Creating a CSV file

A comma-separated value (CSV) file can be a data feed source to the Control Compliance Suite. Data is arranged in a specific format in the CSV file for easy interpretation by the infrastructure. A CSV data collector is configured to collect data from the CSV file. Later, reports of the collected data is generated and displayed in the console.

In the CSV file, you must organize data in columns as per the specific format. The data corresponds to the assets, which belong to a specific asset type.

Note:

To import the assets of the asset type, Windows File with directory as the scope using the CSV data collector, add a new column in the CSV file. The column, WntFile.PARENTDIRECTORYINT has to be added in the CSV file besides the other fields that are required for the asset type. The data for this column must contain the directory names, which are specified as the scope during the asset import.

Data feed through a CSV file facilitates collecting and reporting data of any custom application. You can export the data of any custom application into a CSV file and perform data collection using the CSV data collector. In the Control Compliance Suite, a CSV data collector is driven by an entity schema, which contains the blueprint to interpret the CSV file data.

See About the entity schema .

Note:

To import assets of the ESM asset type, Agent, you can use the file, ESMAgentAsset.csv. This file is located in the directory, <install directory>\Symantec\CCS\Reporting and Analytics\Applications\Data Collectors\ESM.

To create a CSV file

Export the data of the custom application into a CSV file.
Identify the asset type for which you want to collect data through a CSV file.

See Asset types.

The asset type can belong to a predefined asset type of Control Compliance Suite or can belong to any custom application.

See Predefined asset types.
If the asset type is for a custom application, then identify the following for the asset type:
- Platforms
  
  See About platforms.
- Entity
  
  See About entities.
- Fields
  
  See About fields of an entity .
For a custom application, you must first define an entity schema before creating the CSV file.

See Creating a new entity schema.

The entity schema creates the blueprint for interpreting the fields of the CSV file. You must identify the primary fields of the asset type that you want to create.
In the CSV file, create headers to arrange the data of the custom application in the supported format.

The headers in the CSV file must be arranged in the following format:

<platform>.<entity>.<field>

For example, you can have a DB2 application for which the asset type is Server. Now, you might want to collect data for the ServerName field of all the servers in the network. In the CSV file, the platform is DB2, entity is Server, and the field is ServerName.

The header information for the DB2 application in the CSV file is of the following format:

DB2.Server.ServerName

The best practice is to specify the header information of the primary fields as the starting columns in the CSV file. You can copy and paste the header information for all the fields of the created entity from the Summary panel of the Create new entity schema wizard.

For an asset type that already exists in Control Compliance Suite, you can export the header information of the asset type to a CSV file. The header information of the asset type can be retrieved from the Asset view of the console.

See Exporting CSV headers.
In the CSV file, arrange the assets (of the specific asset type) and the related data as per the defined header information.
Configure the CSV data collector and run the asset import job.