Externalize Metadata Values

This document describes how to externalize with Metadata values in Semarchy xDI Designer.

Overview

When creating a metadata, you set the values for properties (attributes) in that metadata. For example, you set the JDBC URL in database servers to connect to the development servers.

These values must change depending on the environment in which integration flows run. For example, the JDBC URLs of database servers must change when running flows in production to integrate data from and to production servers.

The metadata externalization mechanism allows developers to make values configurable by the Production Team.

In the development and deployment lifecycle:

  • The Development Team externalizes certain metadata properties during the development and generates/releases packages to the production team. The packages contain indications of the externalized properties.

  • The Product Team extracts from the packages the list of externalized properties and configures them for production using properties files. They can generate deliveries suitable for production by combining the packages with the properties files.

Metadata Externalization is used when implementing a full deployment flow with separated development and production teams. Metadata configurations defined in Designer may be suitable if a single team manages all the environments and and deployment cycle from Semarchy xDI Designer.

Externalize metadata properties

In a metadata:

  • Certain attributes are externalized by default. The attributes depend on the technology definition used by this metadata. For example, the JDBC URL, User, or password for a database server are externalized by default.

  • Other attributes that are not externalized by default can be explicitly externalized at design time. For example, the Batch Size or Fetch Size for a database server.

To externalize a metadata property:

  1. In the metadata editor, select the node containing the property that you want to externalize. For example, in the database metadata editor, select the root node corresponding to the data server.

  2. Select the Externalize section.
    This section lists the properties that can be externalized. Those externalized by default (according to the technology definition) are already selected.

  3. Click a property name to unlock the field and check the option to externalize it.

  4. Repeat the previous operation for each property that you want to externalize.

  5. Press CTRL+S to save the metadata.

Use externalized properties

After you generate packages, the production team can extract the configuration file to see all the externalized properties.

These properties can now be set in your production environment.

See externalized properties in xDI Analytics

Externalized properties are accessible from xDI Analytics. If your metadata also contains variables as as externalized properties, you can set their default value in Analytics.

For more information, see Production:manage-metadata.adoc#_manage_metadata.