How Properties Are Resolved

To use a user-defined property in a process, reference it when you configure a step that uses it. Use the following syntax:

${p:<element>/<property name>}

where the ${ indicates the start of the reference, p stands for property, <element> is the element the property is defined on, such as component, <property name> is the user-defined property name, and } indicates the end of the reference. If the property is defined for a process, you can reference that property in the same process as ${p:<property name>}.

A running process fills in values for properties from various property settings, including the following:

1. system
2. environment
3. resource
4. resource role
5. application environment
6. application
7. application process
8. component environment
9. component
10. component process
11. component version
12. global process
13. properties set by process steps

For example, a component process step has access to properties set before or during the process execution, including those that are:

• set earlier by other steps within the process
• set within the scope of the currently executing process
• set by the component
• set by the application
• set for the target environment and resource
• set at the system level

Step property values become unavailable once the component process ends.

Typically, you set the value for a same-named property where the value is most likely to change. For example, the value for a web server port number would probably be set in the environment or resource properties. This helps to make the processes flexible enough to execute in multiple environments, such as INT, UAT, and PROD.

The process resolves the values from one of the settings in hierarchical order, with values given for properties closest to the process step overriding any previous values. If the property value is unresolved, the process can prompt users for information at runtime and then incorporate the values into the process.