Format to create ODBC compliant database tables

To import data from the ODBC compliant databases using the ODBC data collector, you must configure the database table as per the defined format. The defined format is easily interpreted by the ODBC data collector for effective data collection. As per the defined format, the table name or view name and the column names must be mapped with the entity name and the fields, respectively.
The format of the database table naming convention depends on the attributes of the entity schema that you create for an application. Every entity schema is the blue-print for the data collector to collect data and contains the definition of the platform, entity, and the entity fields.
Configure the ODBC data collector for the custom platform that you define in the entity schema.
Mapping between an entity schema attribute and the ODBC database table element
Entity schema attribute
ODBC database element
Description
Platform name and entity name
Database table or view name
The database table or view name is a combination of the platform name and the entity name.
The format of the table or view name must be in the following format:
<platformnameentityname>
Field name
Database table column name
The database table's column name must be same as the field name of the entity.
The format of naming the ODBC database tables are as follows:
  • Format to create database table or view names for all platforms
    You manually create the database table or view names based on the attributes of the entity schema. The table or view name is a combination of the platform name and the entity name.
    The format to create the database table or view names is as follows:
    platformnameentityname
    For example, you want to configure an ODBC data collector for the platform, DB2, whose entity is Server. As per the defined format, the database table or view name must be DB2Server.
  • Format to create database table or view names for the Common platform only
    The format to create database table or view names for the Common platform is different when compared to the format for other platforms. The Common platform defines the CIA field values and by default, is configured for the predefined asset types. Hence, the table or view name is a combination of the predefined platform name and the entity name.
    The format to create the database table or view names for the Common platform is as follows:
    predefinedplatformnameentityname
    For example, you want to configure an ODBC data collector for the Common platform of a predefined asset type, Windows Machine. For this asset type, the predefined platform is, Wnt and the entity is, Machine. As per the defined format, table or view name for the Common platform must be WntMachine.
  • Format to create database table column names for all platforms
    The fields of an entity that are defined in the entity schema must be the database table column names.
    For example, you want to configure an ODBC data collector for the platform, UNIX, whose entity is, Machine. The entity fields are, IPAddress and Hostname for the entity, Machine. As per the defined format, the database table column names must be IPAddress and Hostname.
  • Format to create database tables for the predefined platforms and their asset types
    You can create the database tables for the predefined platforms and their asset types using the following standard naming convention:
    predefinedplatformnameentityname
    You must use the internal names of the predefined platforms to define the database table names or view names. For the predefined platforms, the predefined asset types represent the entities. Hence, you can specify the name of the asset type in place of the entity in the defined format. For example, for the Windows platform, the internal name is Wnt. The table or view name for the predefined asset type, Windows Machine is, WntMachine.
    The predefined platforms and their internal names are as follows:
    Windows
    Wnt
    UNIX
    Unix
    Oracle
    ORCL
    SQL
    Dbif
    Exchange
    Mailadmin
    NDS
    NDS
    NetWare
    NW
    ESM
    ESM
You must know the predefined asset types of the predefined platform to define the table name or view name for the specific asset type.
If you do not create table name or view name manually as per the entity schema, then you can use the
Entity Table Mapping
dialog box. This dialog box lets you map the entities to the existing database table or view names for the selected platform. You can also map the database table column names with the field names of the entities. You use this mapping option only if the database table or view names are not compliant with the defined format.