Foglight 7.1.0 - Web Component Tutorial

Data Sources, Data Types, and Data Objects

The data that is displayed by the application comes from a data source, as set up in Foglight. The data from a data source is held in data objects as properties. For example, some of the Host data-object properties are the name of the host, its IP address, and the number of fatal events. The data type is a data-object template, and determines the structure of a data object. Examples of data types are Host, AppServer, WebSphere®, Agent, and Event. For more information about type properties, see the Schema Browser. This dashboard is accessible from the Tools and Dashboard Support dashboard.

TIP: The Cartridge Development role grants access to this dashboard.

Data sources encapsulate all that the system knows about the data and yet cleanly separates knowledge of the data from how it is presented.

The data source is organized as a dynamic graph of objects, starting from a root that represents the entire data model.

“Objects” are defined in the API and are not tied to the creation of any particular JavaTM Object.

The Data node is populated from queries that are marked as UI Query when they are defined in the Definitions editor.

Paths

When creating queries and defining bindings, you set the values by specifying the data object and the properties in the Path field. Paths traverse the structure of the data object. They are similar to directory paths in Windows® or UNIX®, and are comprised of a series of one or more property names, separated by forward slashes.

NOTE: You can replace a long path with a key by setting it as a context value.

One minor complication is that property names are often displayed with localized names instead of their actual property names. For example, a drop-down tree may show the properties as Name or CPU Usage, but when selected they display in the Path field as name or cpuUsage.

The following are some example paths:

Properties

You edit the properties of a view in the Configuration tab. If Show Advanced Properties is false, only the ones needed to get you started are shown. If Show Advanced Properties is true, all the component’s properties become available for editing. Required properties are shown in bold font.

Properties that have been changed from their defaults are highlighted. Properties that are not set are dimmed. In edit mode, dwelling over a property shows a tooltip that contains the same description as that in the Web Component Reference page for the component. In display mode, only the properties that have been changed from their default values are shown.

Using the Web Component Framework

Before you start working with the Web Component Framework you need to define what objectives you are trying to accomplish. For example, if you want to monitor a specific application server at certain intervals and send alerts to a specific email address, you need to choose the components necessary to create this type of workflow.

If you have already created a query that retrieves what you want from existing data, you can start creating views to display the data. If you do not have the proper data to work with, you need to create queries to return the data. For more information about queries, see Queries .