Global Variable Assignment and Syntax

Whenever a job (or SMART Table Entity) creates a Global variable and places it in the IOA Global Variable database, it assigns an owner to the variable.

The job that creates the variable can assign itself as the owner (for example, JOBA defines a Global variable that is assigned to JOBA), but it does not have to do this. It can, instead, assign a different owner to the variable (for example, JOBA defines a Global variable that it assigns to GROUP_ABC).

In fact, when a Global variable is created, it can be assigned to any component (job, group, application, or even to Control-M) in the database. It is this ability to assign variables that makes the structure of the IOA Global Variable database so important.

The hierarchical structure of the IOA Global Variable Database, described above, is similar to the directory and subdirectory structure in Unix and DOS. Therefore, the same path structure and syntax that is used to describe directories and subdirectories is used to define and identify Global variables.

Note the following points about Global variable assignment and syntax:

• Global variables are identified (and distinguished from Local variables) by a backslash.

  Example

  • Variable %%PROBID is a Local Variable.
  • Variable %%\PROBID is a Global Variable.
• In the IOA Global Variable database, the format for indicating a full path is as follows:

  %%\product\application\group\job\variablename

• Two variables with the same name but different paths are different variables. This is comparable to the fact that two Unix or DOS files with the same name but different paths are different files. For example, File A under \A\B\C directory is a different file than File A under \D\E\F directory.

  Example

  Due to the different paths, the following variables are all different from each other:

  %%\M\APP_1\TBL_1\JOB_A\VAR_XYZ
  %%\M\APP_1\TBL_1\JOB_B\VAR_XYZ
  %%\M\APP_1\TBL_1\VAR_XYZ

• If the particular path has no Group and/or no Application (for example, the job does not belong to a group or application), Control-M utilizes the keyword values "NO_APPL" and "NO_GROUP" in the path, as needed.
• Paths can be specified using the same rules and shortcuts that are available with directories and subdirectories (instead of the full path):
  • A job or SMART Table Entity can assign a Global variable to itself by specifying a slash immediately following the %% symbol.

    Example

    If JOB1 job with TBL_A group, which belongs to application APP_1, then the following SET VAR statement in JOB1:

    SET VAR=%%\PROBID=123

    creates the following variable assigned to JOB1 (with the indicated full path):

    %%\M\APP_1\TBL_A\JOB1\PROBID=123

  • Paired dots with a backslash (..\) indicate movement to the next level up.

    Example

    If JOB1 with TBL_A group, which belongs to application APP_1, then the following SET VAR statement in JOB1:

    SET VAR=%%..\PROBID=123

    creates the following variable assigned to TBL_A (with the indicated full path):

    %%\M\APP_1\TBL_A\PROBID=123

  • To move directly down the hierarchy, it is only necessary to indicate the levels that are lower than the current level. (However, since only SMART Table Entities and jobs utilize variables, only SMART Table Entities can move directly down a level.

    Example

    Assume SMART Table Entity with TBL_A assigns variable %%A, with a value equal to 7, (%%A = 7) to JOB2 job. The following statement indicates the syntax of the %% SET statement:

    //* %%SET %%\JOB2\A=7

  • To move across the hierarchy (that is, to change paths), you can either:
    • Specify a full path, or
    • Move up to a component common to both paths, and then move down the other path.

Example 1

Assume JOB1 job with TBL_A group assigns variable %%A (with a value equal to 7) to JOB2 job in the same group (and assume the group has no application). Any of the following statements can be specified:

//* %%SET %%..\JOB2\A=7

//* %%SET %%\M\NO_APPL\TBL_A\JOB2\A=7

Example 2

Assume JOB1 job, with TBL_A group, which is in application APP_A, assigns variable %%A, with a value equal to 7, to JOB2 job with TBL_B group and which does not have an application.

Either of the following %% SET statements work:

//* %%SET %%\M\NO_APPL\TBL_B\JOB2\A=7

//* %%SET %%..\..\..\NO_APPL\TBL_B\JOB2\A=7

• If two statements assign the same Global variable to the same component, the later assignment overwrites the earlier assignment.

  Example

  Assume JOB1 job with TBL_A group is run before JOB2 job with the same group (and both belong to application APP_A).

  If JOB1 contains the following SET VAR statement:

  SET VAR=%%..\A=7

  and JOB2 contains the following SET VAR statement:

  SET VAR=%%..\A=8

  At the end of the job run for JOB2, the IOA Global Variable database contains the following variable (assigned to TBL_A):

  %%\M\APP_A\TBL_A\A=8

• A job or SMART Table Entity can utilize a Global variable that has been assigned to it by merely specifying the variable with the backslash, even if the variable was created by a different job. (The full path is not required.)

  Example

  Assume JOB1 job contained the following statement that assigned the following variable to JOB2:

  DO SET VAR=%%\M\NO_APPL\TBL_A\JOB2\PROBID=123

  JOB2 can then access this variable in a DO SHOUT statement without a full path name by specifying the variable with a backslash.

     DO SHOUT     TO  TSO-U0014          URGENCY U

     =*** Problem Encountered. Problem ID=%%\PROBID  ***

• When changing paths or assigning a variable to a higher level component on the same path, a security check can be required.
• A job or SMART Table Entity can utilize a Global variable that has been assigned to a different component by specifying the appropriate path. However, before the variable could be utilized, security checks, if any, would have to be passed.

  Example

  If a Global variable is assigned to JOB1 job as in the following statement:

  DO SET VAR=%%\M\NO_APPL\TBL_A\JOB1\PROBID=123

  and JOB2 accesses the variable, it would have to specify the appropriate path name (and pass any required security checks). For instance, JOB2 can access this variable in a DO SHOUT statement as follows:

DO SHOUT TO TSO-U0014 URGENCY U

=**Problem Occurred. ID=%%\M\NO_APPL\TBL_A\JOB1\PROBID**