For configuring data inputs, you must create different types of inputs and map them with respective systems to hold the collected data.

Splunk recommends creating inputs with unique names as it is associated with checkpoints which are used to avoid duplicate data ingestion. Deletion of existing inputs does not remove the associated checkpoints.

Note: Do not create inputs with the name of deleted inputs as data collection does not start from the beginning. Instead, the data collection will begin from where the previous collection had stopped.

To access Inputs page, select Dell EMC PowerFlex Add-on for Splunk > Inputs.

Types of modular inputs

In addition to default PowerFlex inputs, Dell EMC PowerFlex Add-on for Splunk provides option to create two types of modular inputs.   

• PowerFlex Instance
• PowerFlex Statistics

PowerFlex Instance

PowerFlex Instance holds information about the queried objects.  

Example: /api/types/Sds/instances

This API call returns list of SDS objects from the mapped PowerFlex Cluster. This SDS object corresponds to total number of SDS displayed in the Overview dashboard.

The PowerFlex Instances are executed at specified intervals of time and are configurable. For more information about default time interval, see Appendix A.

PowerFlex Statistics

PowerFlex Statistics holds information about the list of IDs and their associated properties.

Example: /api/types/Sds/instances/action/querySelectedStatistics

This API call returns list of IDs and associated properties of the SDS such as ID, read and write IOPS, read and write transfer rate. These SDS object properties are displayed in SDS dashboard.

The PowerFlex Statistics is run at specified intervals of time and is configurable. For more information about default time interval, see Appendix A.

Default Inputs

As mentioned in Add Systems section, Splunk creates few prerequisites inputs for Dell EMC PowerFlex App for Splunk.

• Systems Information
• Systems Statistics
• Protection Domain Instances
• Protection Domain Statistics
• Fault set Instance
• Fault set Statistics
• SDS Instances
• SDS Statistics
• Storage Pool Instances
• Storage Pool Statistics
• Device Instances
• Device Statistics
• Volume Instances
• Volume Statistics
• VTree Instances
• VTree Statistics
• SDC Instances
• SDC Statistics
• Alerts (Instances)

Note: By default, these inputs are disabled, and the user must manually enable all these inputs.

Managing Inputs

 You can manage the properties of available inputs.

Figure 1.                  Manage Inputs

From the Inputs page, you can perform the following actions:

• Edit or Modify existing input properties
• Enable or Disable based on the status of the input. Example: If status is enabled, only disable option is available
• Clone an existing input
• Delete input

Note: Do not create inputs with the name of deleted inputs as data collection does not start from the beginning. Instead, the data collection will begin from where the previous collection had stopped.

Create Inputs

Complete the following steps to create inputs:

1. Select Dell EMC PowerFlex Add-on for Splunk > Inputs.

2. Click Create New Input option available in the upper-right corner of the GUI.
3. Select required option from the drop-down menu: PowerFlex Instance and PowerFlex Statistics.
4. Enter the mandatory details as specified in the dialog box and click Add.

Result: The newly added input is now available in the list of configured inputs.