Can you pass Variable Group values to sub template in yaml? - azure

Question

I'm trying to create a multi-stage pipeline which has Variable Groups defined for each stage of the pipeline. The goal is to pass values from the group as parameters to a sub template. It seems the value of the Group, defined at the stage, is not getting passed in to the sub template. It overrides the "DEFAULTVALUE" with an empty string.
pipeline.yml
trigger:
- none
pool:
name: 'Azure Pipelines'
vmImage: windows-latest
stages:
- stage: DEV
variables:
- group: my-group-dev
jobs:
- template: sub-template.yml
parameters:
env: 'dev'
subscriptionName: '$(SubscriptionName)' # This reference from the variable group doesn't get passed in
subscriptionId: '$(SubscriptionId)'
- stage: TEST
variables:
- group: my-group-test
jobs:
- template: sub-template.yml
parameters:
env: 'test'
subscriptionName: '$(SubscriptionName)' # This reference from the variable group doesn't get passed in
subscriptionId: '$(SubscriptionId)'
sub-template.yml
parameters:
env: 'DEFAULTVALUE'
subscriptionName: 'DEFAULTVALUE'
subscriptionId: 'DEFAULTVALUE'
jobs:
- deployment: ResourceDeployment
displayName: Deploy Resources ${{ parameters.env }}
environment: ${{ parameters.env }}
strategy:
runOnce:
deploy:
steps:
- task: AzureFileCopy#4
displayName: 'Upload ARM Templates'
inputs:
sourcePath: '$(Pipeline.Workspace)/templates'
azureSubscription: '${{ parameters.subscriptionName }}'
destination: 'azureBlob'
storage: 'my-storage-account'
containerName: 'arm'
name: AzureFileCopy
- task: AzureResourceManagerTemplateDeployment#3
inputs:
deploymentScope: 'Resource Group'
azureResourceManagerConnection: '${{ parameters.subscriptionName }}'
subscriptionId: '${{ parameters.subscriptionId }}'
action: 'Create Or Update Resource Group'
resourceGroupName: 'my-resource-group'
location: 'eastus2'
templateLocation: 'URL of the file'
csmFileLink: '$(AzureFileCopy.StorageContainerUri)${{ parameters.env }}/templates/main.json$(AzureFileCopy.StorageContainerSasToken)'
I have also tried adding the variable group within the sub-template but that also doesn't parse correctly...
Does anyone know if this is possible?

Answer 1

It is a known issue that the service connection endpoint cannot be referenced in variable groups defined under stage level.
You can fix this issue by below workarounds:
1, Define the variable groups in the global level instead of stage level See below:
trigger:
- none
pool:
name: 'Azure Pipelines'
vmImage: windows-latest
# define the variable group under global level.
variables:
- group: my-group-dev
- group: my-group-test
stages:
- stage: DEV
jobs:
- template: sub-template.yml
parameters:
env: 'dev'
subscriptionName: '$(SubscriptionName)' # This reference from the variable group doesn't get passed in
subscriptionId: '$(SubscriptionId)'
- stage: TEST
jobs:
- template: sub-template.yml
parameters:
env: 'test'
subscriptionName: '$(SubscriptionName)' # This reference from the variable group doesn't get passed in
subscriptionId: '$(SubscriptionId)'
2, Link the variable groups on the UI page.
On the yaml pipeline edit page--> Click the 3dots-->Triggers-->Variables Tab-->Link Variable group
Please see below threads for more information.
Using a variable for the service connection
Azure subscription endpoint ID cannot be provided through a variable in build definition YAML file

Answer 2

You need to pass variable group name to template and on template level apply it on variables scope like this:
parameters:
env: 'DEFAULTVALUE'
subscriptionName: 'DEFAULTVALUE'
subscriptionId: 'DEFAULTVALUE'
variableGroupName: 'DEFAULTVALUE`
jobs:
- deployment: ResourceDeployment
displayName: Deploy Resources ${{ parameters.env }}
environment: ${{ parameters.env }}
variables:
- group: {{ paramaters.variableGroupName }}
strategy:
runOnce:
deploy:
steps:
- task: AzureFileCopy#4
displayName: 'Upload ARM Templates'
inputs:
sourcePath: '$(Pipeline.Workspace)/templates'
azureSubscription: '${{ parameters.subscriptionName }}'
destination: 'azureBlob'
storage: 'my-storage-account'
containerName: 'arm'
name: AzureFileCopy
- task: AzureResourceManagerTemplateDeployment#3
inputs:
deploymentScope: 'Resource Group'
azureResourceManagerConnection: '${{ parameters.subscriptionName }}'
subscriptionId: '${{ parameters.subscriptionId }}'
action: 'Create Or Update Resource Group'
resourceGroupName: 'my-resource-group'
location: 'eastus2'
templateLocation: 'URL of the file'
csmFileLink: '$(AzureFileCopy.StorageContainerUri)${{ parameters.env }}/templates/main.json$(AzureFileCopy.StorageContainerSasToken)'
This is similar to this topic:
For security reasons, we only allow you to pass information into templated code via explicit parameters.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/process/templates?view=azure-devops
The means the author of the pipeline using your template needs to commit changes where they explicitly pass the needed info into your template code.
There are some exceptions to this, where the variable is statically defined in the same file or at pipeline compile time, but generally speaking, it’s probably better to use parameters for everything that does not involve system-defined read-only dynamic variable and custom-defined dynamic output variables.
I have to variables groups
QA
PROD
both has isProd variable
and then my template is
parameters:
variableGroupName: 'QA'
jobs:
- job: ResourceDeployment
variables:
- group: ${{ parameters.variableGroupName }}
steps:
- script: echo '$(isProd)'
and main file is
trigger: none
pr: none
stages:
- stage: QA
jobs:
- template: sub-template.yml
parameters:
variableGroupName: 'QA'
- stage: PROD
jobs:
- template: sub-template.yml
parameters:
variableGroupName: 'PROD'
and I got:
and