Administrators and catalog administrators often define multiple catalog items that use
the same group of service catalog variables. Catalog managers and catalog editors can attach a
variable set for items and categories to which they are assigned. However, catalog managers and
catalog editors cannot create a variable set.
For example, a catalog administrator defines 10 catalog items for types of servers. The request
process for all these items asks the same five questions, using the same variables.
Associating these variables individually per catalog item is repetitive, time-consuming, and
error-prone. Also, to make a single change to multiple catalog items involves manually changing
each item. For example, to add a variable to 10 catalog items, you would need to manually
associate the variable with each item.
Variable sets allow you to create a collection of structured
variables that can be reused across multiple catalog items and order guides. Using variable
sets saves time because you do not have to create the same variables individually for many
catalog items. Also, when variables should be modified, you can modify the variable set and
the changes are reflected across all the catalog items that are associated with the variable
set.
Variable sets also allow you to define catalog client scripts and UI
policies that are applicable to the variables in the set.
Note: Variables in a set use the same rules as other variables to determine when the variables in
a set appear on a task. For example, variables must either be global or be attached directly to
an item. A note indicates neutral or positive information that emphasizes or supplements
important points of the main text. A note supplies information that can apply only in special
cases. Examples are memory limitations, equipment configurations, or details that apply to
specific versions of a program.
A catalog administrator can provide read, write, and update roles to access a variable set.
When you access variables of a variable set, a validation is first done at the variable set
level, and then at the variable level. If the access is blocked at the variable set level, then
the access settings on the variable are over-ridden. If the access is allowed at the variable set
level, then access at the variable level is verified.
Note: Both single-row and multi-row variable sets are applicable in Service Portal.
Single-row variable set
Use a single-row variable
set to capture data from variables that are grouped together, while submitting a catalog item
request for a single entity.
Multi-row variable set
Use a multi-row variable set to capture variable data in a grid layout while submitting a
catalog item request for a group of entities. For example, for HR during the reorganization of
employees, a single record producer should be able to capture the relevant information such as
the department and manager for a group of employees. Also, when you request a catalog item to
order virtual machines and servers, configuration options should be captured as a single
request. In this case, a requester can define multiple hardware units as rows and their
configuration options as columns of a multi-row variable set.
You cannot include the following variable types in a multi-row variable set:
- Break
- Container End
- Container Start
- Container Split
- HTML
- Label
- List Collector
- Macro
- Macro with label
- UI Page
Note:
- The Map to field functionality is not supported for variables used
in a multi-row variable set.
- Cascading functionality for variables in an order guide is not supported for a multi-row
variable set.
- A multi-row variable set is not displayed when added within a container.
- A multi-row variable set is supported in the variable summarizer only in Service Portal.
- You cannot add variables with read roles in a multi-row variable set.
- When you clone a request that contains a multi-row variable set, the information that is
specified in the multi-row variable set is available in all cloned requests. All UI policies
and client scripts on the multi-row variable set are also cloned.
- Set a limit to the number of rows that you can add to a multi-row variable set by using the
max_rows attribute in the Variable Set attributes
field.
You can define catalog client scripts, catalog UI policies, and catalog data lookups for a
multi-row variable set. But, you cannot edit the visibility settings of its variables using
catalog client scripts and catalog UI policies, that is, the
g_form.setVisible() is not honored in catalog client scripts, and the
Visible field of a catalog UI policy action is read-only and set to
Leave alone.
Note:
- onSubmit catalog client scripts are not supported for a multi-row
variable set.
- Catalog UI policies and catalog client scripts defined at the item level are not
applicable for variables in a multi-row variable set. Only those catalog UI policies and
catalog client scripts defined within the multi-row variable set are applicable for variables
in the multi-row variable set.
- Scripts that are not included in a multi-row variable set cannot affect variables inside
the multi-row variable set. Similarly, the scripts included in the multi-row variable set
cannot affect the variables that are not included in the multi-row variable set.
- Variables that are not included in a multi-row variable set cannot be used in dependent
reference qualifiers for variables in the multi-row variable set. Similarly, the variables
included in the multi-row variable set cannot be used in dependent reference qualifiers for
variables that are not in the multi-row variable set. For a reference qualifier, the current
row is the one that is being edited.
You cannot set Global as True for any variable
that belongs to a multi-row variable set. So, a multi-row variable set is not available in
catalog tasks.
If the variables included in the multi-row variable set have price implications for a catalog
item, the price of the catalog item reflects the corresponding changes when a row is added,
edited, or removed from this variable set.
Note: When you disable the
glide.sc.use_cart_layouts property, the Order Item Widget does not
reflect the price changes of the item from the multi-row variable set. However, when you add
this item to the cart, these price changes are reflected.
You cannot select variables of a multi-row variable set when defining the following for a
catalog item:
- UI policy conditions
- Unsupported ATF step configurations. You can only validate if a multi-row variable set is
visible, mandatory, or read only.
- Reporting