Extract
Introduction
Extraction is the process by which USE (Unified Scriptable Extractor) retrieves data from external locations. The following types of data sources are supported:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| APIs | Typically, usage data is retrieved from the API or APIs provided by the cloud (or clouds) for which reports need to be generated. This is usually a REST API accessed via HTTP/S. |
| Files | A file on the local file system or on a shared volume. This is usually a CSV, JSON or XML file. |
| Exivity | In some cases it is useful to retrieve information from Exivity itself, such that accounts and usage data that were created historically can be incorporated into the daily processing. |
| Database | Arbitrary SQL queries can be executed against an SQL server either via a direct connection string or via an ODBC DSN. |
| Web | Arbitrary HTTP queries can be invoked in order to retrieve information from any web page accessible from the Exivity server. |
USE script
A USE script is required for USE to operate. Further information can be found via the links below:
An introductory overview of the scripting language:
A reference guide for the USE scripting language:
How to parse XML and JSON data:
Template scripts that can be used as starting points for common data sources: