Creating variable templates

Variable templates are the registration records that the task administrator creates and defines for variables in TMS.

Variables are pieces of data (for example, in a change request or an entry in the parent object) that are passed to and from task groups and tasks, and into flows in TMS. This information can be recorded and used as the basis for making decisions in qualifications or as input for other tasks, task groups, and flows. Variable data can be generated automatically, or it can be supplied manually by resources working on the task.

In the definition stage, the task administrator creates variable templates that are used for mapping in to or out of fields. Then, during the execution stage, these variables exchange data between the task group, task, or flow at runtime.

You can register any piece of information as a variable template. You give it a name and assign it a default value, if needed.

When data is created at runtime, the instantiation of the variable can have its value modified. However, the default values of the variable template itself are not modified.

There are three types of variable templates:

• Global—Used for data that is global to the system and across all requests, for example, in the BMC Helix ITSM of applications. Usually this type of variable is not written to, but it can be. These variables allow general, shared data to be stored across the organization. Examples include the name of the company.
• System—Used for characteristics of the entire request that are automatically available. These are usually pieces of information that are common to all types of requests, but have a unique value.
• Local—Used for data within a specific context, for example, within the flow of a task, task group, or flow. Their value exists only within the context in which they are used, not across the request. For example, although a variable can be used across different task groups in a request, its value is unique for each task group.

Each variable template has the option to be global or associated with a specific company. If you specify a company, your variable template can be further classified using a category and subcategory that shows the integrating system.

The values of variables inside a task group, task, or flow are initialized by the input variables of the task group.

Any task, task group, or flow can access any variable value. If no value exists for a variable, its value is returned as NULL.

To create a variable template

Use the following steps to create a predefined variable template.

1. On the IT Home page, click the Application Administration Console link.
2. On the Application Administration Console, click the Custom Configuration tab.
3. From the Application Settings list, select Task Management System > Task Configuration > Variable Template, and then click Open.

4. On the Variable Template form, fill in the required fields.

   Field name	Description
   Name	The name to assign to the variable.
   Company	The company to which this task template applies. Select Global if the variable applies to all companies.
   Type	The type of variable you are defining. The options are Local, Global, and System. Important: After you have created and saved a variable template, you cannot change its variable type.
   Status	The status of the variable. The options are as follows: Active—Enables the template for use during the execution stage. Inactive—Deactivates the template. Inactive objects cannot be used at runtime. Usually, you set an object to Inactive when it is no longer used at runtime, but might be needed again in the future. When it is needed again, you can reset it to Active. Potential—Puts the template into inactive status. You can design the template without activating it.
   Template Category Tier 1	The categorization from the associated field menu. The content of the Template Category Tier 1 menu corresponds to the installed BMC Helix ITSM applications for which you can create tasks. The menu is populated by the active records in the Integration Configuration form. For information about integrations, see Configuring-application-integrations. You can categorize task templates under a three tier hierarchy. The tiers help you to organize related templates. The Tier 1 categorization is mandatory, while Tier 2 and Tier 3 (which are described in the Optional Fields table) are optional.   For example: Change Management System -> VM -> Provision Change Management System -> VM -> Extend

5. Fill in the optional fields.

   Field name	Description
   Category	The application to which group of templates this belongs. The menu is data-driven by active records in the Integration Configuration form. For information, see Configuring-application-integrations.
   SubCategory	An optional subcategory description.
   Notes	A description of the variable template's function or any other helpful text for future administrators and designers.
   Default Value	The data value that you want the variable to store by default. You can leave this field empty.
   Template Category Tier 2	The appropriate template Tier 2 categorization. To create a Template Category Tier 2 categorization, type the category name in the Template Category Tier 2 field. When you save the template, the category name is also saved and added to the field's selection list, where it is available to select when you create the next template.  To select a Template Category Tier 2 categorization, open the Template Category Tier 2 field menu and select the categorization.
   Template Category Tier 3	The appropriate template Tier 3 categorization. To do this, use the same method described for creating or selecting Template Category Tier 2.

6. Click Save.