How to write a new Service Mapping pattern - Where's the starting point?

[leonid_suslov]

So, you want to understand how to start to write a new pattern.

But…how the heck, do you get started?   Where's the starting point?

Maybe you should just forget it — it's too complicated!

Well, hold on. I used to be a pattern writer newbie too. I had the same problems. I started my first pattern for Apache back in 2011, and I knew less than nothing about how to start with it.

Now I know a ton about it, and my service mapping patterns are doing pretty well — I'm not some sort of Guru, but I certainly do know the basics.

I promise it'll be simple, relatively easy, and definitely easy to understand. Sounds good?

Awesome, let's move on.

There are 2 steps you to go through in order to write a pattern. If you follow this guide, you'll complete a basic pattern up in 60 minutes or less. Good news, huh?

Step 1 — Collect relevant data and information

Collecting relevant data is an essential part of writing a new service mapping pattern. But doing research can be very time-consuming if you're not sure what you should be looking for and how to look for it.--

In this step, I   take you through an eight-step process for researching your targeted application. Let's dive right in.

• Find an application description

• Understand the type of product (DB, Application server, http server, middleware, etc.)

• Get list of supported platforms (Unix, Linux, Windows)

• Find what is unique for the application: process of the product on the machine (process name, command line process parameters, etc.)

• Find product configuration description (location of the configuration files, configuration files names, configuration structure)

• Find a list of products to which the application might have connections

Step 2 — Take Action

Ta-da! Your research is complete. It's time to take action and start developing your service mapping pattern.

• Create a new CI class according to the application specifications and unique CI identifiers

• Create a new endpoint type. (For many applications, the endpoint is TCP or https, so in most cases you can skip this step)

• Create a new pattern and with your findings create the pattern identification steps

• Create the new possible connections to other applications according to the same logic that a product is using; it might be URL, IPs and ports and etc.

• Save your pattern and don't forget to activate it!!!