In Oracle Integration Cloud (OIC), global variables allow you to store values that can be accessed across different integrations within the same instance of OIC. This feature is useful when you have common values or settings that multiple integrations need to access.

Here are some steps and concepts around using global variables in Oracle Integration Cloud:

1. Creating Global Variables:

   • Go to the Integrations page and select the ‘Settings’ option.
   • Click on ‘Global Variables’.
   • From here, you can define new variables by specifying a name, data type, and value.

2. Using Global Variables in Integrations:

   • In the integration where you want to use a global variable, you can reference it using the specific syntax provided by Oracle.
   • Typically, this is something like $globalvariablename, where “globalvariablename” is the name of the global variable you want to use.

3. Data Types:

   • Global variables can usually be defined as different data types such as String, Number, or Boolean.

4. Updating and Managing Global Variables:

   • You can update the values of global variables through the same settings interface.
   • Keep in mind that changing a global variable’s value will affect all integrations using that variable.

5. Scope and Security:

   • Global variables are accessible to all integrations within the same instance of OIC, but not across different instances.
   • Ensure that you handle these variables with care, especially if they contain sensitive information, as they may be accessible to anyone who has the proper permissions within that OIC instance.

6. Debugging and Logging:

   • You can also make use of logs and debugging tools within OIC to see how global variables are being accessed and manipulated within your integrations.

7. Use Cases:

   • Global variables can be very helpful for centralizing configuration settings, constants, or parameters that are common across multiple integrations. For example, you might use a global variable to store the URL of a common endpoint that multiple integrations need to call.

8. Limitations:

   • Be aware of the potential impact on maintainability and understand the dependencies between integrations.
   • If a variable is only used in a single integration, it’s typically better to define it within that integration rather than globally.