Finders databases
Finders determine device existence. Each of the finders uses a different method to discover network devices. You can enable finders for your discovery by configuring them as managed processes of DISCO in their respective configuration files. Finders are automatically launched at the appropriate time, provided that CTRL is running.
Each finder must be configured by editing its configuration file. The finders discover the existence of devices and report these devices back to the finders database, but do not discover connections.
Note that the finders database is distinct from the databases that are associated with the individual finders.
The finders are described in the table below, with their executable name and the location of their configuration file. $NCHOME is the environment variable that contains the path to the netcool directory.
| Finder | Executable | Configuration file | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ping | ncp_df_ping | $NCHOME/etc/precision/ DiscoPingFinderSchema.cfg $NCHOME/etc/precision/ DiscoPingFinderSeeds.cfg |
Makes a simple ICMP echo request for broadcast or multicast addresses, individual IP addresses, or all devices on a subnet. |
| File | ncp_df_file | $NCHOME/etc/precision/ DiscoFileFinderSchema.cfg $NCHOME/etc/precision/ DiscoFileFinderParseRules.cfg |
Parses a file, such as /etc/hosts, to retrieve a list of devices to find devices on the network. |
| Database | ncp_df_dbentry | $NCHOME/etc/precision/DiscoDBEntryFinderSchema.cfg | Reads a database in order to retrieve a list of devices to find on the network. |
| Collector | ncp_df_collector | $NCHOME/etc/precision/
DiscoCollectorFinderSchema.cfg $NCHOME/etc/precision/ DiscoCollectorFinderSeeds.cfg |
An EMS collector is a software module that retrieves and stores topology data from an Element Management System (EMS). The Collector finder queries a collector and gets a list of IP addresses managed by the EMS associated with that collector. |