Configuring Package Properties

Overview

The API Gateway configuration package files include property files that contain name-value pairs describing the package contents, and which are known as package properties. This topic describes these properties, and explains how to configure default and custom package properties using the Policy Studio and Configuration Studio tools. It also shows how to customize the package properties that are displayed in the Topology View in Policy Studio.

The API Gateway bundles its configuration in the following package formats:

  • Deployment package (.fed)

  • Policy package (.pol)

  • Environment package (.env)

For a description of each package, see the section called “API Gateway Configuration Packages”.

Configuring Package Properties

All three API Gateway configuration package formats (.fed, .pol, and .env) contain property name-value pairs, which you can use to describe the package contents. These package property values are stored in package property files (.mf). A deployment package (.fed) has two sets of package properties, one associated with the policy-related configuration, and one associated with the environment-related configuration. Policy packages (.pol) and environment packages (.env) have a single set of properties each.

Default Properties

The default set of package properties that can be edited includes the following:

Property Description
Name Name associated with the configuration (for example, Payment API Configuration)
Description Description associated with the configuration (for example, API Gateway configuration settings for the Payment API)
Version Configuration version (for example, v3)
VersionComment Comment relating to the configuration version (for example, Added SSL)


These fields are all free format text fields. You can set them to an empty value, or remove them completely, as required. The set of properties is completely customizable. You can add your own custom properties if required.

Read-Only Properties

The package also includes the following read-only, system-controlled package properties:

Property Description
Id A unique ID for the package
Timestamp The time that the package was written


Configuring Properties in Policy Studio

When editing an API Gateway configuration in Policy Studio, you can add, edit, or remove the policy properties and environment properties in the Package Properties tree node. For example, the following screen is displayed when you select Policies:

Policy Studio Package Properties Screen

To add a new package property, click the green button (+ icon) on the right of the screen. Similarly, to delete package property, click the red button (x icon).

Configuring Properties in Configuration Studio

You can edit environment properties in the Configuration Studio using a similar screen. You can only view policy properties because these are read-only.

Package property values are deployed to an API Gateway along with the entire configuration in the relevant configuration package structure.

Customizing Package Properties in the Topology View

This section explains how to display package properties in the Topology View in Policy Studio. The default view is displayed as follows:

Topology View

The Group / API Gateway and Deployed by columns in the table are read only. You can customize all other columns to show package property values by selecting Window -> Preferences -> Topology Screen from the main menu. The following screen shows the default customization settings:

Default Topology Customization

Specifying Default Column Values

You can specify the following default package property values in the Column Value column:

  • ${manifest.policy.Name}

  • ${manifest.policy.Description}

  • ${manifest.policy.Version}

  • ${manifest.policy.VersionComment}

  • ${manifest.env.Name}

  • ${manifest.env.Description}

  • ${manifest.env.Version}

  • ${manifest.env.VersionComment}

  • ${manifest.root.Id}

  • ${manifest.root.Timestamp}

Adding Custom Column Values

You can also add custom package property values in the Column Value column. For example, perform the following steps:

  1. Click New.

  2. Double-click the value in Column Header, and enter MyCustomPolicyField.

  3. Double-click the value in Column Value, and enter ${manifest.policy.MyCustomPolicyField}.

Similarly, to add a custom environment package property, add a property with a Column Header of MyCustomEnvField, and a Column Value of ${manifest.env.MyCustomEnvField}.

Customizing the Topology View Table

You can add, edit, remove, or reorder the columns displayed in the Topology View using the Topology Screen preferences. You can also specify the Column Width displayed.