Managing content packs

Content packs are a collection of artifacts such as saved searches, data patterns, collection profiles, and views that you can use to support a particular use case or for solving a particular issue.

Content packs also serve as a ready-made collection of artifacts that extend the capabilities of using the BMC TrueSight IT Data Analytics product. The product provides a set of content packs that you can download from the BMC Software Electronic Product Distribution (EPD) website and start using immediately. Examples include content packs for monitoring the Oracle database logs, Citrix XenApp logs, and so on. For more information, see Supported-content-packs in the BMC TrueSight IT Data Analytics content packs online documentation portal (outside this space).

Advantages of using content packs

You can use content packs in the following ways:

• Select particular artifacts and export them together as a set, to share it with others, so that they can import it onto their BMC TrueSight IT Data Analytics instance and start using it immediately.
• Save a backup copy of important artifacts (exported) outside the product in case of system failures.
• Simplify the process of data collection and monitoring in the following ways:
  • To configure data collection inputs, use data patterns and collection profiles in the content pack.
  • To search data for particular monitoring purposes, use saved searches.
  • To monitor data, use views.

Macros in content packs

The product automatically extracts name=value pairs existing in the saved search queries as a list of macros while exporting a content pack. You can browse through list of saved searches to see the macros available. These macros are only available if the saved search query contains name=value pairs.

You can select the macros, change the values, and then export the content pack. The exported content pack will contain the new values substituted at the time of performing the export.

The macros selected at the time of performing the export can again be changed at the time of importing the content pack. However, you can only change those macros that were selected at the time of exporting the content pack.

Customizing artifacts in content packs

You can customize content packs in the following ways:

• Customize artifacts imported using a content pack by cloning them.
• Customize saved search queries to provide new values for name=value pairs while exporting or importing a content pack.

Functions available for using content packs

The Content Packs tab allows you to manage imported content packs. To access this tab, navigate to Administration > Content Packs. From here, you can perform the following actions:

The Content Packs tab provides the following information:

Importing a content pack

1. Navigate to Administration > Content Packs and click Import Content Pack .
2. Click Browse next to the Import zipped file field to select the zipped file that you want to import.
3. Click Preview to preview the file contents. On the left panel, click one of the artifacts to view its details on the right.
   You can optionally change values of saved search macros that are enabled for editing. For more information, see Macros in content packs.
4. Click Import.

5. Navigate to one of the following tabs to verify that the artifacts are successfully imported:

   Artifact	Tab
   Data patterns	Administration > Data Patterns
   Collection profiles	Administration > Collection Profiles
   Saved searches	Cabinet > Saved Searches
   Views	Views

Exporting a content pack

1. Navigate to Administration > Content Packs and click Export Content Pack .
2. Provide the following information:
   • Name: Provide a name to identify the content pack.
   • Description: Provide additional information such as the purpose of exporting the content pack.
3. On the left panel, perform one of the following actions:

   • Select the artifacts (saved searches, data patterns, and collection profiles) that you want to export.
     You can select from artifacts that are globally available, which means available to all users or available by default, artifacts created by you, and artifacts imported through a content pack.

     Tip

     The saved searches appearing under the Self-created category are those that are created by the current user and are not shared (Make Public selection).

     The saved searches appearing under the Global category are those which are shared irrespective of the users who created them.

   • Search for an artifact by entering the artifact name in the search box and clicking Search Artifacts .

     Note

     You can view the details of an artifact by clicking it.

4. (Optional) Customize saved searches that include name=value pairs in the search query.
   To do this, select the macros and change the values. For more information, see Macros in content packs.
5. Click Export.