Data Mining Utility

Foundation for Long-Term Trend Analysis & Aggregated Reporting

The iWatch Data Mining Utility (or DMU) permits iWatch users to extract summary data from its native iWatch format and transfer this information into a star-schema database, where it can be readily analyzed for long-term trends, aggregated with data from other sources, and integrated into the customer’s Business Intelligence or Reporting Infrastructure.

By implementing the DMU, customers establish the foundation that permits, among other benefits:

• Long term trending and analysis across an entire population of iWatch-monitored data servers
• Integration of iWatch data with data from other sources.
• Flexible integration with existing Business Intelligence or Reporting infrastructures, including intranet portals or other facilities.
• Aggregation across multiple iWatch instances.
• Automated & Exception-based reporting.

As a result, the overall business utility of iWatch data is substantially enriched, providing a fully integrated resource that may be readily made available across an enterprise, without the necessity of implementing iWatch local clients wherever the data may be needed, even in cases where the iWatch Enterprise Web console is not present.

Please note the DMU does not include built-in reporting capabilities (though Exact may release such reporting tools in the future); it is assumed that the customer is establishing the DMU facility to support customized, enterprise class-reporting using industry-standard reporting tools. If assistance in developing applications is needed to leverage the data structure established via the DMU, contact your Exact Solutions Sales Engineering team for additional information.

DMU components and operation

The DMU consists of a Windows application that acts a specialized form of iWatch Client, plus a series of scripts that are used to streamline the setup of the star-schema database. The DMU will pull summary data from iWatch in 15-minute intervals, and then push that data to a SQL Server repository, as shown in the diagram below:

The scripts will streamline the setup of the repository database, which will be established in SQL Server. Certain aggregation tables are created during initial setup; since the data is now present in a standard RDMS, the user may create additional aggregation tables as may be required to support their business needs.

One DMU may service 10 or more iWatch servers; consult your iWatch Support engineer for further guidance in determining the number of DMU servers that may be required to support your total iWatch deployment.

Platform requirements:

• DMU servers: Windows NT, 2000, or XP
• Database Repository: Microsoft SQL 2000 or 2005.