CLI general usage

The preceding programs fall into several main categories of functions, as follows: 

• Data extraction functions—The various Cat functions (that is all the functions that begin with the Cat prefix) all extract data from the log message database of the system, with options to limit the message data content and range. These utilities operate on the various index files stored in the catalogs folder and permits you to extract raw message data from the various data stores maintained by the BMC Defender Server. 

• Data filtering functions—The CExpr, CPars, and CFmt utilities provide general utility in filtering and formatting input data and are typically used as a filter (through a shell pipe). These utilities are generally used at the end of a pipeline, however, they might also be used with raw log file data. Each of these files requires the standard BMC Defender message format to be served as standard input (or a file of raw BMC Defender messages specified through a command line option.) 

• Administrative functions—The SDK contains administrative tools that permit special configuration and control of the system, such as the CWUser program, that allows administrators to grant access to the BMC Defender web interface, and the CGenx program, that generates system index files. These utilities generally require administrative access on the host platform by the executing user. 

• Other utility functions—The SDK contains tools that provide other utility, such as the CDevInfo program, CDevGrp program, CUserInfo program, CReport program, CListMac program, CTemplate program, and CSysChk program, each of that is useful with miscellaneous scripting. Some (but not all) of these utilities might require administrative access to the host platform by the executing user. 

The data extraction functions always extract data in reverse chronological order unless otherwise noted, starting with the most recently logged messages on the system, and permitting a start date and span time to be specified as a command option (such as, to list the messages from several days ago.) 

Each utility can be easily demonstrated, and online help is available for each command (by executing the command with no arguments.) Each command except Ctrl+C to as an interrupt, and can use the standard redirect characters available with Windows command prompts.