Managing content packs

Content packs are a collection of components such as saved searches, data patterns, collection profiles, and dashboards 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 components 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 components 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 components (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 dashboards.

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 components in content packs

You can customize content packs in the following ways:

• Customize components 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.

   Note

   If the components that you are trying to import already exist in the system and are in use, those components are distinguished as shown in the following screenshot:

   Component conflicts while importing a content pack

   

   If you continue to import such components, then the earlier components are overridden by the product.

4. (Optional) On the left panel, click one of the components to view its details, and change values of the saved search macros that are enabled for editing.
   For more information, see Macros in content packs.
5. (Optional) Change the content pack name.
6. Click Import.

7. Navigate to one of the following tabs to verify that the components are successfully imported:

   Component	Tab
   Data patterns	Administration > Data Patterns
   Collection profiles	Administration > Collection Profiles
   Saved searches	Saved Searches
   Dashboards	Dashboards

   Best practice

   You might want to clone components imported via a content pack before actually using them. This can help you maintain a copy of the originally imported components for future reference purposes.

Exporting a content pack

1. Navigate to Administration > Content Packs and click Export / Create Content Pack.
2. Provide the following information:

   • Name: Provide a name to identify the content pack.

     Recommendation

     BMC recommends you to use a uniform convention for providing a name for the content pack. This is important because content packs can be easily shared and customized and therefore can be difficult to maintain over time.

     While deciding the naming convention, you need to ensure that the name is both easily identifiable and will not need to be changed again.

     The naming convention can be decided based on various parameters. However, the most common parameters are as follows:

     • Name must be application specific: If the components included in the content pack are related to the same application, you can use the naming convention, "<Application-Name><Application Version>".
     • Name must be goal specific: If the components included in the content pack are required for monitoring a particular kind of error, you can use the naming convention, "<Application-Name><Application Version>:<Error-Code-OR-Error-Name".
   • Description: Provide additional information such as the purpose of exporting the content pack.
   • Minimal Compatible ITDA version: Select one of the IT Data Analytics product versions to specify the minimal product version to import the content pack. After this value is set, you cannot import the content pack on a product version lower than the minimal compatible version.
3. On the left panel, perform one of the following actions:

   • Select the components (such as saved searches, data patterns, and collection profiles) that you want to export.
     You can select from components that are globally available, which means available to all users or available by default, components created by you, and components 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 a component by entering the component name in the search box and clicking Search Components .

     Tip

     You can view the details of a component 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.