Create custom patterns
Create a custom pattern
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 copy and modify an existing pattern of the Pattern-Type you want. We recommend that you develop and test a new pattern in a non-production environment and set up a connection to the Host or Device that returns the result data you want to handle with from Discovery.
Then remove all Patterns 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 quickly test a new pattern without waiting for the response of all other Patterns.
Be sure that your new Pattern contains all required XML-Nodes, the <Processing>-Node contains the C# class to process the result data from the command to a Discovery-Object. The functionality is that the Discovery-Tool reads the C# Source Code, which includs the <Processing>-Node and invokes the PerformAction-Method of the PatternExec-Class.
For examples, see Custom pattern examples.
The PerformAction Method is mandatory and the Discovery-Tool invokes it with an object array that includes the following 3 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 sections describe Providers handling the connection and execution of commands to collect data.
Inside a Pattern you have the availability to use the actual connected Provider to execute additional commands if more information from the System is needed.
SSH-Provider
The SSH-Provider-Class is connected to a Linux System and can be used inside 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 inside 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 inside 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
using System.Text;
// Casting the connected Provider out of the parameters from the PerformAction-Method
SNMPProvider snmp = (SNMPProvider)parameters[1];
// (Optional) Return octet strings as HEX
snmp.OctetStringAsHex = true;
// (Optional) Set encoding for octet string (Encoding.ASCII, Encoding.UTF8, Encoding.Unicode, or Encoding.UTF32)
snmp.OctetStringEncoding = Encoding.ASCII;
// 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 inside 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);
}