Storing custom data in new database tables

If you want to use the data for custom polling, finding devices in the Hop View, or to use in defining Network Views, you must create new database tables.

About this task

If you want to use custom data for applications that involve selecting entities based on the custom data, it is more performant to use custom database tables.

Tip: If you want to use the extra data only for applications where entities are selected based on other database fields, for example in event enrichment or viewing in the Structure Browser, you do not need to create custom database tables. You can store custom data more easily as name-value pairs in the entityDetails database table, following the procedure at: Storing custom data as name-value pairs in the entityDetails table.

To store custom data in new database tables, you need to do the following tasks:

  • Create new tables in the NCIM topology database.
  • Create the same tables in the DNCIM discovery database.
  • Discover the data.
  • Configure how the data is added to the DNCIM discovery database.

The data flow for discovering custom data by creating custom database tables is as follows:

  1. The data is retrieved from the source (flat file, EMS, or other source) by a discovery agent or collector.
  2. The data is inserted into the workingEntities.finalEntity database table.
  3. The ncp_disco process uses the dbModel.entityMap discovery database table to populate the new custom table in the DNCIM discovery database with the information from the workingEntities.finalEntity table.
  4. The data in the new custom table in DNCIM is automatically copied to the equivalent table in NCIM and the ncimCache.entityData table.
  5. From the ncimCache.entityData table, the data is available to the Event Gateway for event enrichment. If events were enriched with the data, the information is available in the Event Viewer.
  6. From the NCIM topology database, the data is available to the Network Hop View, Network Views, and Structure Browser.