Variable

Variables define reusable values scoped to folders, snippets, or devices in Strata Cloud Manager. Variable names must start with $. The scm CLI provides commands to create, update, delete, list, bulk import, and back up variables.

Overview

The variable commands allow you to:

• Create variables with typed values scoped to a container
• Update existing variable configurations
• Delete variables that are no longer needed
• Bulk import variables from YAML files
• Export variables for backup or migration

Variable Types

Type	Description	Example Value
percent	Percentage value	80
count	Numeric count	100
ip-netmask	IP address with netmask	192.168.1.0/24
zone	Security zone name	trust
ip-range	IP address range	192.168.1.1-192.168.1.254
ip-wildcard	Wildcard IP pattern	10.0.0.0/0.0.255.255
fqdn	Fully qualified domain name	dns.example.com
port	Port number	8080
egress-max	Maximum egress bandwidth	1000

Set Variable

Create or update a variable.

Syntax

scm set setup variable NAME [OPTIONS]

Arguments

Argument	Description	Required
NAME	Variable name (must start with $)	Yes

Options

Option	Description	Required
--type TEXT	Variable type	Yes
--value TEXT	Variable value	Yes
--folder TEXT	Folder scope	No*
--snippet TEXT	Snippet scope	No*
--device TEXT	Device scope	No*
--description TEXT	Description	No

* One of --folder, --snippet, or --device is required.

Examples

Create an Egress Max Variable

$ scm set setup variable "\$egress-max" \
    --type egress-max \
    --value 1000 \
    --folder Texas
---> 100%
Created variable: $egress-max in folder Texas

Create an FQDN Variable in a Snippet

$ scm set setup variable "\$dns-server" \
    --type fqdn \
    --value dns.example.com \
    --snippet "DNS-Config"
---> 100%
Created variable: $dns-server in snippet DNS-Config

Create a Variable with Description

$ scm set setup variable "\$web-port" \
    --type port \
    --value 8080 \
    --folder Texas \
    --description "Primary web server port"
---> 100%
Created variable: $web-port in folder Texas

Delete Variable

Delete a variable from SCM.

Syntax

scm delete setup variable NAME [OPTIONS]

Arguments

Argument	Description	Required
NAME	Name of the variable to delete	Yes

Options

Option	Description	Required
--folder TEXT	Folder scope	No*
--snippet TEXT	Snippet scope	No*
--device TEXT	Device scope	No*
--force	Skip confirmation prompt	No

* One of --folder, --snippet, or --device is required.

Example

$ scm delete setup variable "\$egress-max" --folder Texas --force
---> 100%
Deleted variable: $egress-max from folder Texas

Load Variable

Load multiple variables from a YAML file.

Syntax

scm load setup variable [OPTIONS]

Options

Option	Description	Required
--file PATH	YAML file to load configurations from	Yes
--dry-run	Simulate execution without applying changes	No

YAML File Format

---
variables:
  - name: "$egress-max"
    type: egress-max
    value: "1000"
    folder: Texas
    description: "Maximum egress bandwidth"

  - name: "$dns-server"
    type: fqdn
    value: "dns.example.com"
    snippet: "DNS-Config"

Examples

Load Variables from File

$ scm load setup variable --file variables.yaml
---> 100%
✓ Loaded variable: $egress-max
✓ Loaded variable: $dns-server

Processed 2 variables from variables.yaml

Dry Run

$ scm load setup variable --file variables.yaml --dry-run
---> 100%
Dry run mode: would apply the following configurations:
- name: $egress-max
  type: egress-max
  value: '1000'
  folder: Texas
  description: Maximum egress bandwidth
- name: $dns-server
  type: fqdn
  value: dns.example.com
  snippet: DNS-Config

Show Variable

Display variable objects.

Syntax

scm show setup variable [NAME] [OPTIONS]

Arguments

Argument	Description	Required
NAME	Name of the variable to show; omit to list all	No

Options

Option	Description	Required
--folder TEXT	Folder scope	No*
--snippet TEXT	Snippet scope	No*
--device TEXT	Device scope	No*
--output, -o [table|json|yaml]	Output format (default: table)	No
--max-results INTEGER	Maximum number of results to display	No

* One of --folder, --snippet, or --device is required when listing variables.

note

When no NAME is specified, all variables in the specified container are listed by default.

Examples

Show Specific Variable

$ scm show setup variable "\$egress-max" --folder Texas
---> 100%
Variable: $egress-max
================================================================================
Type: egress-max
Value: 1000
Folder: Texas

List All Variables in a Folder (Default Behavior)

$ scm show setup variable --folder Texas
---> 100%
Variables (3):
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name: $egress-max
  Type: egress-max
  Value: 1000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name: $web-port
  Type: port
  Value: 8080
  Description: Primary web server port
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name: $dns-server
  Type: fqdn
  Value: dns.example.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Backup Variables

Backup variable objects from a specified location to a YAML file.

Syntax

scm backup setup variable [OPTIONS]

Options

Option	Description	Required
--folder TEXT	Folder scope	No*
--snippet TEXT	Snippet scope	No*
--device TEXT	Device scope	No*
--file TEXT	Output filename for backup	No

* One of --folder, --snippet, or --device is required.

Examples

Backup from Folder

$ scm backup setup variable --folder Texas
---> 100%
Successfully backed up 5 variables to variables_20240115_120530.yaml

Backup with Custom Filename

$ scm backup setup variable --folder Texas --file texas-variables.yaml
---> 100%
Successfully backed up 5 variables to texas-variables.yaml

Backup from Snippet

$ scm backup setup variable --snippet "DNS-Config"
---> 100%
Successfully backed up 2 variables to variables_20240115_120545.yaml

Best Practices

1. Use the $ Prefix: Always prefix variable names with $ as required by SCM convention.
2. Choose Correct Types: Select the variable type that matches the intended use to ensure proper validation.
3. Scope Appropriately: Assign variables to the most specific container (folder, snippet, or device) needed.
4. Add Descriptions: Include descriptions to document each variable's purpose for team members.
5. Back Up Before Changes: Export your variables before making significant modifications.
6. Use Dry Run for Bulk Imports: Preview bulk imports with --dry-run before applying changes.

Related Topics

• Folder
• Label
• Snippet