Cloudera Docs

Parameter groups

You can manage shared parameter groups in the Resources view of Cloudera Data Flow.

You must have the DFAdmin role for the environments where you want to manage resources.
  1. Open Cloudera Data Flow by clicking the Data Flow tile in the Cloudera sidebar.
  2. Select Resources.
  3. Select a workspace.
  4. In the Workspace Resources view select the Parameter Groups tab.
  5. Select the parameter group you want to interact with.
    • To view the list of flow deployments and flow drafts using this parameter group, select the Used By tab. It is important to be aware of the flow deployments and flow drafts that are going to be affected by any change you make to a parameter group.
    • To view or modify the Parameter Group Name and Description, select the Details tab.

Modifying parameters in a parameter group

  • Make sure that you have DFDeveloper permission to perform this task. For information on account and resource roles, see Cloudera Data Flow Authorization.
  1. Select the Parameter Group where you want to modify parameters.
  2. Click [More] > Open.
  3. Click on the parameter card of the parameter you want to modify.
    In the parameter details pane modify the parameter Value and Description as necessary.
  4. Click Apply Changes.

Deleting a parameter group

  • Make sure that you have DFDeveloper permission to perform this task. For information on account and resource roles, see Cloudera Data Flow Authorization.
  1. Select the Parameter Group that you want to delete.
  2. Click [More] > Open.
  3. Click on the parameter card that you want to delete.
    In the parameter details pane click Delete to delete the parameter from the group.
    If the parameter group is not used by any flow draft, the Delete [parameter group name] modal opens. If the parameter group is in use by a flow draft, it cannot be deleted.
  4. Click Delete to confirm your choice.
  5. Click Apply Changes.

Importing a parameter group to a flow draft

  1. Select the Parameter Group that you want to import to a flow draft.
  2. Click [More] > Import to Flow Draft.
  3. In the Import to Flow Draft modal select the Flow Draft where you want to import the parameter group.
  4. Click Import.

Duplicating a parameter group

Learn how to duplicate parameter groups. Duplicating a parameter group allows you to reassign the newly created group to another project, or to customize it according to your needs without touching the original group.

  1. Select the Parameter Group that you want to import to duplicate.
  2. Click [More] > Duplicate.
  3. In the Duplicate Parameter Group modal provide a Parameter Group Name and an optional Description.
  4. Click Duplicate.

Reassigning a parameter group to a different project

Learn how to reassign a parameter group to another project.

  • Make sure that you have DFDeveloper permission to perform this task. For information on account and resource roles, see Cloudera Data Flow Authorization.

You cannot reassign a parameter group that is used by flow drafts. You have to remove the group from all flow drafts before you can reassign it to a different project.

  1. Select the Parameter Group that you want to reassign.
  2. Click Reassign.
    If the parameter group is not used by any flow draft, the Reassign Resource modal opens.
  3. Select a Project and click Reassign.
  4. Click Apply Changes.

Parameter groups

You can create groups of parameters that can be shared within a project. This allows you to disseminate common parameter values between several flow drafts and deployments, without the need of individually checking and manually updating them.

When creating a flow deployment in the deployment Wizard, creating a flow draft in Flow Design, or managing deployments in the Deployment Manager, you may add shared parameters by editing a single parameter or importing parameters from a shared parameter group.

Editing parameters

When you edit parameters in a parameter context, either individually or as part of a parameter group, you have the option to reference parameter values from shared parameter groups available to you.

Cloudera Data Flow matches parameters by name, it does not check if actual parameter values are valid in the given context. It does, however, check for parameter type mismatches. For more information, see Parameter type mismatch.

  • You are offered a list of shared parameter groups, where a parameter with the same name is available and, depending on your selection, that parameter value is substituted.

  • When you click Apply, the parameter assumes the value from the selected group and the Shared Parameter Group column for the parameter is updated with the name of the selected group.

  • If a referenced parameter group is changed, you may need to Update Parameters. For more information, see 'Update Parameters' alerts.


Importing parameters

You may import parameters to a parameter context from an available parameter group. To do so, select the Import Shared Parameters option.

When you select Import Shared Parameters for a parameter context, the Import Parameters dialog offers you all parameter groups available to you that have at least one matching parameter. The dialog also displays the number of matching parameters in each relevant group.

Cloudera Data Flow matches parameters by name, it does not check if actual parameter values are valid in the given context. It does, however check for parameter type mismatches. For more information, see Parameter type mismatch.



  • You cannot select non-matching parameters.
  • Parameters that were already imported from the selected group are grayed out and cannot be selected again.


  • If a referenced parameter group is changed, you may need to Update Parameters. For more information, see 'Update Parameters' alerts.

Parameter type mismatch

When matching parameter contexts to shared parameters, besides name matching Cloudera Data Flow also matches parameter types. Parameter type mismatch results in the following messages:

Message Description
Sensitive value expected The parameter in the flow definition expects a sensitive value, but the parameter in the shared group has a non-sensitive value.
Non-sensitive value expected The parameter in the flow definition expects a non-sensitive value, but the parameter in the shared group has a sensitive value.
Text value expected The parameter in the flow definition expects a text value, but the parameter in the shared group has a file as value.
One file expected The parameter In the flow definition expects exactly one file as value, but the parameter in the shared group has more than one file as a value.

'Update Parameters' alerts

You may run into these alerts while you edit or import parameters. They occur when a parameter group, referenced in one or more parameter contexts, has been modified. The actual change to the parameter group may or may not affect your flow, as Cloudera Data Flow has no information on the nature of the change, it simply registers the fact that a newer version of the parameter group became available. Depending on the alert type, you are required to take different courses of action.



Updatre mandatory


You are in the process of editing parameters or importing parameter groups and you have not applied your changes yet. A referenced parameter group was changed in the meantime. As Cloudera Data Flow has no information on the nature of the changes, it cannot verify whether or not they collide with the unsaved changes you have made. Because of that, you are required to Update Parameters at least for the affected parameter contexts before you can apply any changes.
Update required


You have referenced a parameter group in one or more parameter contexts earlier, and have already applied that change. The parameter group was modified sometime after.

You are only required to Update Parameters if you want to reference a new parameter from the updated parameter group, in a parameter context already referencing parameters from that group. This is because Cloudera Data Flow does not reference multiple versions of the same parameter group in one parameter context. Unless you opt for the Update All Parameter Contexts option, any other parameter context referencing an earlier version of the same parameter group stays on that earlier version.

You do not need to Update Parameters and you are still able to apply your changes if:

  • You want to reference the updated parameter group in a parameter context not already referencing it.
  • You want to reference a different parameter group in the parameter context referencing the updated parameter group.
  • You want to provide a custom value to any parameter in any of the parameter contexts.