ELM Database Management

ELM supports Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and Microsoft SQL Server 2005 complete with the free introductory versions for archiving and reporting. Depending on the edition of ELM you're running, the database contains alerts, events, knowledge base articles and performance data. ELM can also manage the database for you by pruning old events or by aggregating and pruning collected performance data.

ELM stores a variety of information in its database:

 

During Setup, a Wizard will launch for the creation of the database. In addition, event retention periods may be set (e.g., how long collected events remain in your database). By default, ELM is pre-configured at installation with the following data retention defaults:

We recommend you change the first two lines with the * by them as these are set very short for evaluation purposes.
You can specify any other value (e.g., 1 day, 1 week, 2 weeks, 30 days, 1 year, etc.) by editing each line.

NOTE: These settings follow a top down hierarchy which is important to understand. Settings at the top will override the same type of criteria setting lower down on the list (lower priority).

First, an empty database to contain the collected data must be created. Thereafter, the appropriate tables and indices will be created automatically.

Reporting

ELM includes a robust reporting engine that enables administrators to create and schedule reports without requiring any additional software. Reports in ELM uses ASP.Net to produce and manage reports. Predefined reports are grouped into categories for easy reference. Reports can be viewed through the Console or a web browser. The URL to the Reports folder is defined during setup by specifying the name of the virtual directory.

All reports are stored in the Reports container in the ELM Console. This container, as well as individual reports, support the application of Windows Access Control Lists (ACLs). You can secure the entire container, or secure individual reports.