Creating Collections

Video overview

The following video helps you understand what a collection is, and how to successfully connect to your cloud sources:

Creating collections

Before you create a collection, you must assemble the information required to connect HPE Consumption Analytics Portal to your source data, as described in the topics for each provider. For detailed information about assembling those credentials and creating collections for specific cloud providers, see the following topics:

• Amazon Web Services
• Google Cloud Platform
• Microsoft Azure

What to do after creating collections

After creating a collection, create SmartTag rules that supplement and transform your data before it is used in reports. For more information, see SmartTag rules.

Editing collections

Use this procedure if you need to update a collection. For example, you might need to take one or more of the following actions:

• Update the credentials needed to access the data source.
• Update the Microsoft Azure Access Key.
• Change the collection start date.
• Set the source currency for the cost and rate data being collected.
• Change the active/inactive status of the collection.

To edit a collection

1. On the Data > Collections screen, click the name of the collection you want to edit.
   The Editing Data Collection dialog box appears.
   
2. Modify the collection as needed, and then click Save.

   If you change the Earliest Date to Collect to an earlier date, HPE Consumption Analytics Portal starts the collection process for the added date range after you save the updated collection.

Viewing the history and status of a collection

The list of collections provides some information about each collection. It shows the Earliest Date to Collect you specified for the collection, and the number of days in the current quarter for which your collection is missing data.

Click the status icon to open a dialog that shows the collection status for each day since the Earliest Date to Collect. Green segments indicate successful collections of data, while grey segments indicate data is missing for some days. If you mouse over a grey segment, Cloud Cruiser displays the range of dates for that segment, making it easier for you to identify the range you need to enter when recollecting data. If you are missing data, look for Health Checks that might indicate a problem with the collection credentials. If the collection is configured correctly, contact Cloud Cruiser Support for assistance.

Starting collection manually

A collection retrieves data from your cloud data source on a regular schedule, starting with data from the Earliest Date to Collect defined in the collection. If you want to collect data from an earlier date, or for a specific range of dates, you can start collection manually. Additionally, you might want to start collection manually if you are missing data for one or more days.

If you run collection manually to resolve an issue with missing data, and the data is still missing after recollection, check with your cloud provider whether the data is available.

To start collection manually

1. On the Data > Collections screen, click the gear icon  and select Recollect.
   The Recollect dialog box appears.
   
2. Select a range of dates for the collection, and then click Recollect.
   HPE Consumption Analytics Portal begins collecting data for the dates you selected.