Create custom patterns
For creating a custom pattern navigate to the Discovery/pattern folder. Here you can create a new file (UTF-8) with the ending .pat or you copy and modifying an existing pattern of the Pattern-Type you want. The best practice to develop and test a new pattern is to extract a separate Discover-Tool Instance and setting up a connection to the Host or Device that returning the result data you want to handle with.
Then remove all Pattern excluding a "main" HostInfo Pattern (Linux_Hostinfo_Hostname.pat, Windows_Hostinfo_Hostname_Model.pat, SNMP_Deviceinfo_Default.pat) it is mandatory to have a "main" HostInfo Object with the including Hostname. With this Setup it is possible to fast testing a new pattern without waiting of the response of all other Pattern.
Be sure that your new Pattern are containing all required XML-Nodes, the <Processing>-Node containing the C# class to process the result data from the command to a Discovery-Object. The functionality is that the Discovery-Tool reading the C# Source Code that is including the <Processing>-Node and invoking the PerformAction-Method of the PatternExec-Class.
The PerformAction Method is mandatory and the Discovery-Tool invoking it with an object array that are including the following 4 objects:
| Parameter | Object type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| parameters[0] | Command Result | Containing the result of the initial pattern command. |
| parameters[1] | IProvider | Containing the executing Provider-Class that is connected to the discovering system. This provider will be used in the pattern to execute other commands if required. |
| parameters[2] | object | Containing the HostInfo-/Device-Object that is initial created on the start of the scan.
|
Provider classes
For connecting to Host or Devices there are 4 Types of Providers used by the Discovery-Tool, the following described Providers handling the connection and execution of commands to collecting data.
Inside of a Pattern you have the availability to use the actual connected Provider to execute additional commands if more informations from the System are needed.
SSH-Provider
The SSH-Provider-Class is connected to a Linux System and can be used insight of a Pattern:
using Insight.Discovery.ProviderClasses; // Include the ProviderClasses Namespace at the Head of the PatternCode
using Insight.Discovery.InfoClasses; // Include the InfoClasses Namespace at the Head of the PatternCode
// Casting the connected Provider out of the parameters from the PerformAction-Method
SSHProvider ssh = (SSHProvider)parameters[1];
// using the SSH-Provider to execute a command and receiving the result.
var result = (SSHExecuteResult)ssh.ExecuteCommand("hostname"); // returning the hostname of a Linux SystemFor example a cast SSHProvider is used in the "Linux_Hostinfo_Hostname.pat" Pattern.
WMI-Provider
The WMI-Provider-Class is connected to a Windows System and can be used insight of a Pattern:
using Insight.Discovery.ProviderClasses; // Include the ProviderClasses Namespace at the Head of the PatternCode
using Insight.Discovery.InfoClasses; // Include the InfoClasses Namespace at the Head of the PatternCode
// Casting the connected Provider out of the parameters from the PerformAction-Method
WMIProvider wmiProvider = (WMIProvider)parameters[1];
// using the WMI-Provider to read a Registry Value.
var result = (WMIRegValueResult)wmiProvider.GetRegistryValue("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\<Key>", "DisplayName");
// using the WMI-Provider to get a List of all Registry-Sub-Keys.
var result = (WMIRegValueListResult)wmiProvider.GetSubKeysFromRegistry("SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\");
//using the WMI-Provider to execute a WMI query receiving the result.
var result = (WMIQueryResult)wmiProvider.ExecuteWMIQuery("netstat -an");
//using the WMI-Provider to execute a command and receiving the result.
var result = (WMIExecuteResult)wmiProvider.ExecuteWMICommand("netstat -an");SNMP-Provider
The SNMP-Provider-Class is connected to a SNMP Device and can be used insight of a Pattern:
using Insight.Discovery.ProviderClasses; // Include the ProviderClasses Namespace at the Head of the PatternCode
using Insight.Discovery.InfoClasses; // Include the InfoClasses Namespace at the Head of the PatternCode
// Casting the connected Provider out of the parameters from the PerformAction-Method
SNMPProvider snmp = (SNMPProvider)parameters[1];
// using the SNMP-Provider to execute a SNMPGet command and receiving the results
var result = (SNMPExecuteResult)snmp.ExecuteCommand("1.3.6.1.2.1.1.6.0", ScanProcessType.SNMP_GET, true);
// using the SNMP-Provider to execute a SNMPWalk command and receiving the results
var result = (SNMPExecuteResult)snmp.ExecuteCommand("1.3.6.1.2.1.2.2.1.2", ScanProcessType.SNMP_WALK, true);
// using the SNMP-Provider to execute a SNMPWalk command with contextName and receiving the results
var result = (SNMPExecuteResult)snmp.ExecuteCommand("1.3.6.1.2.1.2.2.1.2", ScanProcessType.SNMP_WALK, "myContext",true);VIM-Provider
The SNMP-Provider-Class is connected to a VMWare ESXi System and can be used insight of a Pattern:
using Insight.Discovery.ProviderClasses; // Include the ProviderClasses Namespace at the Head of the PatternCode
using Insight.Discovery.InfoClasses; // Include the InfoClasses Namespace at the Head of the PatternCode
// Casting the connected Provider out of the parameters from the PerformAction-Method
VIMProvider snmp = (SNMPProvider)parameters[1];
// using the VIM-Provider to execute a command and receiving the results
var result = (VIMCommandResult)snmp.ExecuteCommand("HostSystem");Additional functions
ImportService
If you want to set a Date Attribute for a Discovery-Object like the InstallDate for an Application it must be in a specific Format ("MM/dd/yyyy").
You can use the delivered ImportService.ImportDate Method that will do the transformation for you:
using Insight.Discovery.Tools; // Include the Discovery Tools Namespace at the Head of the PatternCode
// using the ImportDate Method to transform the Date string of a result Object
discoveryObject.InstallDate = ImportService.Instance.ImportDate("resultDateString");
// The following input formats will be transformed:
// "MM/dd/yy", "M/dd/yy", "MM/dd/yyyy", "M/dd/yyyy", "MM/dd/yy", "M/d/yy", "MM/d/yyyy", "M/d/yyyy", "yyyyMMdd", "yyMMdd", "dd.MM.yy", "dd.MM.yyyy", "MMM-dd-yy", "MMM-dd-yyyy", "yyyy-MM-dd"LogService
If you want to write entries into the Discovery Logfile you can use the delivered LogService Class.
using Insight.Discovery.Tools; // Include the Discovery Tools Namespace at the Head of the PatternCode
// creating a "normal" log entry
LogService.Instance.LogNormal("My normal log entry");
// creating a "debug" log entry with additional Exception object
try
{
LogService.Instance.LogDebug("a debug log entry");
// Code that could raise an exception
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
LogService.Instance.LogError("Log of an exception", ex);
}Custom pattern examples
For examples, see Custom pattern examples.