Connector for CSV File

Before you start

Before you read this documentation, it is recommended that you review the Integrated Platform Configuration documentation.

The connector for CSV file is implemented to link vFire Core and any Comma Separated Value (CSV) data file. This section of the documentation provides a description of the connector for CSV file. It lists the resource types that can be discovered on the application and the attributes of each resource type that can be imported into the vFire Core Configuration Management Database (CMDB).

If not specified, version 9.0 and above should be assumed as the adequate version for vFire Core.

You should familiarize yourself with the information in Installing Connectors before installing any connectors, and read the Integration topics for more information on how to configure them.

About the CSV File Connector

The connector for CSV Files reads a Comma Separated Value (CSV) file from a location accessible to the vFire Core server, and interprets each row found within the file as a unique resource. Every column imported is interpreted as a property of that resource.

The connector supports data retrieval from CSV files that can be correctly read and manipulated in Microsoft Excel, but does not support any other formats supported by Excel.

Assumptions

The assumptions about the connector for CSV file are as follows:

  • That each CSV file has a header row. None of the cells in this row is imported. Its contents are used as property names for the data in the rows below.
  • That the CSV file has at least one column which can be used as a reliable unique identifier. This means that the unique identifier for a resource:
    • Should be specified for every resource
    • Should not change over time
    • Should be distinct from the identifiers of the other resources in the file
  • That the file has at least one column which can serve as a suitable descriptive name for the resource.

Permissions

The processes that use the connector, namely Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) and the vFire Core Connector Service, must have sufficient permissions to read the CSV file.

The connector requires only read permissions for the CSV file as it does not update the file.

If vFire Core runs across multiple servers, the path specified for the file must be valid and accessible on all those servers. This means that if the data file is being read from a path in the local drive, for example, C:\Data\Resources.csv, then that location and the CSV file must be replicated across all servers so that it is valid for them all. This applies regardless of whether a server is set up purely to run the web server component or the polling service.

CSV data is arranged sequentially in a flat file. This means that ad hoc access through the connector to resources in larger CSV files will be necessarily slow. For this reason, it is recommended not to use the External Resource Search functionality against this connector. Though this functionality is supported, it may not perform well.

Use Case Scenario

Purpose

An organization uses a CSV data file to maintain resources present in their networks.

Role of the connector

To expose the resources in the network in order to allow for population and ongoing consistency checks of the vFire Core CMDB.

Connector Description

The table below provides a description of the connector for CSV file.

Information field

Description

Connector

CSV data file <-> vFire Core

Third-party application

A plain text Comma Separated Value (CSV) file

Assembly

Infra.Connector.CSV.dll

Connector class

Infra.Connector.CSV.CSVConnector

Configuration file

Infra.Connector.CSV.icnf

Connection methodology

Reading a file from the local file system

Config Portability with CSV Connectors (Upload option)

From 9.8 onwards, you are porting the settings, but not the CSV file itself. Therefore, when porting the settings for a CSV connector, take the following steps:

  1. Export the CSV Connector Settings from the source system.
  2. Import the CSV Connector Settings into the target system.
  3. Open the CSV Connector Source in the target system.
  4. Upload the CSV File.
  5. Click to confirm that the target connector source system is working as expected.
  6. Configure/review the Integration Resource, etc. as usual.

Connection Parameters

The table below provides the description of the connection parameters of the connector for CSV file.

File Location Use the browse option to navigate to the file on your local system or server. Select the file and then select Upload.
Server/Network Path

Specify the file system path of the CSV data file to import.

This field was previously called Path on Server(s), and has been renamed to clarify functionality.

Unique ID Column

The name of the unique identifier column

Display Name Column

The name of the descriptive name column

Connector Diagnostics

The connector has the facility to trace information. The data can be obtained through Polling tracing or Application tracing.

Licensing

The connector for CSV file is not a licensed software. This means that every User can use it free of charge. However, the connector ensures that the User is licensed for the Integration Platform module as a prerequisite for its own operation.

Resource types

The connector for CSV file for vFire Core 9.2 upwards has a configuration file. This file allows the following:

  • Specification of several resource and link types
  • Specification of several CSV files from which information can be extracted

The import process, when extracting data from one or several CSV files, behaves similarly to any other Federated CMDB connector, notably in relation with the mapping capabilities of the Integration Platform.

The column headers defined in the CSV files dictate the properties available for the resource type. Each header serves as both the key and the display name of the property.

Following the same concept as for specifying several CSV files from which to extract information, the creation of link types is performed by modifying the configuration file. However, this modification should ideally be implemented after proper training and a clear understanding of the Integration Platform specifications.

Ensure that the header names remain consistent over time so that mappings are not invalidated.