Managing and updating environment-specific parameters can be time consuming when deploying workspaces across development, testing and production environments. The need to update parameter values manually during deployment can add complexity and increase the risk of errors.
In the release of FME 2023, Safe Software introduced a new feature called deployment parameters. These are designed to simplify the configuration of environment specific details. As stated in Safe’s documentation:
“Deployment parameters provide a way to define and reuse text string, password, database connection, and web connection parameters in workspaces that are shared between multiple instances of FME Flow”
Why Are Deployment Parameters a Game Changer?
Deployment parameters allow you to centrally store environment specific details within FME Flow. This eliminates the need to manually update workspaces when transitioning between environments. Think of deployment parameters as being like .env files in containerised deployments or environment specific key vaults for secret management.
A Real-World Scenario
Imagine you are developing a workspace that requires the following parameters:
- A Portal for ArcGIS web connection
- A ChatGPT API Key
- An environment specific URL
- A file share for raster data
Before deployment parameters, workspaces primarily used user parameters to handle environment-specific configurations. With this approach, users manually defined environment-specific settings, such as web connections (e.g. example_dev for development and example_prod for production), and configured the workspace to reference the correct one. However, this method required meticulous manual setup, becoming cumbersome when handling numerous parameters.
Deployment parameters streamline this process by offering a structured approach to defining environment-specific settings. However, they have limitations – such as requiring pre-configured connections and the inability to mix deployment and user parameters within a single workspace. While deployment parameters provide a centralised and efficient approach, understanding their constraints is essential for effective implementation.
With deployment parameters, copying and manual updates are no longer needed. Instead of defining values within the workspace, reusable deployment parameters – applicable across multiple published workspaces – are configured once within the appropriate FME Flow environment.
| Deployment Parameter Name | Type | Value in Dev | Value in Test | Value in Prod |
| PortalConnection | Web Connection | EsriPortal_Dev | EsriPortal_Test | EsriPortal_Prod |
| ChatGPTAPIKey | Password | abc12345 | zyz98765 | qwe01234 |
| EnvironmentURL | Text | dev.company.com | test.company.com | company.com |
| RasterData | Text | \\devfiles\raster | \\testfiles\raster | \\files\raster |
Deployment parameter values are configured and stored directly in FME Flow. They can contain:
- Published web and database connections
- Passwords
- Text strings
As your workspace progresses through the development, testing and production phases, no changes are required to the workspace itself.
Centralised Management and Security
Deployment parameters not only simplify deployments, but also help to centralise the storage and management of environment specific variables:
- Single point of update: When data is moved to a new location or a connection string changes, you only need to update these values in the deployment parameter stored on FME Flow. You don’t need to edit and republish multiple workspaces.
- Enhanced Security: Sensitive information such as credentials and API keys are stored securely on FME Flow. Users can reference these values without being able to view their contents, enhancing security. In turn, this reduces the risk of accidental exposure.
Ready to Simplify Your FME Deployments?
If you think deployment parameters are a suitable solution for you and your organisation, we’re more than happy to help develop a bespoke solution to suit your requirements.
Get in touch to explore how deployment parameters can enhance security and streamline your FME deployments!
Learn more about FME at locusglobal.com
