Managing properties

Properties store settings data and values that are important to the execution of requests. Properties are assigned to components and are mapped to these components in the various environments that you create. Properties are also associated with servers and server levels. Components, servers, and server levels inherit property values from the Property Dictionary that is also called global.

You might specify different values for a property in the context of each environment in which a component is installed (for example, a "classpath"). This ensures that the same value is mapped to each request working with those components in those environments. You might also define properties for servers and server aspects by specifying different values.

You can use properties in steps of a request. In steps, you can change the property values. The property value on the step level is applied only to the current step.

• • • To create a property
    • To compare a property with an environment
    • To set different property values for components installed in different environments
  • Where to go from here

To create a property

1. Go to Environment>Properties.
2. On the right pane, click Create Property.

3. In the Name box, enter the name for the property.

   Note

   Properties that have special characters in their names do not work with automation scripts.

4. In the Default value box, enter a list of the property values separated by a comma.
   • You can enter numbers as the property values.
   • If you want to leave the field blank, enter a comma.
5. (Optional) To hide the property value, select the Private check box. To view private values of the properties, you need a granted permission.
6. To assign a property to a component, next to Component Assignment, click Add Components.
   
7. From the Components box, select the required components, and use the option to move them to the selected area and then click Select Components.
   
8. To assign a property to a package, next to Package Assignment, click Add Packages.
9. From the dialog box, select the required packages, move them to the selected area and then click Select Packages.
10. To assign a property to a server or server level, next to Server Assignment, click Add Servers or Add Server Levels.
11. From the dialog box, select the required servers or server levels move them to the selected area and then click Select Servers or Select Server Levels.
12. If you want to allow modification of the property value during work task creation and execution, next to the Property Entry Assignment, click Add Work Tasks.
13. From the dialog box, select the required work tasks for creation or execution and then click Select Work Tasks.
14. Click Create.

To compare a property with an environment

1. Go to Environment > Properties, and then, on the right pane, click Property Maps.
   Alternatively, go to Reports > Maps.
2. On the right pane, click the Properties Map by Environment/Application link.

3. In the lists that appear, select the required Application, Environment, Components, and then click Compare to view the associations.
   You are allowed to select one application but multiple environments and components. A table appears to give you a view of the associations.

   Note

   The table appears only if the application, environments, and components that you select have associations. If your selections do not have any associations, the system asks you to make the appropriate selections.

Components have properties associated with them and the environment has values associated with it. If the environments do not have values, you must fix them.

To set different property values for components installed in different environments

After you have associated components with environments for a specific application, you can set different property values for each environment in which the component is installed.

1. On the Applications tab, select the application.
2. In the Components list on the right, click the appropriate component.
3. In the Edit properties for componentName dialog box, in environment fields, specify the property values for each environment. If you leave this field empty, the default property value is applied to this environment.
4. (Optional) If you want to prevent the property from editing from steps of a request, select the Locked check box for the property.
5. Click Submit.

Where to go from here

Properties are also associated with components and servers and are used in steps. To use the property value in automation steps, you must map a property. After you have performed property mapping, the property values or arguments are assigned to the server. For more information, see Mapping-properties.

You are also able to create properties to implement a release plan in advance. For this, BMC Release Process Management provides you with a feature called local properties. To learn about local properties and their implementation, see Creating-local-properties.