7.1 Understanding the AppManager Repository

The QDB is a SQL Server database that stores information about the following:

  • The jobs you run

  • The events and data that AppManager collects

  • The managed computers that AppManager monitors

  • The options you set for viewing and managing jobs, events, and data

  • Stored procedures that AppManager uses in the background to perform the database operations that you request

  • Scheduled jobs to perform certain maintenance tasks at set intervals

The management server, Operator Console, and Control Center send information to and request information from the database using SQL ODBC connections.

7.1.1 Understanding the Tables

The AppManager repository includes more than 100 database tables to store details about the computers you monitor, the jobs you run on each computer, the job properties you set, the events, and the data that AppManager collects. In most cases, you only need to be familiar with a few of these tables to plan your maintenance and backup strategies.

The tables are as follows:

Table Name

Information stored

Event

Basic event identification, including:

  • Numeric identifiers for parent and child events

  • Name of Knowledge Script and numeric identifier for job that raises the event

  • Name of computer that raised the event

  • Event severity, time of last event occurrence, and short message associated with the event

Several related tables that are linked to this table through the EventID field store additional event information. Related tables include:

  • EventDetail

  • EventDetailAction

  • EventHistory

  • ArchiveEvent

  • ArchiveEventDetail

DataHeader

Data stream identification and related properties, including:

  • Numeric identifier for the data stream

  • Numeric identifiers for the parent and child job collecting the data

  • Name of Knowledge Script collecting the data

  • Numeric identifier and name for the computer running the job

  • Short description (legend) associated with the data stream

  • Minimum, maximum, and last values returned

Several related tables that are linked to this table through the DataID field store additional information, such as the detail message associated with the data stream. Related tables include:

  • Data_yyyymmdd

  • DataHeaderDeleted

  • DataRejected

  • ArchiveDataHeader

Data_yyyymmdd

Data values and timestamps, and short and long detail messages associated with data points if you set jobs to collect data details

AppManager stores collected data by day, with one table per day. AppManager deletes the tables when they reach the maximum retention period that you specify for Remove old data after in the Control Center console options. The default retention period is 30 days.

For information about setting the console options, see the Control Center User Guide for AppManager, available on the AppManager Documentation page.

ArchiveDataHeader

Data stream identification and related properties for archived data streams.

Job

Basic job identification, including:

  • Name of the Knowledge Script and the numeric identifier for the parent and child job

  • Numeric identifier for the computer running the job

  • Job status indicator

  • Time the job was submitted, last run, last paused, and last restarted

Related tables that are linked to this table through the JobID field store additional job information, such as the audit trail associated with the job. Related tables include:

  • JobHistory

  • JobObject

7.1.2 Stored Procedures

The AppManager repository includes numerous stored procedures that perform operations when you use the Operator Console or Control Center console to complete tasks, or when the management server updates the database. These stored procedures contain the logic that serves as the backbone for creating jobs, handling events, managing data, and producing reports.

The only stored procedures you can view in their entirety are those used to generate reports. The stored procedures for reports use a special naming convention (NetIQrp* and rp*). The stored procedures are not encrypted and you can use them as templates to create new and custom reports.

7.1.3 SQL Server Jobs

The AppManager repository includes predefined SQL Server jobs that run at regular intervals to perform specific data management tasks. Depending on the task performed, changing the SQL Server job interval can affect database performance or efficiency. You can change the schedule through the Task Scheduler Configuration Utility. For more information about changing the job schedule, see Configuring the Task Scheduler Service and SQL Server Jobs.

AppManager uses the following SQL Server jobs for managing data.

Job

Description

NetIQ Archive Event QDB

Moves events from the Event tables to the ArchiveEvent tables if you set the repository preference to archive events. The job runs every 3 hours.

NetIQ Dynamic View QDB

Ensures that relevant information is shown in any existing dynamic view. Also ensures that any job affected by parameter overrides restarts with the override values if the corresponding custom property value has changed. The job runs every 7 minutes.

NetIQ MS Healthcheck QDB

Raises an event if it detects a downed management server. This stored procedure also closes any events when the management server is restored. The job runs every 2 minutes.

NetIQ Monitoring Policy QDB

Applies monitoring policies defined in Control Center and in the Operator Console to matching servers. This task creates new monitoring policy jobs where it detects they are missing and removes existing jobs where it detects they should no longer be running. The job runs every 3 minutes.

NetIQ Purge Archive Event QDB

Deletes archived event information from the ArchiveEvent and ArchiveEventDetail tables based on the repository preference you have specified.

For more information about setting the repository preference used by this job, see Managing Events.

The job runs every day at 2:00 AM.

NetIQ Rule Based Dynamic View QDB

Ensures that the rule-based dynamic views correctly represent the servers. The job runs every 2 minutes.

NetIQ Update MG Server Membership QDB

Updates the Control Center tables in the QDB, which enables the information to be moved into the Control Center repository for display in the Control Center console. The job runs every 3 minutes.

NetIQ Uphold Parameter Overrides QDB

Reconciles the overrides for monitoring policy and ad hoc Knowledge Script Group parameters with the information configured in Control Center: it compares job override settings with the settings that the Control Center repository puts in the ParameterOverride table. The job runs every 2 minutes.

NetIQ Daily QDB

Performs internal data maintenance operations, such as removing jobs, events, actions, objects and data that you mark for deletion during the day and running a consistency check for frequently used tables. The job runs daily at 1:00 AM.

NetIQ Hourly QDB

Performs internal data maintenance operations, such as updating table statistics for frequently accessed tables and recompiling frequently used procedures. The job runs every 2 hours.

NetIQ Weekly QDB

Performs internal data maintenance operations, such as re-indexing tables and performing data archiving operations. The job runs every Sunday at 3:00 AM.

NetIQ License Audit QDB

Reviews the installed license keys against the information in the AppManager TreeView pane. The job runs every 3 months on the first day of the month.

NetIQ Remove Old Data QDB

Removes Data_yyyymmdd tables that are older than the number of days you specify for Remove old data after in the Control Center console options and updates the consoles to reflect removal of the old data.

The default data retention period is 30 days. If you specify zero days, the job does not remove any data. The job runs daily at 2:30 a.m.

For information about setting Control Center console options, see the Control Center User Guide for AppManager, available on the AppManager Documentation page.

NetIQ Rebuild Data Views QDB

Adds 10 days’ worth of Data_yyyymmdd tables for future use.

The job runs daily at 3:30 a.m.

NetIQ VSG Modtime Update QDB

Updates the modification time in tables related to servers and views. Control Center uses this information to determine whether to update the Control Center repository. The job runs every 15 seconds.

NetIQ Daily NQCCDB

Removes items marked for deletion from the Event, Job, and Computer tables. The job runs daily at midnight.

NetIQ Half-Hourly Task NQCCDB

Maintains the Queue table, which is used by the command queue service for tasks submitted by the Control Center console. The job runs every 30 minutes.

NetIQ Hourly NQCCDB

Maintains several background tables, such as the ArchiveQueue and Object tables, and processes custom properties and security configuration information. The job runs every hour.

NetIQ Manage SQL Jobs NQCCDB

This task provides for backward compatibility only. The NQSYNCDB process now handles actions once taken by this task. The job runs every minute.

NetIQ SMV Hourly Task NQCCDB

Deletes information that has been marked for removal from various tables related to Service Map Views. The job runs every hour.

These jobs require the Task Scheduler service to be running. You can check the status of the jobs in the Task Scheduler Configuration Utility. If a job did not complete successfully at its last iteration, check the status of the Task Scheduler service. In addition, you should periodically back up SQL Server jobs as part of regular database maintenance. For more information about backing up the repository, see Backing Up and Restoring the QDB.