A single host can be included in multiple host sets, which may have different custom configuration channels. To determine which configuration settings should be used for a host included in multiple configuration channels, a priority number is assigned when you create the custom configuration channel. Channels with the lowest priority numbers are given the highest priority.
You can list the defined custom configuration channels to see their priorities. See Listing Custom Configuration Channels.
Priority Number Behavior for New Channels
Priority numbers for custom configuration channels are set when you create the channels. However, priority numbers cannot be skipped. If you skip a priority number when you create a channel or if you leave the priority blank, the API will automatically assign it the next highest priority number in the channel sequence.
For example, the first custom configuration channel you create will be given a priority of 1, regardless of what you specify as its priority. The second custom configuration channel you create will be given a priority number of 2, regardless of what you specify. This is portrayed in the following table.
Channel Creation Order | Name | Requested Priority | Assigned Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Channel1 | 6000 | 1 |
2 | Channel2 | 5 | 2 |
If you create a custom configuration channel with the same priority number as an existing channel, the newer channel is given its requested priority number and the priority numbers of the other channels are adjusted upward. This is shown in the following table.
Channel Creation Order | Name | Requested Priority | Assigned Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Channel1 | 1 | 2 |
2 | Channel2 | 2 | 3 |
3 | Channel3 | 1 | 1 |
Priority Number Behavior for Changed Channel Priorities
If you change the priority number of a custom configuration channel, the priority numbers of the other channels may or may not be adjusted, depending on how the priority number is modified.
If you change the priority of a custom configuration channel to a lower number (giving it higher priority), all the priority numbers of the configuration channels between the two priority numbers are increased by one. For example, suppose you have five channels with priorities 1 through 5 and you change the channel with priority 4 to priority 2. The following table shows what happens to the channel priority numbers.
Name
Original Priority
Priority After Change
Channel1
1
1
Channel2
2
3
Channel3
3
4
Channel4
4
2
Channel5
5
5
If you change the priority of a custom configuration channel to a higher number (giving it lower priority), all the priority numbers of the configuration channels between the two priority numbers are decreased by one. For example, suppose you change the channel with priority 2 to priority 4. The following table shows what happens to the channel priority numbers.
Name
Original Priority
Priority After Change
Channel1
1
1
Channel2
2
4
Channel3
3
2
Channel4
4
3
Channel5
5
5
Priority Number Behavior for Deleted Channels
When you delete a custom configuration channel, the priority numbers are adjusted so that the channels with higher priority numbers are all reduced by one. For example, suppose you delete the channel with priority 3 from a series of channels. The following table shows what happens to the channel priority numbers.
Channel Name | Original Priority | Priority After Delete |
|---|---|---|
Channel1 | 1 | 1 |
Channel2 | 2 | 2 |
Channel3 | 3 | deleted |
Channel4 | 4 | 3 |
Channel5 | 5 | 4 |