Using EventTrails

There are several pieces of software that make up the EventTrails system. Below we discuss the purpose of each component and how to use it. The invocation scripts for these components are located in the .../install/bin directory. In the examples that follow, we assume that .../install/bin is the current directory.

Database Manager

While the database manager is not a direct component of EventTrails, an appropriate database instance is needed to run EventTrails. Consult with your DBA to obtain a database instance and the permissions necessary to use it. The DBA will also be able to provide you with the specific JDBC connect string required for using the database.

dbinit

Before using the database, it must be configured to contain the tables that EventTrails uses to store its information. The dbinit script invokes two programs; the first deletes any old EventTrails tables that might be present while the second creates the tables needed by EventTrails. AS SUCH, THIS PROGRAM WILL DELETE ANY EVENTTRAILS INFORMATION THAT EXISTS IN THE DATABASE BEFORE IT IS RUN, AND AS SUCH, SHOULD BE USED WITH EXTREME CAUTION!

Windows:

Unix:

startSiena

Siena is a service that conveys events from event generators to the EventTrails Database.

Windows:

Unix:

Note: this program needs to remain active while using EventTrails. As such, you may want to run it in the background (under Unix). Otherwise, after invoking this script, switch to a new shell to invoke other commands.

Note, also, this script creates two files, err.txt and log.txt in the current directory. These files can be used to monitor Siena's actions while it is being run. In particular, any event published by Siena will be logged in log.txt.

startEventDBServer

This script invokes an EventTrails program that "sits" on top of the database. It receives events from Siena and stores their information in the appropriate tables in the database. Note: This script must be invoked AFTER the startSiena script.

Windows:

Unix:

Note: this program needs to remain active while using EventTrails. As such, you may want to run it in the background (under Unix). Otherwise, after invoking this script, switch to a new shell to invoke other commands.

startProxy (Windows Only)

The EventTrails proxy serves as an interface between an instrumented Microsoft Office application (currently, Word) and the Siena event server. The proxy must be initialized on the computer on which the Office application runs, and should be started AFTER the scripts startSiena and startEventDBServer.

This script creates a file proxylog.txt in the current directory.

Windows:

Test Scripts

Once dbinit, startSiena, startEventDBServer, and startProxy (Windows Only) have been run, your EventTrails environment can be tested by running the following scripts. Note: these scripts are not meant to be a thorough installation verification suite.