I agree with this.   If you can do it we could report on it and we a are 
a small shop supporting 80 or so users.  Shops who are not able probably 
do not the same kind of reports. 

Jason Passow
Mississippi Welders Supply
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
ph: (507) 494-5178
fax: (507) 454-8104

"If you do everything right, nobody will realize you've done anything at all."



Servers Alive Discussion List wrote:
> Since we're (or least I am) talking about situations in an enterprise
> environment, the answer is yes, absolutely. If you can get it to work
> for SA, we can report off of it. Provided, of course, we know what data
> is where and how you link it all together. The most important thing to
> remember with relational dbs like that, is that every record in every
> table HAS to be unique. Even if that means you add an Auto-Incremented
> ID field to each table.
>
> Michael D. Shook
> Technical Analyst
> Saddle Creek Corporation
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 863 668 4477 (work)
> 863 860 4070 (cell)
> 863 665 1261 (fax)
> www.saddlecrk.com
>  
>
>   
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Servers Alive Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
>> Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 12:40 PM
>> To: Servers Alive Discussion List
>> Subject: [SA-list] RE: [SA-list] Re: [SA-list] RE: [SA-list] 
>> Re: [SA-list] RE: [SA-list] Re: [SA-list] RE: [SA-list] Re: 
>> [SA-list] Enterprise level data storage (was Skype Alerting)
>>
>> SA could do that, but could your report writer do that? As 
>> that seems to be THE reason for the db, writing reports from it. 
>>
>>
>> Dirk Bulinckx. 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Servers Alive Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 6:15 PM
>> To: Servers Alive Discussion List
>> Subject: [SA-list] Re: [SA-list] RE: [SA-list] Re: [SA-list] 
>> RE: [SA-list]
>> Re: [SA-list] RE: [SA-list] Re: [SA-list] Enterprise level 
>> data storage (was Skype Alerting)
>>
>> WHy would have to be 1-1 or 1-many.  Why couldn't you just 
>> check each table for the uid and consolidate (depending on 
>> table type).
>>
>> Jason Passow
>> Mississippi Welders Supply
>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> ph: (507) 494-5178
>> fax: (507) 454-8104
>>
>> "If you do everything right, nobody will realize you've done 
>> anything at all."
>>
>>
>>
>> Servers Alive Discussion List wrote:
>>     
>>> That just the whole point.  We could indeed have a table for each 
>>> check type.  But how to link that in a proper way to a 
>>>       
>> table with the 
>>     
>>> host
>>>       
>> info?
>>     
>>> The UID is indeed the column to use.  But for a report you need to 
>>> have a clear 1-to-1 or 1-to-many relationship (between the 
>>>       
>> tables) and 
>>     
>>> in this example (with a table for each check type) you 
>>>       
>> don't have that.
>>     
>>> You get a 1-to-(1 in one of these tables) relationship.
>>>
>>>  
>>>
>>>
>>> Dirk Bulinckx. 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Servers Alive Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>> Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 5:40 PM
>>> To: Servers Alive Discussion List
>>> Subject: [SA-list] Re: [SA-list] RE: [SA-list] Re: [SA-list] RE: 
>>> [SA-list]
>>> Re: [SA-list] Enterprise level data storage (was Skype Alerting)
>>>
>>> Perhaps I just didn't understand your last post, but why 
>>>       
>> not just take 
>>     
>>> the text file and move it to a DB with appropriate columns and more 
>>> readable data (instead of 555555555 for schedules etc.)  Again I am 
>>> not going to say it is simple as I have not taken the time 
>>>       
>> to figure 
>>     
>>> out the host file format.  Or perhaps several tables, one with the 
>>> hostname/ip, pretty name, and uid (maybe dependencies).  Then the 
>>> others can lead with uid and Check table, Alert table, and
>>>       
>> Schedule/priority table.
>>     
>>> The alert table would have one record per alert (what, 
>>>       
>> when, where, etc).
>>     
>>> The check table would have on record per check (I think) with type 
>>> criteria, timeout, second knock etc. (I guess this table 
>>>       
>> could get a 
>>     
>>> bit complicated with different check types.)
>>>
>>> Just some thoughts.  I know nothing about the com Check but 
>>>       
>> it seems 
>>     
>>> perhaps we would have to have a table for each type of com 
>>>       
>> check (i.e.
>>     
>>> SMTP2POP3, ODBC, etc). It seems if it can all be put in 
>>>       
>> flat file it 
>>     
>>> could all be put in a database.  Perhaps it would be as simple as 
>>> documenting the host file so that those who wish can put it in a DB.
>>> I know others have figured out the structure.  Maybe the database 
>>> could simply export the flat file you require.  I wish I knew my way
>>>       
>> around the host file a bit better.
>>     
>>>  From my ramblings above you can probably tell that I know 
>>>       
>> very little 
>>     
>>> about the host file structure, and perhaps I am way off.  
>>>       
>> If so tell 
>>     
>>> me I have no idea and go on about your business.  If not then I am 
>>> happy to provide any input.
>>>
>>> Jason Passow
>>> Mississippi Welders Supply
>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>> ph: (507) 494-5178
>>> fax: (507) 454-8104
>>>
>>> "If you do everything right, nobody will realize you've 
>>>       
>> done anything 
>>     
>>> at all."
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Servers Alive Discussion List wrote:
>>>   
>>>       
>>>> We can put it in a DB by using about 5 fields.
>>>> Or by using about 5000 fields.  
>>>> Neither of the 2 would help you.
>>>>
>>>> Let me use a small example:
>>>>    ping host1
>>>>    The check itself has a couple of parameters:
>>>>            checktype (ping)
>>>>            number of frames to send
>>>>            % that has to respond
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>    url check <url>
>>>>    parameters:
>>>>            checktype (url http/https check)
>>>>            url
>>>>            get/post/head
>>>>            IF it's a POST then data_to_post
>>>>                    should contain/should not contain 
>>>>         
>> combined with this
>>     
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>> exact
>>>   
>>>       
>>>> phrase/any of these words combined with <the_words>
>>>>                    or
>>>>                    CRC with "reset CRC after each check or not"
>>>>                    or
>>>>                    Site SSL Cert or CA SSL cert    combined with a
>>>> number of days
>>>>
>>>>            use authentication
>>>>                    if yes then USERNAME & PASSWORD
>>>>
>>>>            use proxy (and what proxy)
>>>>            HTTP version to use
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> An even worse example in an external check (COM based), here it's 
>>>> simple SA doesn't know what the syntax of the parameters 
>>>>         
>> are and as 
>>     
>>>> such not much data to show except something like "*NIX DISKSPACE 
>>>> CHECK", what mount and on what space we're checking, SA 
>>>>         
>> doesn't know 
>>     
>>>> (the
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>> COM knows, not SA).
>>>   
>>>       
>>>> So what we could do is create a different table for each checktype 
>>>> (or maybe even SUB checktype) and then for each entry "link" to an 
>>>> entry in a
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>> table?
>>>   
>>>       
>>>> Or we could have one large table with all different check 
>>>>         
>> options in it.
>>     
>>>> (could well be that we get to the limit of some DBS).
>>>>
>>>> I suppose this give a better view on why a DB isn't that simple....
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Dirk Bulinckx. 
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Servers Alive Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>> Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 4:51 PM
>>>> To: Servers Alive Discussion List
>>>> Subject: [SA-list] Re: [SA-list] RE: [SA-list] Re: [SA-list] 
>>>> Enterprise level data storage (was Skype Alerting)
>>>>
>>>> Seems to me if you put it a database, their XML gurus 
>>>>         
>> could get the 
>>     
>>>> data and create their own XML.
>>>>
>>>> Jason Passow
>>>> Mississippi Welders Supply
>>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>> ph: (507) 494-5178
>>>> fax: (507) 454-8104
>>>>
>>>> "If you do everything right, nobody will realize you've 
>>>>         
>> done anything 
>>     
>>>> at all."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Servers Alive Discussion List wrote:
>>>>   
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>> "One thing that I do not think can be done (albeit I 
>>>>>           
>> haven't tried 
>>     
>>>>> very
>>>>> hard) is putting the actual check properties into a 
>>>>>           
>> report (aside from 
>>     
>>>>> HTML).   If the check details including , host name/ip, 
>>>>>           
>> pretty name, 
>>     
>>>>> dependencies, alerts, check type,/criteria, schedule, etc were 
>>>>> stored in a database then I could create whatever reports I want"
>>>>> => those are indeed not in the DB.  But as XML seems to 
>>>>>           
>> be what some 
>>     
>>>>> want, it can be done by creating an HTML template and have that 
>>>>> generate the XML format.
>>>>> What I would propose, is that someone on the list that wants that 
>>>>> XML, gives me an example of what should be in the XML 
>>>>>           
>> file (make one 
>>     
>>>>> with 2
>>>>> entries) and I'll try to make a template for it.  And if 
>>>>>           
>> changes are 
>>     
>>>>> needed to v6 (upcoming release that) for the template to be 
>>>>> possible, I'll make those changes.  How does that sound?
>>>>>
>>>>> Dirk Bulinckx. 
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Servers Alive Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>>> Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 3:31 PM
>>>>> To: Servers Alive Discussion List
>>>>> Subject: [SA-list] Re: [SA-list] Enterprise level data 
>>>>>           
>> storage (was 
>>     
>>>>> Skype
>>>>> Alerting)
>>>>>
>>>>> I export the check results to a database each cycle and 
>>>>>           
>> store it in 
>>     
>>>>> a database.  I can the pull up my web page and see the 
>>>>>           
>> last 30 days
>> worth
>>     
>>>>> of checks using graphs etc.   I also have on that page a 
>>>>>           
>> table showing 
>>     
>>>>> down cycles and length time before it recovered.  I could 
>>>>>           
>> certainly 
>>     
>>>>> create the same report as an XML (if I knew anything 
>>>>>           
>> about XML that
>>     
>>>>> is) or Excel (I know not an enterprise level App).  I 
>>>>>           
>> would think I 
>>     
>>>>> could export the data and import into Crystal Reports or whatever 
>>>>> and
>>>>>     
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>> create a
>>>>   
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>> report.   Although I empathize with your struggle here I 
>>>>>           
>> do not think 
>>     
>>>>> that Salive should be a reporting app.   
>>>>>
>>>>> One thing that I do not think can be done (albeit I haven't tried 
>>>>> very
>>>>> hard) is putting the actual check properties into a 
>>>>>           
>> report (aside from 
>>     
>>>>> HTML).   If the check details including , host name/ip, 
>>>>>           
>> pretty name, 
>>     
>>>>> dependencies, alerts, check type,/criteria, schedule, etc were 
>>>>> stored in a database then I could create whatever reports I want.
>>>>>
>>>>> Again I reiterate thank you Dirk for your patience and 
>>>>>           
>> this kind of 
>>     
>>>>> continued dialog is unique and what makes SA far and away 
>>>>>           
>> the best 
>>     
>>>>> app around.  Thank you for not stifling the discussion 
>>>>>           
>> and allowing 
>>     
>>>>> ideas to flow.  On the other side of this discussion 
>>>>>           
>> (maybe months 
>>     
>>>>> from now) I see some great things being added to SA.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Jason Passow
>>>>> Mississippi Welders Supply
>>>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>>> ph: (507) 494-5178
>>>>> fax: (507) 454-8104
>>>>>
>>>>> "If you do everything right, nobody will realize you've done 
>>>>> anything at all."
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Servers Alive Discussion List wrote:
>>>>>   
>>>>>     
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>> Your method of creating HTML on the fly is VERY unique when you 
>>>>>> look at all of the software in use in the enterprise 
>>>>>>             
>> environment. 
>>     
>>>>>> That means, that I (in the singular, me) have to code 
>>>>>>             
>> ALL reports, 
>>     
>>>>>> for all conceivable requests of my Sr. Management, and there is 
>>>>>> little ability to have a method of my up chain being 
>>>>>>             
>> able to ad-hoc 
>>     
>>>>>> browse through how tests are being done with out risk of 
>>>>>>             
>> injuring the
>> setup.
>>     
>>>>>> Also, have you tried to print an HTML page that's more 
>>>>>>             
>> than a page 
>>     
>>>>>> long? It looks like crud compared to the reports my managers are 
>>>>>> used to seeing from all of our other systems which typically use 
>>>>>> Crystal Reports for both text reporting and charting. On 
>>>>>>             
>> the other 
>>     
>>>>>> hand, if it was in a database, I can hand to any of a 
>>>>>>             
>> dozen people 
>>     
>>>>>> a table schema and say "write XYZ report" and actually have the 
>>>>>> report experts do their thing, rather than myself 
>>>>>>             
>> fumbling through it.
>>     
>>>>>> A true enterprise solution has to have it's 
>>>>>>             
>> configuration data and 
>>     
>>>>>> historical data stored on a standardized data platform, 
>>>>>>             
>> preferably 
>>     
>>>>>> a DBMS such as MS SQL, DB2, Oracle, etc., so that the 
>>>>>>             
>> data can be 
>>     
>>>>>> protected and managed at the enterprise level through 
>>>>>>             
>> clustering, 
>>     
>>>>>> load balancing and Disaster Recovery techniques. This would mean 
>>>>>> that SA should not load any data internally or on the host PC 
>>>>>> running SA, but all would be in a DB server repository. 
>>>>>>             
>> Each check 
>>     
>>>>>> cycle would dynamically load each check's config from the DB 
>>>>>> server, and write back to the server the ongoing status 
>>>>>>             
>> of the check
>> cycle.
>>     
>>>>>> It sounds like this is going to be database intensive, 
>>>>>>             
>> but at the 
>>     
>>>>>> level I play at
>>>>>>     
>>>>>>       
>>>>>>         
>>>>>>             
>>>>> it's not.
>>>>>   
>>>>>     
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>> We have several systems that routinely write millions of data 
>>>>>> changes to our servers over the course of a 'light' day, and I 
>>>>>> suspect that's small compared to a lot of enterprises using a 
>>>>>> standard
>>>>>>         
>>>>>>             
>>> DBMS.
>>>   
>>>       
>>>>>> Servers Alive and it's output is becoming incredibly tied to our 
>>>>>> contractual obligations to our customers, and it is 
>>>>>>             
>> becoming harder 
>>     
>>>>>> to defend a product developed at such a "personal" 
>>>>>>             
>> level. I can't 
>>     
>>>>>> WAIT until our customer charges us for server down time, and I 
>>>>>> can't prove him wrong because SA wiped out the uptime 
>>>>>>             
>> data during a 
>>     
>>>>>> server
>>>>>>       
>>>>>>         
>>>>>>             
>>>> re-boot.
>>>>   
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>>> You mostly see in the list where it's a dedicated individual who 
>>>>>> has chosen SA, but I also get the sense that it's hard 
>>>>>>             
>> for them to 
>>     
>>>>>> get others at their organization to work on it. Possibly 
>>>>>>             
>> because it 
>>     
>>>>>> is a unique product both in function and organizational concept.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Don't get me wrong, I LOVE what you do, it's the how 
>>>>>>             
>> that I would 
>>     
>>>>>> like to see brought up to a true enterprise level.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Michael D. Shook
>>>>>> Technical Analyst
>>>>>> Saddle Creek Corporation
>>>>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>>>> 863 668 4477 (work)
>>>>>> 863 860 4070 (cell)
>>>>>> 863 665 1261 (fax)
>>>>>> www.saddlecrk.com
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>
>>>>>>   
>>>>>>     
>>>>>>       
>>>>>>         
>>>>>>             
>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>> From: Servers Alive Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 8:31 AM
>>>>>>> To: Servers Alive Discussion List
>>>>>>> Subject: [SA-list] RE: [SA-list] RE: [SA-list] RE: [SA-list]
>>>>>>> RE: [SA-list] RE: [SA-list] RE: [SA-list] RE: [SA-list] RE: 
>>>>>>> [SA-list] Skype alerting
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Is HTML a unique interface? 
>>>>>>> We can make reports in HTML.  You have to make an HTML template 
>>>>>>> for it, based on HTML tags (standard stuff for the layout part) 
>>>>>>> and specific tags for the actual data part.
>>>>>>> With whatever reportwriter it would be the same, it 
>>>>>>>               
>> would need to 
>>     
>>>>>>> have access to the "format" and based on the format it 
>>>>>>>               
>> could show 
>>     
>>>>>>> you what "vars" you can use.  We use tags.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Dirk Bulinckx. 
>>>>>>>     
>>>>>>>       
>>>>>>>         
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>> --------------------------------------
>>>>>> The information contained in this message is intended 
>>>>>>             
>> only for the 
>>     
>>>>>> use of
>>>>>>     
>>>>>>       
>>>>>>         
>>>>>>             
>>>>> the addressee.  If the reader of this message is not the intended 
>>>>> recipient or agent of the intended recipient, you are hereby 
>>>>> notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of the 
>>>>> message is strictly prohibited.
>>>>>   
>>>>>     
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>> To unsubscribe send a message with UNSUBSCRIBE as subject to
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>>>>>>       
>>>>>>         
>>>>>>             
>>>>> [email protected]
>>>>>   
>>>>>     
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>     
>>>>>>       
>>>>>>         
>>>>>>             
>>>>> To unsubscribe send a message with UNSUBSCRIBE as subject to 
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