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SQL Loader Adapter
The SQL Loader adapter is an embedded adapter that reads data from an external database.
The SQL Loader adapter has the following features and requirements.
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Uses JDBC drivers and SQL queries to retrieve data from the source database. The adapter can retrieve
data from multiple tables residing in multiple databases.
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Reads resource metrics time series and resource relationship data from the source database.
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Maps resources from source database fields to files in the FSDB by using resource definitions in an SQL
query file.
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Retrieves change events from the source database by using an SQL query file. An adapter instance can
collect either metrics data or events data. You must create separate adapter instances to process metrics
and events.
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Uses auto-discovery and manual discovery to create resources.
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Requires the host name or IP address of the database host, the port to be used to connect to the database,
and the name of the database that contains the information to extract. For SQL Server, the adapter requires
a named instance.
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Supports SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, Sybase, and MySQL databases. The supported database
versions depend on the version of the JDBC driver included with the adapter. You can find the JDBC
driver version for each database in the vcenter-ops /user/plugins/inbound/general_sql_adapter3/lib
folder.
Text File Adapter
The Text File adapter is an embedded adapter that collects performance data from delimited text files.
The Text File adapter has the following features and requirements.
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Collects data from files that an external process exports to a main input folder. You specify the location
of the main input folder during adapter instance configuration.
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Uses a configuration file to convert data files to a standard comma-separated value (CSV) format that the
adapter can read. You define the basic resource properties, such as adapter kind and resource kind, and
how to extract values from data files, in this configuration file.
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Uses metadata files to define relationships between resources. The external process exports metadata files
to the main input folder.
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Requires data files and metadata files to use certain file naming and formatting conventions.
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Requires access to the main input folder.
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Requires the user account that runs the Collector service to have read and write permission to the main
input folder.
Field Adapters
A field adapter is a framework for an adapter. Field adapters are typically dependent on a certain level of field
customization to accommodate site-specific environments.
For example, the RRD Framework adapter is a flexible script-based field adapter that is designed to minimize
the effort required to extract time-series metric data from a set of RRD files in a defined directory structure.
You can work with VMware Professional Services to develop a field adapter that meets your needs. For more
information, contact your VMware sales representative or go to www.vmware.com/services.
Chapter 2 Available Adapters
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