Building a Custom Connector Using the Sample Connector › How to Install and Run the Sample Connector › Verify that the Sample Connector is Running › Update Sample Connector Data

Update Sample Connector Data

You can update or delete CIs, alerts, and services created by the Sample connector or create new ones by modifying the sample-ci-changes.xml file. You can view the changes to these objects in CA SOI. In a custom connector, you perform this operation by creating, updating, or deleting data in the source domain manager.

You use this functionality to test inbound create, update, and delete operations in other connectors including a custom connector. For example, when you create a CI in the Sample connector, the CA Catalyst Synchronizer sends that creation to all connectors enabled for the USM type that was created.

Follow these steps:

1. Save a backup copy of the SOI_HOME\resources\SampleConnector\data\sample-ci-changes.xml file and open the file.

   Note: Make sure that you are accessing this file from the correct location. Changing the files in the SOI_HOME\SampleConnector directory has no effect on a running Sample connector.

   The file lists several predefined change operations.

2. Modify the first <event> element in the file as follows:
   • Modify the action and entitytype attributes as follows to add a new operation that adheres to the established schema in the file:

     <event xsi:type="usm:SiloDataChange" action="" entityType="">
     

     action

     Defines the type of action to perform. Valid values are create, update, and delete.

     entitytype

     Defines the type of entity to create, update, or delete. Valid values are Relationship, Alert, and Item. Use the same value that you used in this attribute in the nested element <property_name="entitytype" />.

   • Modify the <property> elements nested in the <silodata> element. Each <property> element defines one property name and value. The properties can be USM properties or a more compact set of Sample connector properties. Define the USM format by setting the value of the eventtype property to USM-Entity as follows:

     <property name="eventtype" value="USM-Entity" />
     

     Omit this property to use the Sample connector properties.

   • Specify the type of entity in the entitytype property. Valid values are Item, Alert, and Relationship. This value should match the value of the entitytype attribute in the <event> element.

     Example: <property name="entitytype" value="Item" />

   • Define the object type in the class property for the Sample connector format or the ClassName property for the USM format as follows:

     Example: <property name="class" value="Router" />

     Example: <property name="ClassName" value="Service" />

     Examples of USM and Sample connector formats are included in the file.

     Note: The Sample connector supports only a subset of the USM object types.

   • When the action is update or delete, you must specify the correct value for id (Sample connector format) or MdrElementID (USM format). If you are referring to a CI created in a prior update to sample-ci-changes.xml, use the value of the generated ID. Find the value of MdrElementID for existing objects by examining the USM properties for the CI in the USM Web View.

     Note: For more information about the USM Web View, see the Administration Guide.

     When the action is create, the value of id or MdrElementID is ignored, because the item does not yet exist in CA SOI. The Sample connector assigns a value automatically.

3. Save and close the file.

   The connector detects that the file has changed and sends change events to CA SOI. Verify updates by checking the CIs in the Operations Console.

   The CA Catalyst Synchronizer (if enabled) sends change events back to the configured connectors that have inbound operations enabled. Sample connector data is updated.

   Note: The CA Catalyst Synchronizer is disabled by default. Synchronization is only supported for specific use cases. For more information about enabling the Synchronizer and supported use cases, see the Administration Guide.

Example: Create a new Router CI in Sample connector format

The following example creates a new Router class CI in Sample connector format.

<event xsi:type="usm:SiloDataChange" action="create" entitytype="Item">
    <silodata xsi:type="usm:SiloData" entitytype="Item">
        <properties>
            <property name="entitytype" value="Item" />
            <property name="id" value="1" />		
            <property name="name" value="testrouter" />
            <property name="ip_address" value="13.1.1.1" />
            <property name="class" value="Router" />
            <property name="description" value="Cisco Router" />
            <property name="sysname" value="testrouter" />
            <property name="dnsname" value="testrouter.ca.com" />
        </properties>
    </silodata>
</event>

The create action specifies to create a new entity. The absence of the property eventtype=USMEntity indicates that the properties are in the Sample connector format. The class of Router indicates the entity type. Although an id value is provided, this value is ignored, and the Sample connector automatically assigns a unique value.

Example: Update an existing Alert in USM format

The following example updates an alert that already exists in the Operations Console in USM format:

<event xsi:type="usm:SiloDataChange" action="update">
    <silodata entitytype="Alert">
        <properties>
            <property name="eventtype" value="USM-Entity" />
            <property name="entitytype" value="Alert" />
            <property name="ClassName" value="Alert" />
            <property name="MdrElementID" value="1008" />
	     <property name="AlertedMdrElementID" value="100" />
            <property name="AlertedMdrProduct" value="CA:09998" />
            <property name="UrlParams" value="http://localhost?id=8" />
            <property name="Message" value="Service is stopped - Again" />
            <property name="Summary" value="Service is stopped - Again" />
            <property name="Severity" value="Critical" />
            <property name="AlertType" value="Quality" />
            <property name="OccurrenceTimestamp" 
            value="0001-05-01T00:00:00-00:00" />
            <property name="ReportTimestamp" 
            value="0001-07-01T00:00:00-00:00" />
        </properties>
    </silodata>
</event>

The action of update specifies to update an existing object, the eventtype of USM-Entity indicates the USM format, and the entitytype of Alert indicates that the object is an existing alert. The connector uses the value of the AlertedMdrElementID property to match the information with an existing object in CA SOI.