Configuring the metrics and audit records database

To gather and store metrics and audit records information, you need to turn on data collection and configure the database connection.

In the instructions on this page, AO_HOME represents the installation directory for  components, such as the CDP, HA-CDP, AP, LAP, or the dashboards.

Review the following requirements for using the metrics database:

• You must turn on collection and configure the database connection separately for process metrics and grid performance metrics, even if the same database is used.
• You must create a table space for the metrics tables and create a user with permission to create tables, to insert records into those tables, and to select records.

•  must have access to the JDBC driver for the database that you are configuring. The JDBC driver is a Java class that is usually distributed in a .jar file by the database company. BMC provides the driver for Oracle (ojdbc6-11.2.0.2.0.jar) in the AO_HOME/lib/shared directory of the peers you installed in your environment (such as the CDP). To use any other database, you must obtain and install the JDBC driver for that database and install it in the AO_HOME/lib/add-ons directory using the instructions in To install the JDBC driver. 

  Note

  If you are using the dashboards, you also need to install the jar file in the AO_HOME/lib/add-ons directory for the dashboards (see To install the JDBC driver).

To use the Value Dashboard or historical data in the Health Dashboard, you must use an external database to store process metrics.

This topic includes the following sections:

To install the JDBC driver

1. Download the JDBC driver for your database platform from the database company or other provider.
2. Copy the driver to the AO_HOME/lib/add-ons directory on the configuration distribution peer (CDP) and on each peer designated as a sync point.
   You can designate a peer as a sync when you add it to the grid. You can also change the sync attribute of a peer.
3. If you are using the dashboards, copy the JDBC driver to the AO_HOME/lib/add-ons directory for the dashboards.
4. Restart the  service on each computer on which you installed the driver.
   Grid Manager will look first in the AO_HOME/lib/shared directory and then in the AO_HOME/lib/add-ons directory for a driver.

To turn on metrics and audit records collection and configure the connection to the database

1. In the Grid Manager application, perform the appropriate action:
   • To collect grid performance metrics and audit records, select the Administration tab and then select the Database Configuration tab.
   • To collect process metrics, select the Manage tab and then select the Process Metrics tab.
     The current collection status is indicated on the page. Use the Turn on or Turn off check box to toggle the status off and on.

2. Select the database type for your database platform.

   Note

   Databases listed in the Supported section are supported by BMC Customer Support. Databases listed in the Other section can interface with but are not supported by BMC Customer Support.

   After you select a database type, the URL field displays a default value. The URL is used to establish JDBC connectivity to the database; you can change the default value as needed.
   
   The Driver field is also populated with a default value. You can change this value as needed to reflect the fully qualified class name for the selected JDBC driver for the metrics database. 

   Note

   If you are configuring the database for use with the dashboard, the URL must include the fully qualified domain name.

   For example, instead of providing the URL with the localhost as shown in this example:

   jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306

   Use the fully qualified domain name, as shown in the next example:

   jdbc:mysql://testserver.abc.com:3306

   
   See Database URLs and drivers for more information.

3. (Optional) Type new values for the URL and driver as needed.

4. In User, type the name of the user for the database.

   Note

   This user must have permissions to create tables, to insert records into those tables, and to select records.

5. Enter and confirm the database user password.
6. Using the Upload Once Every list, select the frequency with which to upload metrics and audit records data.
   After each upload, the corresponding audit and metrics information is removed from the embedded database. 
7. Click OK to save the database connection configuration.

Video demonstrations

Collecting grid metrics and audit records

The following BMC Communities video series demonstrates how to check on the performance of the overall grid and individual peers as well as how you can capture any grid level changes as a part of auditing.

Part one (5:47) provides an overview of grid metrics and audit records. It demonstrates how to set up an external database and add the database driver to the CDP server.

 https://youtu.be/_Bzy8RLGS08

Part two (5:44) demonstrates how to configure the metrics and audit records database in Grid Manager, how to restart the CDP service, so that it reads the database driver file and creates the relevant metrics tables in the database, and how to verify that the audit records were created in the database.

 https://youtu.be/bVmNktD1mx8

Part three (6:13) demonstrates how to activate an adapter (to verify that audit records collect this user activity), how to configure the grid performance metrics in Grid Manager, designate the CDP as a sync point, and verify that the grid performance metric tables were created in the database.

The video mentions the graphing server, which is not supported in 7.8.02 and later releases. You can use the Value Dashboard to view metrics information in reports.

 https://youtu.be/1UcDxt19s9o

Collecting process metrics

The following BMC Communities video series demonstrates how to collect process metrics data generated through the execution of  workflow processes. 

Part one (5:42) shows how to set up an external database, configure the process metrics database in Grid Manager, and designate a peer as a sync point.

The video mentions the graphing server, which is not supported in 7.8.02 and later releases. You can use the Value Dashboard to view metrics information in reports.

 https://youtu.be/nHN0E_5kEfc

Part two (8:11) demonstrates how to restart the peer service, so that it reads the database driver file and creates the relevant metrics tables in the external database and how to verify that the tables are in the database. It shows how to set up a workflow to capture process metrics, export the export the process, activate it on the grid, set up appropriate permissions for the workflow, set up a process schedule that runs the workflow, turn on metrics collection, and verify that the metrics were collected.

 https://youtu.be/oMR1QcVWc0o

Related topics

Database URLs and drivers
Preparing to install TrueSight Orchestration Platform
Adding peers
Editing peers