Can we Suppress version control for specific NX.ENV Variables?

Products

• CA Service Management - Service Desk Manager
• CA Service Desk Manager

Issue/Introduction

In some environments, the need may arise to control a specific NX.ENV variable on a Service Desk Manager (SDM) individual server, setting it to a different value on a given server and not having it the same globally across all SDM servers.   

For example, if you have Support Automation configured on all of your APP servers, but one of those servers is installed in a localized language to meet the needs of users in a certain location, you would want anyone accessing that server to ONLY hit the Support Automation URL on that server specifically and not hit the global URL that is set in options manager.

The issue here is that when you set it in the NX.ENV on that one specific SDM server and then recycle services, version control pushes the value again from the NX.ENV on the background or primary server, overwriting that value on that specific localized server.

Environment

Service Desk Manager (ALL VERSIONS)

Cause

The value in the NX.ENV on the localized APP server is being overwritten by version control pushing the global value (from options manager) from the Background or Primary server to all APP servers.

Resolution

There is a workaround for this.  Follow these steps to configure a specific NX.ENV variable to be set for a specific server, and not changed by Version Control.

On the specific server that needs the specific NX.ENV variable:

1. Create a text file, name it as NX.ENV, and place it in the root of the C:\ drive 

2. Edit the file and add only the NX.ENV variable that you are concerned with. 

Save the file. **Make sure the file extension is .env and not .env.txt**

3. Recycle Service Desk service on that specific server

4. Once the services are back up, on that server, run the command nx_env > nx.txt and then open the nx.txt file and search for the one you changed - you should see the proper URL in the variable that is in-play now. 

NOTE:  The NX_ROOT\NX.ENV file will still have the global value from options manager set in it, however, the system will always read that NX.ENV file from the root of the C:\ drive first upon startup and any value in it will override the value that is set in the NX_ROOT\NX.ENV file.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  We recommend using this ONLY in specific situations, and possibly reaching out to Broadcom Support to inquire first as to whether or not there could be any disadvantages or problems when doing this for certain variables.