Parameterized connections

Runtime behavior

Enabling parameterized connections does not change how you run jobs. No additional steps are required at runtime because the platform resolves all parameter values before invoking the connector. As a result, downstream services (for example, watsonx.ai) receive fully resolved connection values and are not aware of parameter sets.

Importing connection properties

1. In the Connection overview tab, select the Enable parameters checkbox.
2. Click the Select parameter set tab.
3. In the Import connection properties window, select the parameter set from the drop-down list.
4. In the Candidate parameters tab, select the parameters for import and click Add.

All the connection details are automatically filled based on your chosen parameter set. In DataStage flows, connection details are not autopopulated, you must manually select a parameter set for each connection property. For more information on using parameterized connections in DataStage, see Connecting to a data source in DataStage.

Creating a new parameter set

If you do not have existing parameter sets to use for your connection, create a new parameter set and import connection properties that you want to include in your parameter set.

1. In your Connection overview tab, select the Enable parameters checkbox.
2. Click the Select parameter set tab.
3. In the Import connection properties window, click Add parameter set button.
4. In the Define reusable sets of parameters window, enter the name of the parameter set and (optionally) provide a description. Then click Create.
5. In your parameter set window, select the Import connection properties tab.
6. Select a connection type from the drop-down list.
7. Select the parameters you want to import into your parameter set and review the following columns in the import table:

• Name - The name of the parameter.
• Type - The parameter type, such as string (single-line, multi-line, encrypted), integer, or boolean.
• Prompt - A descriptive parameter title.
• Default value - An optional value that you can provide during import. It serves as a fallback if no environment-specific value is defined at runtime. If you leave this field empty, the parameter has no default value and must be defined in a value set.
• Help text - A short description of the parameter.

8. Click Import.
9. (Optional) Click the Edit icon to change the parameter type, add a description or assign a default value. You can also delete a parameter from the parameter set.

While creating a parameter set, you can add environment variables that you want to use as parameters in your flow or create new parameters.

Adding value sets

You can define a value set, which is a named collection of values for the parameters in a parameter set. Each value set corresponds to a specific environment, such as development, staging, or production, and contains the appropriate values for that environment. At runtime, the platform applies the value set that matches the environment in which the data pipeline is running.

For example, a parameter set for a connection might include properties such as user name, password, and host. You can define a separate value set for each environment (for example, one with development credentials and one with production credentials) so that the correct values are applied automatically depending on where the pipeline runs.

To create a value set:

1. In your parameter set window, open the Value sets tab.
2. Click Create value set.
3. In the Create value set window, enter a name for your value set.
4. For each parameter in the parameter set, specify the value to use in this environment.
5. Click Save.