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Create New Aggregate Feed

Invoking the Aggregate Feed Wizard

1. To invoke the New Feed Wizard make sure the 'Aggregates Tab' is active then

   Select 'Feeds > New Feed...' from the main menu.
   

   OR
   

   Click on the 'New Feed' toolbar button.
   

   OR
   

   Use the keyboard shortcut ALT + E + W

2. The following topics describe each of the Wizard steps:

Step 1: Provide a Name for the New Feed

1. Enter a unique name for the aggregate feed in the 'Name' text box.
2. Select the name of the group that you want to add this feed to, or type in the name of a new group.

Define Aggregate Feed Columns

Step-by-step Method

If you're defining an aggregate for a small number of feed sources, or for feeds of different types (e.g. event log vs. text) then there are essentially two steps to follow:

Step 1 - Define the Columns for the Aggregate Feed

Step 2 - Map Source Feed Fields to Aggregate Feed Columns

Step 1 - Define the Columns for the Aggregate Feed

The first step is to decide what columns you want in the aggregate feed.

You can create as many columns as you like and source them with data from one or more source feeds. You column names don't need to match fields in your source feeds. For example, you can create a column called 'Information' and source it from the field 'Message' in one of your source feeds and the field 'Data' in another.

You can also map more than one field in your source feed to a single column in your aggregate feed. For example, you can define a single column called 'Other Information' and map it to several fields in your source feed. The field values will be concatenated into a single column in the aggregate feed.

To Create a New Column

1. Click on the 'Add' button to display the 'Set Name' dialog.
2. Enter a name for the new column and click 'OK'.

To Delete a Column

1. Select the column that you want to delete by clicking on the column header.
2. Click on the 'Delete' button.

To Rename a Column

1. Select the column that you want to rename by clicking on the column header.
2. Click on the 'Rename' button to display the 'Set Name' dialog.
3. Enter a new name for the column and click 'OK'

Step 2 - Map Source Feed Fields to Aggregate Feed Columns

You can map fields from one or more source feeds to the new columns in your aggregate feed. You can also map multiple fields from the same feed to a single column in the aggregate feed. A new row will be created in the 'View Columns' section for each source feed that is used in the aggregate feed.

To Choose a Source Feed to Use in the Aggregate Feed

All available feeds are displayed in the 'Available Feeds' section. As of version 2.3.5, you can select more than one feed at a time.

To View Available Fields for a Given Source Feed

Select a feed in the 'Available Feeds' section to view a list of available fields in the 'Available Fields' section. To speed up creation of the aggregate, you can select multiple source feeds at the same time.

To Map a Field to a Column in the Aggregate Feed

Click on the field name and drag it over the appropriate column name in the 'View Columns' section. The mapped field name will appear in the appropriate column.

To Change a Field Mapping

Drag the new field into the relevant column. The old field will be overwritten.

To Map Multiple Fields to a Single Column in the Aggregate Feed

Hold the Ctrl button down while you drag each of the fields into the appropriate columns. Each of the mapped field names will appear in the appropriate column with a '+' symbol between them. In the resulting aggregate feed the field data will be concatenated.

To Remove an Entire Source Feed From an Aggregate Feed

1. Select the feed in the 'View Columns' section by clicking on it.
2. Click on the 'Delete Row' button.
   

Auto-Populate (shortcut method)

If you're creating an aggregate for a number of identical feeds (same type, same columns) then there's a quicker way to put the definition together.

1. Select one or more compatible feeds in the Available Feeds list
2. Press the Auto-Populate button

This fills out the definition with a 1 : 1 mapping, where all columns are listed and each selected feed contributes to each column. It's now just a matter of pruning away any redundant columns (see "To Delete a Column" above).

Note: It's recommended that you drop any columns you don't need. Aggregates take more processing effort than standard feeds; the fewer the columns, the lower the overhead.

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