[NIFI-3581] Add an option to automate propagation of template changes to instances

• Type: New Feature
• Status: Open
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Unresolved
• Component/s: Configuration Management, Flow Versioning
• Labels: features newbie
• Assignee: Unassigned
• Reporter: Jim McMahon
• Created: 09/Mar/17 13:15
• Updated: 09/Mar/17 13:15

Description

Offer options on templates to allow change detection and propagation to instances of the template. Would permit change management in one place (the template level), with option to pick up changes to the source template at the instance level in groups and workflows.

More specifically: assume we have a complex but common workflow that we save as template XYZ. That template is used within Process Group ABC, DEF, and XYZ. We want to control changes to the template in one place only, and optionally propagate those improvements automatically to each instance of the template in process groups and workflows.

A similar concept is documented here as a proposed feature, applying more specifically at the process group level:
https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/NIFI/Referenceable+Process+Groups
From Joe. W.:
"The basic gist is that you can create a process group that acts as a
callable function which you can then place in one or many places on
the flow. Ensures you only have one thing/place to maintain for some
critical logic step and it is more efficient on the system from a
threading pov."