Help with simple Properties plugin

[jtataGP]

I'm trying to implement a plugin that will give me a simple way to record the serial # for the machine an agent is installed on. According to what I've read this should be doable using the <Properties> tags in a plugin (http://support.hyperic.com/display/DOC/properties) but its not working quite the way the docs say it should.

I have a plugin created which looks like this:
<plugin>
<platform name="Linux">
<properties>
<property name="serial" description="Serial Number"/>
</properties>
</platform>
</plugin>

This plug-in initializes with no errors both manually and when I deploy it and restart the agent, but when I look in HQ there is no field under properties for either serial or Serial Number for the agent on which I have it deployed. Obviously I'm missing something in my plug-in but I have no clue what. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

[admin · Accepted solution]

Hi,

What you are trying to do won't work that way. Your plugin is trying to create a platform named Linux which should already exist.

The closest I can think of to do would be to change your plugin to be a platform service with the configuration properties for the service being the serial number.

[jtataGP]

OK, I guess I misunderstood the documentation. I thought one could extend the properties of an existing platform using this method. I am already using a platform service plugin to record connection information for CPS devices. I will investigate extending this to record the rest of my inventory info as well. Thanks.

[jtataGP]

Well I've created a Service plugin to record the data I need. I'm still struggling with presentation. I'd really like to find a way to present the items in the Properties section of the service, but it seems that nothing I do makes this happen.

Does the <properties> tag work at all? Is there any way to pass the value from an <option> to a <property> so that it displays at the top of browse window when viewing the service?