Global variables

Global variables

Global variables is useful when you like all users shall sames results when server is up. The global variables normally resulting from xactions starting when application servers start up and the values can be both a single variable or a dataset. Here is a full description of the definition and how to of global variable.

http://wiki.pentaho.com/display/ServerDoc2x/Using+System+Actions+to+Control+Data+Access

PDI global environment variables

As we know pentaho xaction can trigger PDI transformations. There is a misunderstanding of global variables. In fact, Pentaho global variables and PDI global environment variables are totally two separate concepts. In another word, xaction file can access Pentaho global variables, but the PDI file it triggers can not.

The way to solve it is adding a PDI trigger in xaction file, which has Pentaho global variables as output and starts when application servers initial. In the PDI file, we need to use get system info and set variables steps to set PDI global environment variables effectively. In this way, both xaction files and ktr files can access the variables.