Pipeline variables are a way to feed runtime parameters to your Pipeline jobs. They can be selected from a predefined set of out-of-box variables or custom-defined. You can define values for these variables that are then used during run time by individual jobs (Read more about creating Pipeline variables in my recent blog). In this blog, I am going to discuss a neat trick for deriving your pipeline variable values from the application Substitution Variables. This way you can make your run time values dynamic instead of using a hard-coded value.
This option is available only in Financial Consolidation and Close, Planning, Planning Modules, and Tax Reporting as of September 2023.
Note that the substitution variable must be defined for all cubes to be used as an input value.
To derive Pipeline Variable value from a Substitution Variable
- From the Data Integration page under Data Exchange, click the Pipeline to which you want to add a new variable.
- On the Pipeline page, click
to edit the Pipeline definition.
- Click the Variables tab and click
to add a new Pipeline variable.
- In the new row added at the end of the variable list, provide a Variable Name (up to 20 characters, no spaces), a Display Name for the prompt, and a Display Sequence
- Check Required if a value for the substitution variable is required to execute the Pipeline.
- From the validation Type drop-down, select ‘Text‘.
- For the Default Value, enter &<Substitution Variable Name>Where the Substitution Variable Name is the name of the Substitution variable defined in the Planning application.
- Click ‘Save‘.
- When you run the Pipeline, the Current Mnth variable value is derived from the CurMonth Substitution variable.
That is how you can use the Substitution variables wherever you can in your EPM Pipeline definition so that the process works for the right period, year, scenario, version etc. in a given Plan cycle.
