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Variables, Attributes and Tables

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In this lesson, you will learn:

  • What pattern variables are
  • What tables are for
  • How values reach CI attributes

🔁 Quick look back: Last time: Identification and Connection Sections. You learned what identification and connection sections do.

1 The Problem: You Can’t See Where a Value Comes From

snwr-mail-01’s CI shows ‘RHEL 9.4’. Hana asks where that came from. Without knowing:

  • You can’t fix a wrong value.
  • You can’t add a new one.

🎯 The problem: You can’t see where a CI value comes from.

👉 The fix: Follow a value through the pattern’s variables and tables to the CI attribute.

Flow from command to variable to attribute.
Figure 1. How ‘RHEL 9.4’ gets onto snwr-mail-01.

2 Variables and tables

Key term: Variable

A named value the pattern keeps, such as the OS version.

Key term: Table

A list of rows, such as one row per disk or network adapter.

Key term: CI attribute

A field on the CI, such as OS version, filled from a variable.

3 Seeing it in Debug mode

  1. Start Debug mode on the pattern.
  2. Pick a MID Server and a target host.
  3. Run step by step.
  4. Watch variables and tables fill after each step.

💡 Good to know: Debug mode runs real commands on the target. Use a test host or an approved one.

4 Project Clear View: How We Implemented It

📍 Situation: Hana asked where ‘RHEL 9.4’ came from.

🧭 Decision: Run the Linux Server pattern in Debug mode on snwr-mail-01 and follow it.

🛠️ Steps we took:

  1. Started Debug mode on snwrtest, with snwr-mid-test-01 and 10.10.10.21.
  2. Ran it step by step.
  3. Pointed out the step that set the OS version variable.
  4. Showed the disk table filling up.

✅ What we verified:

  • Hana followed the value from command to attribute.
  • Debug ran with the approved account only.

📁 Evidence: Debug screenshots for the knowledge transfer sessions.

5 Quick recap

  • Variables hold single values. Tables hold lists.
  • CI attributes are filled from variables and tables.
  • Debug mode shows them filling step by step.
  • Debug runs real commands, so use approved hosts.

6 Check yourself

Think of your answer first. Then tap to check.

1 What’s a pattern table used for? Show answer

Lists, like one row per disk or network adapter.

2 How can you watch variables fill? Show answer

Run the pattern in Debug mode, step by step.

3 Why use an approved host for Debug? Show answer

Debug runs real commands on the target.

Nice work! You can follow a value through a pattern. 🎉
Next up: Pattern Operations: Match and Parse

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