Parameterise ADF Activity timeout in ARM template parameters definiton file?

Question

I need to parameterise the timeout value for a particular SQL Server Stored Procedure activity and a Copy activity within Azure Data Factory using the ARM Template Parameters Definition file, so the values can be specified during deployment to another environment.

How do I structure the JSON correctly in order to be able to do this? I've tried following the guidance in the Microsoft article here but it doesnt parameterise them.

I've tried it as per the below and a number of variations of this (with the below example being for the stored procedure activity):

"Microsoft.DataFactory/factories/pipelines": {
    "properties": {
        "activities": {
            "name": "ActivityName",
            "type": "SqlServerStoredProcedure",
            "policy": {
                "timeout": "="
            },

Answer 1

To parameterize the timeout property for SQL stored procedure or a copy activity, you need to define a user defined parameter called storedProcedureTimeout under parameters block. Once it is defined, reference it in the activity properties as detailed below.

Referring to the MSDoc, for deploying a data factory containing datasets and pipeline activities including your specific requirement for parameterizing timeout values. The deployment process was successful as shown below.

{
  "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
  "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
  "parameters": {
    "dataFactoryName": {
      "type": "string",
      "defaultValue": "[format('datafactory{0}', uniqueString(resourceGroup().id))]",
      "metadata": {
        "description": "Data Factory Name"
      }
    },
    "location": {
      "type": "string",
      "defaultValue": "[resourceGroup().location]",
      "metadata": {
        "description": "Location"
      }
    },
    "storageAccountName": {
      "type": "string",
      "defaultValue": "[format('storage{0}', uniqueString(resourceGroup().id))]",
      "metadata": {
        "description": "storage account"
      }
    },
    "blobContainerName": {
      "type": "string",
      "defaultValue": "[format('blob{0}', uniqueString(resourceGroup().id))]",
      "metadata": {
        "description": "blob container"
      }
    },
    "storedProcedureTimeout": {
       "type": "string",
       "defaultValue": "00:10:00"
    }
  },
  "variables": {
    "dataFactoryLinkedServiceName": "ArmtemplateStorageLinkedService",
    "dataFactoryDataSetInName": "ArmtemplateTestDatasetIn",
    "dataFactoryDataSetOutName": "ArmtemplateTestDatasetOut",
    "pipelineName": "ArmtemplateSampleCopyPipeline"
  },
  "resources": [
    {
      "type": "Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts",
      "apiVersion": "2021-08-01",
      "name": "[parameters('storageAccountName')]",
      "location": "[parameters('location')]",
      "sku": {
        "name": "Standard_LRS"
      },
      "kind": "StorageV2"
    },
    {
      "type": "Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/blobServices/containers",
      "apiVersion": "2021-08-01",
      "name": "[format('{0}/default/{1}', parameters('storageAccountName'), parameters('blobContainerName'))]",
      "dependsOn": [
        "[resourceId('Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts', parameters('storageAccountName'))]"
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "Microsoft.DataFactory/factories",
      "apiVersion": "2018-06-01",
      "name": "[parameters('dataFactoryName')]",
      "location": "[parameters('location')]",
      "identity": {
        "type": "SystemAssigned"
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "Microsoft.DataFactory/factories/linkedservices",
      "apiVersion": "2018-06-01",
      "name": "[format('{0}/{1}', parameters('dataFactoryName'), variables('dataFactoryLinkedServiceName'))]",
      "properties": {
        "type": "AzureBlobStorage",
        "typeProperties": {
          "connectionString": "[format('DefaultEndpointsProtocol=https;AccountName={0};AccountKey={1}', parameters('storageAccountName'), listKeys(resourceId('Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts', parameters('storageAccountName')), '2021-08-01').keys[0].value)]"
        }
      },
      "dependsOn": [
        "[resourceId('Microsoft.DataFactory/factories', parameters('dataFactoryName'))]",
        "[resourceId('Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts', parameters('storageAccountName'))]"
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "Microsoft.DataFactory/factories/datasets",
      "apiVersion": "2018-06-01",
      "name": "[format('{0}/{1}', parameters('dataFactoryName'), variables('dataFactoryDataSetInName'))]",
      "properties": {
        "linkedServiceName": {
          "referenceName": "[variables('dataFactoryLinkedServiceName')]",
          "type": "LinkedServiceReference"
        },
        "type": "Binary",
        "typeProperties": {
          "location": {
            "type": "AzureBlobStorageLocation",
            "container": "[parameters('blobContainerName')]",
            "folderPath": "input",
            "fileName": "emp.txt"
          }
        }
      },
      "dependsOn": [
        "[resourceId('Microsoft.DataFactory/factories', parameters('dataFactoryName'))]",
        "[resourceId('Microsoft.DataFactory/factories/linkedservices', parameters('dataFactoryName'), variables('dataFactoryLinkedServiceName'))]"
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "Microsoft.DataFactory/factories/datasets",
      "apiVersion": "2018-06-01",
      "name": "[format('{0}/{1}', parameters('dataFactoryName'), variables('dataFactoryDataSetOutName'))]",
      "properties": {
        "linkedServiceName": {
          "referenceName": "[variables('dataFactoryLinkedServiceName')]",
          "type": "LinkedServiceReference"
        },
        "type": "Binary",
        "typeProperties": {
          "location": {
            "type": "AzureBlobStorageLocation",
            "container": "[parameters('blobContainerName')]",
            "folderPath": "output"
          }
        }
      },
      "dependsOn": [
        "[resourceId('Microsoft.DataFactory/factories', parameters('dataFactoryName'))]",
        "[resourceId('Microsoft.DataFactory/factories/linkedservices', parameters('dataFactoryName'), variables('dataFactoryLinkedServiceName'))]"
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "Microsoft.DataFactory/factories/pipelines",
      "apiVersion": "2018-06-01",
      "name": "[format('{0}/{1}', parameters('dataFactoryName'), variables('pipelineName'))]",
      "properties": {
        "activities": [
        {
          "name": "ActivityName",
            "type": "SqlServerStoredProcedure",
            "policy": {
                "timeout": "[parameters('storedProcedureTimeout')]"
            }
            },
          {
            "name": "MyCopyActivity",
            "type": "Copy",
            "typeProperties": {
              "source": {
                "type": "BinarySource",
                "storeSettings": {
                  "type": "AzureBlobStorageReadSettings",
                  "recursive": true
                }
              },
              "sink": {
                "type": "BinarySink",
                "storeSettings": {
                  "type": "AzureBlobStorageWriteSettings"
                }
              },
              "enableStaging": false
            },
            "inputs": [
              {
                "referenceName": "[variables('dataFactoryDataSetInName')]",
                "type": "DatasetReference"
              }
            ],
            "outputs": [
              {
                "referenceName": "[variables('dataFactoryDataSetOutName')]",
                "type": "DatasetReference"
              }
            ]
          }
        ]
      },
      "dependsOn": [
        "[resourceId('Microsoft.DataFactory/factories', parameters('dataFactoryName'))]",
        "[resourceId('Microsoft.DataFactory/factories/datasets', parameters('dataFactoryName'), variables('dataFactoryDataSetInName'))]",
        "[resourceId('Microsoft.DataFactory/factories/datasets', parameters('dataFactoryName'), variables('dataFactoryDataSetOutName'))]"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Deployment succeded:

Note: If you need timeout to be applied for other copy related activities, follow the same procedure as above.