Parameter with nested array - is iteration possible? - azure

Question

Is it possible to use nested arrays in Properties? Assuming top array would be a parent resource and nested array are child resources for each parent. I would like then to iterate all parents and then all childs associated for each parent.
Here's an example ARM Template. Where I'm creating a ServiceBus with Topics and Subscriptions. Each topic would have at least one subscription associated with it. It would be the easiest to define properties for Topics - Subscriptions in a nested arrays, like in example below.
{
"$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2015-01-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
"contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
"parameters": {
"serviceBus": {
"defaultValue": {
"location": "uksouth",
"name": "myNewSB1",
"skuCapacity": 1,
"skuName": "Standard",
"skuTier": "Standard"
},
"type": "object"
},
"serviceBusTopics": {
"defaultValue": [
{
"name": "topic1",
"subscriptions": [
"topic1-sub1",
"topic1-sub2"
]
},
{
"name": "topic2",
"subscriptions": [
"topic2-subAbc"
]
},
{
"name": "topicOther",
"subscriptions": [
"topicOther-subDef1",
"topicOther-subDef2",
"topicOther-subDef3",
"topicOther-subDef4"
]
}
],
"type": "array"
}
},
"resources": [
{
"apiVersion": "2017-04-01",
"location": "[parameters('serviceBus').location]",
"name": "[parameters('serviceBus').name]",
"sku": {
"capacity": "[parameters('serviceBus').skuCapacity]",
"name": "[parameters('serviceBus').skuName]",
"tier": "[parameters('serviceBus').skuTier]"
},
"type": "Microsoft.ServiceBus/namespaces"
},
{
"apiVersion": "2017-04-01",
"copy": {
"count": "[length(parameters('serviceBusTopics'))]",
"mode": "Parallel",
"name": "topicsLoop"
},
"dependsOn": [
"[resourceId('Microsoft.ServiceBus/namespaces', parameters('serviceBus').name)]"
],
"name": "[concat(parameters('serviceBus').name, '/', parameters('serviceBusTopics')[copyIndex()].name)]",
"type": "Microsoft.ServiceBus/namespaces/topics"
},
{
"apiVersion": "2017-04-01",
"copy": {
"count": "[length(<...>)]",
"mode": "Parallel",
"name": "subscriptionsLoop"
},
"dependsOn": [
"topicsLoop"
],
"name": "[concat(parameters('serviceBus').name, '/', <...>, '/', <...>)]",
"type": "Microsoft.ServiceBus/namespaces/topics/subscriptions"
}
]
}

Answer 1

so you have 2 options:
Hardcode each resource, so create 1 resource for 1 object in the array and that way you will be able to iterate, but when you add\remove objects from the array - you will need to adjust the template (not optimal, obviously)
Use a nested template. Let me elaborate a bit:
not sure how to reset the list counter, lol
Create a nested deployment in the template that iterates the base array so serviceBusTopics
pass current iteration to the nested template: "[parameters('serviceBusTopics')[copyIndex()]]"
in the nested template you are only dealing with a single object that has one of the properties of type array and you can iterate that.