Data Queries - Must the Index be numeric?

[theiss]

Hi Everyone,

This is my first Data Queries and am following a document on github "How-To-Script-Data-Queries".
I am curious if I can use a non-numeric index (ie: based on name, like associative array)?

What I'm trying to do:
I have a Cisco CallManager cluster, and I am trying to monitor my bandwidth for voice calls for each location by graphing them. So, location/site names does not have numerical index natively; if I use numerical index, a new location may cause re-indexing issue.

From following the document, I am at the stage of creating a graph from the "Management -> Device" page. And under the "Data Query" - the index column is empty (not filled in), but the description and other parameters are correctly listed.
If I create the graphs from the list, it will also keep the name of the first index for all of the graphs, ie: all graph names will contain CASS instead of inserting TESS.

Data Query
Index descr calls max avail used
CASS 0 0 0 0
TESS 0 0 0 0

Regards,
theiss

[TheWitness]

Indexes can be both numeric and string based even if that string is a sequence of hex equivalent ASCII values like "aa.bb.fc.13...". The development of Data Queries can be very complex and often times involves re-writing the Index values to achieve the "actual" index. Knowledge of Regular Expressions is super important. So, if you start writing the heck out of these things, you will have to become familiar with REGEX.

There is a user contributed change in 1.2.23 that is going to make some of this easier. We've have several lightly documented enhancements in Data Query construction over the years, but sadly most of the Data Queries were never published.

[theiss]

Thank you for the response!

I think I have found my issue.
I am missing "query index" as an option in my script.

Cheers,
~Theiss

[theiss]

I don't know how to close a "resolved question".

So, since this is still editable, I thought I'd include my finding to resolve my issue in this post.

I've solved my issue with regards to the index.
I followed the "Script Data Query Walkthrough" to create my index data query.
I found that I was missing the "query <indexname>" option.

I've now included the following notes in my script to remind me of future edits.

/* USAGE: */
/* script_name.php <hostname> 'index' */
/* script_name.php <hostname> 'index_count' */
/* script_name.php <hostname> 'get' <fieldname> <indexname> */
/* script_name.php <hostname> 'query' <fieldname> */
/* script_name.php <hostname> 'query' <indexname> */
/* <hostname>: hostname */
/* <fieldname>: index, descr, calls, max, avail, used */
/* <indexname>: location name */
/* NOTE: */
/* do not include newline (\n) when echoing 'get' or 'index_count' commands, */
/* but must have for 'index' or 'query' commands */

I hope this will help someone new to cacti like me.

Cheers,
~Theiss