameter, 255 characters for a menu or password type parameter, and 32-bit integer value for an integer type parameter.

   • Shared: You must select from the existing shared runtime parameters, which maps the runtime parameter to the shared runtime parameter. At job preparation time, you are prompted once for the shared runtime parameter's value, and the value is filled in for each action.
     
     For example, if you add a Deploy to Active action to a Predefined Job and previously created a shared runtime parameter called Vlannumber, you now can select it from a list.