Platform Specific Parameter

Go to Terms and Definitions

A Platform Specific Parameter supplies a value required to realize a platform-independent specification on a particular implementation platform.

The parameter identifies implementation information that varies according to the selection:

• Cloud provider
• Operating system
• Virtualization platform
• Container platform
• Hardware architecture
• Network implementation
• Storage implementation
• Security service
• Deployment tool
• Runtime technology

A Platform Specific Parameter may provide values such as:

• Machine type
• Processor architecture
• Operating-system image identifier
• Region or availability zone
• Network identifier
• Storage class
• Service endpoint
• Resource-provider identifier
• Package name
• Runtime version
• Platform-specific security setting

Platform Specific Parameters allow a common Infrastructure Blueprint or Infrastructure Configuration to remain independent of a particular implementation platform while supplying the values required for a specific deployment.

A Platform Specific Parameter differs from a platform-independent configuration value:

• A platform-independent configuration value expresses infrastructure intent without dependence on a particular implementation technology
• A Platform Specific Parameter supplies implementation information required by the selected platform

A Platform Specific Parameter also differs from an environment-specific parameter:

• A Platform Specific Parameter varies because of the selected implementation platform
• An environment-specific parameter varies because of the operational or development context, such as development, test, staging, or production

A parameter may be both platform-specific and environment-specific when its value depends on both characteristics.

parameter whose value depends on the implementation platform selected to realize a platform-independent specification

Dido Solutions, Inc. and Jackrabbit Consulting, Inc.

A Platform Specific Parameter should identify:

• The parameter name
• The expected value type
• The implementation platform to which it applies
• The specification element that consumes the value
• Any applicable constraints
• Any permitted or prohibited values

Platform Specific Parameters should remain separate from reusable platform-independent content when practical.

Separating the values allows the same Infrastructure Blueprint or Infrastructure Configuration to be mapped to different implementation platforms without embedding provider-specific information in the common specification.

The term does not require a particular parameter format, configuration language, deployment tool, cloud provider, operating system, or implementation technology.

An Infrastructure Blueprint specifies a compute resource without naming a cloud-provider machine type. A Platform Specific Parameter supplies the machine-type identifier required by the selected cloud platform during deployment.