Fortimanager Metadata Variable not recognised for system template, but works for CLI templates

[Grifter]

Hi all,

Background: 

We have been running fortimanager in v7.2.8 while our FGT are running 7.0.17 in which everything has been working like a dream. We have recently upgraded the fortimanager to v7.4.6 as a step before moving the FGT's to v7.4.7. ADOM's on fortimanager are all still 7.0

this has knocked out our ability able to push any changes onto any of our FGT's from the fortimanager. each time it fails with a message when drilling down to find it:

Copy device global objects
"category 0", "", id=0, COMMIT FAIL -   -  (in system template Spoke-System-Template),,(in Template Spoke-System-Template) variable 'site_id' not exist
"category 0", "", id=6295, COMMIT FAIL -  (in Template Spoke-System-Template) variable 'site_id' not exist

This "site_id" variable is like all our variables and has always been created as a per device variable under policy and objects -> advanced _ metadata variables.

when we go to the system template and run a preview of x device it fails with same error but GUI form, the strange part is all our CLI templates previews of config it works fine.

has anyone had a similar experience with 7.4.6 or i guess anything in between 7.2.8 and 7.4.6?

[Grifter]

after a bit of digging around the diag debug logs and some testing on my part. it looks like we been assigning the metadata variables per device onto the root (adom/instance) of the FGT.
our FMG now after the upgrade looks like it is using the global (adom/instance) of each FGT which doesnt have any metadata variable mapped for them :(

I need to do more digging into this and why its happened.