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Using Data-Driven Web Services › How to Create a Custom Metric Family › Create a Custom Metric Family XML File

Create a Custom Metric Family XML File

After gathering the required files, you are ready to create your custom metric family XML file.

Note: For more information about each XML tag, see the inline documentation provided in the MetricFamily.xsd and Component.xsd files. For code examples, see the ProcessInfoMFWithComponent.xml file. This example file defines a metric family for gathering process metrics.

Follow these steps:

  1. Create an XML file from the MetricFamily.xsd using any XML editor. Any custom metric family starts with <TechnologyCertification> as the root element.

    We recommend that you create your XML file by copying the example metric family XML file or by exporting a factory XML file using web services (http://hostname:port/genericWS/metricfamilies).

    Important! Do not copy a metric family XML file from the deploy directory. These files use an internal-only format that is not compatible with custom metric families.

    Note: You cannot modify factory metric families. However, you can copy a factory metric family and then modify it.

  2. Edit the content in your XML file, as follows:
    1. Review data type usage in metric family XML files.
    2. Add the basic information that defines your metric family.
    3. Add the <AttributeList> section.
    4. Add the <BaselineList> section.
    5. Add the <ComponentList> section.
    6. Add the <ComponentDefinitionList> section.
    7. (Optional) Add the <ComponentReconciliation> section.
    8. (Optional) Add the <ReconfigDetectionAttr> section.
    9. Add the <ExpressionGroupList> section.
  3. Save your file.

    Your custom metric family is created and ready to import into Data Aggregator.

    Important! Always create and verify your custom metric family in a test environment first. Creating a custom metric family requires you to edit the metric family XML file manually. Semantic errors in this XML file can cause unpredictable results.

More information:

How to Create a Custom Metric Family