Lookups

Lookup files can be imported and created in the Lookups management screen, under Data pipelines

In certain scenarios, it might be required to maintain a status Lookup file in Exivity. For example, when no logical mapping can be done from certain cloud resources such as mapping of VMware datastores, Azure Resource Groups, T-Shirt Size / Flavor VM's, etc. To apply business logic such as Disk Tiering or Customer identifications, a static Lookup file can be a useful tool to close this gap in your data feed. In this chapter, we explain how to create, import and use a Lookup file in Exivity.

Creating Lookups

To create a new Lookup file, browse to the Data Pipelines > Metadata menu and then click the Create Lookup. To create a new empty Lookup, provide a name and specify the number of columns and rows that you'll need (don't worry - you can add/remove columns and rows later):

Creating a new Lookup

After clicking the Create button an Excel-like grid will be shown. The first row of the lookup is considered the mandatory header. All rows afterwards are values that can be filled in according to your use case. In this example, we're creating a static mapping for VMware Datastores, where each Datastore relates to a specific Department:

Adding values to a lookup file

In case you want to remove or add a column/row: by right-clicking anywhere in the grid a pop-up will be shown from where you can choose to add/remove a column/row:

Adding and removing columns and rows

When you are finished, click the Update button.

NOTE: make sure there are no empty rows at the end of your lookup file. Failing to do so may cause an import error when using the Lookup in a Transformer

Importing Lookups

In case you already have a Lookup file that you have created elsewhere (i.e. Excel sheet, or CSV export from a CMDB), Exivity offers you the ability to create a Lookup by importing that file.

To import a CSV or Excel sheet as a Lookup file, browse to the Data Pipelines > Metadata menu and then click the Create Lookup. Now click the Import button in the area of the screen which is labeled as Use existing. Now it is possible to make some final changes to your file. Once finished, press the Update button to save your changes.

NOTE: make sure there are no empty rows at the end of your lookup file. Failing to do so may cause an import error when using the Lookup in a Transformer

Using Lookup file in a Transformer

Once a Lookup is created, it is possible to import it in a Transformer as a DSET for correlating datasets and other use cases. Before opening your Transformer, the first thing to do is obtaining the correct Lookup file path for importing.

To obtain this path, first open the Lookup using the Lookups menu. Then click the Copy icon to the right of the FILENAME:

Copy Lookup path

Once this has been done, now open your Transformer, and past the path of your Lookup as part of an import statement:

Importing a statis Lookup in a Transformer