Value sets

A value set is a set of data values that are merged with a template file to generate a target configuration file. The resulting configuration file can be pushed to servers.

 

At its simplest, you define a value set at the “Server Instance” level for a particular server. The values in the “Server Instance” value set are merged with the configuration template to generate the actual configuration file that will be pushed to the server.

Value set levels and value set inheritance

Setting values for each individual server at the server instance level works for a small number of servers but for a large number of servers you can use value set inheritance to set default values at higher levels that apply to larger and larger subsets of your managed servers and are inherited by lower levels. Each level inherits the values from the levels above, unless the level explicitly blocks inheritance or sets a value that overrides the inherited value.

The following table lists all the value set inheritance levels, how they are either inherited or overridden at lower levels and how to set values at each level. Details on setting values at each level are described below.

Value set levels and inheritance of value sets

Level

Description of the level

How to set a value

Application

This level defines values that apply to the application configuration itself. It applies to all servers that have the application configuration attached, unless overridden by any level below.

Open the App Config object. Select Content > Application Values. Select a template. Select the “File Values” view. See Setting values at the application level.

Facility

This level defines values for a facility. It applies to all servers in the specified facility that have the application configuration attached, unless overridden by any level below.

Open the App Config object. Select Content > Facility Values > <facility>. Select a template. Select the “File Values” view. See Setting values at the facility level.

Customer

This level defines values for a customer. It applies to all servers belonging to the specified customer that have the application configuration attached, unless overridden by any level below.

Open the App Config object. Select Content > Customer Values > <customer>. Select a template. Select the “File Values” view. See Setting values at the customer level.

Group

This level defines values for a device group. It applies to all servers in the specified device group that have the application configuration attached, unless overridden by any level below.

Open the device group. Select Configured Applications >
<app config name>. Select a template. See Setting values at the group level.

Group Instance

This level defines values for one particular instance of an application configuration. It applies to all servers in the specified device group that the instance is attached to, unless overridden by any level below.

Open the device group. Select Configured Applications >
<app config name> > <instance name>. Select a template. See Setting values at the group instance level.

Server

This level defines values for a server. It applies to all instances of the application configuration on the specified server, unless overridden by the level below.

Open the server. Select Management Policies tab. Select Configured Applications > <app config name>. Select a template. See Setting values at the server level.

Server Instance

This level defines values for one particular instance of an application configuration on the server. It applies only to the specified application configuration instance on the specified server and overrides all levels above.

Open the server. Select Management Policies tab. Select Configured Applications > <app config name> > <instance name>. Select a template. See Setting values at the server instance level.

The following table illustrates how application configuration values are inherited. The values in each row represent values set at that level. The bottom row shows the actual values that will be pushed to a server.

Table 2: Inheritance of application configuration values

Level

Values set at each level

Application

2

1

Z

Y

X

W

V

Facility

 

U

T

S

R

Q

P

Customer

 

 

O

N

M

L

K

 

Group

 

 

 

J

I

H

G

Group Instance

 

 

 

 

F

E

D

Server

 

 

 

 

 

C

B

Server Instance

 

 

 

 

 

 

A

 

Inherited Results

2

U

O

J

F

C

A

Block inheritance

You can block inheritance at any level by selecting Block Inheritance in the value set editor for any variable. All values set above the blocked level will not be inherited. Values at levels below the blocked level are still inherited. A lower level must set the value or the variable will have no value.

  1. Open the value set editor at any level.
  2. In the value column for any variable, select a value. This displays a drop-down list and a “...” button on the right end of the edit box.
  3. Select either the drop-down list or select the “...” button. This displays several choices for values of the variable.
  4. Select Block Inheritance.
  5. Select File > Save or the Save Changes button.

For more information, see Setting values in the Value Set Editor.