This panel is only visible in Console ≥ 2.x.

Settings

This panel governs the CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instances that are made available to your Node instances for Analysis/snapshot schema and Measurement schema storage requirements.

Database connection list

This table lists all the CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instances that are available to your Node instances:

Database connection	The CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance displayed in the format: HOSTNAME:port/database_name.
CSS	When ticked, the CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance is made available for Application Analysis/snapshot schema storage. You can tick any number of instances, but you must always keep at least one instance ticked so that when new Applications are added, a CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance can be assigned to that Application. Making any changes requires that you use the Save button to save the changes. As such, a new Application is added, you will be offered this instance (and any others that are ticked) as storage: Onboarding with Fast Scan See Application - Overview with Fast Scan and Application onboarding with Fast Scan - run the initial deep analysis: Legacy onboarding See Legacy application onboarding - Add a new Application:
Measurement	The Measurement column indicates which CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance will be used to host the Measurement schema for consolidating your snapshot data for use in the Health Dashboard. The column uses a "radio" button configuration, ensuring that at least one instance is selected. Only one instance can host the Measurement schema. If you would like to change the instance used to store the Measurement schema you can do so - however, be aware of the impacts: Changing the target CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance will cause a new Measurement Service schema (with the name specified in the Measurement Schema name field) to be created on the new target CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance the next time a snapshot is generated via Console. This new Measurement Service schema will then be used for all future actions where data is uploaded to the Measurement schema. Remember that any snapshot data stored in any previously used Measurement Service schema will no longer be available in the Health Dashboard - however the schema will continue to exist on the CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance. Changing the CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance requires no manual changes for embedded Dashboards in Console ≥ 2.x. Making any changes requires that you use the Save button to save the changes.
	Allows you to view/edit the connection settings for the selected CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance. If you make any changes, any applications assigned to this instance will all start to use the new connection settings:
	Removes the selected CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance - the instance will then no longer be available. If the instance has already been used for either Analysis/snapshot schema or Measurement schema storage requirements, or if the instance is currently the only one that is active, then the icon will be greyed out and the instance cannot be deleted.

Add database connection

This option allows you to add in a new CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance that are made available to your Node instances for Analysis/snapshot schema and Measurement schema storage requirements:

Host

The hostname/IP address of the target CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance. This instance can either be installed on a local machine or remote machine (network access required). CAST recommends that you avoid using "localhost" even if the target CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL is located on the same machine as CAST Console - this is particularly true where CAST Console, CAST Imaging or the CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL are hosted within a Docker environment on the same machine.

Port

The port number of the target CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance. Use the following ports for specific CAST Storage Service releases:

CAST Storage Service 3	2282
CAST Storage Service 4	2284

Username/Password

The credentials for the target CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance. The default credentials for CAST Storage Service instances are: operator/CastAIP.

Database name

The database name on your target CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance. By default, postgres will be populated, however, if you are using AIP Core ≥ 8.3.40 and wish to store your schemas in a custom database (i.e. not the postgres database) enter the name of the custom database.

Use SSL

Tick this option if your target CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance is running in SSL encrypted mode. See SSL encrypted mode configuration for CAST Storage Service and PostgreSQL.

Measurement schema name

Name of the Measurement Service schema. By default this is set to general_measure. Authorized characters for the name are as follows:

0-9
A-Z
_ (underscore)

A validation process is actioned and any unauthorized characters, such as -, # or $ will be rejected.

If you would like to change the name of the Measurement schema you can do so - however, be aware of the impacts:

Changing the Measurement schema name will cause a new Measurement schema (with the name specified in the Measurement Schema name field) to be created on the target CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance the next time a snapshot is generated via Console. This new Measurement Service schema will then be used for all future actions where data is uploaded to the Measurement schema. Remember that any snapshot data stored in any previously used Measurement Service schema will no longer be available in the Health Dashboard - however the schema will continue to exist on the CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance.
Changing the Measurement schema name requires no manual changes for embedded Dashboards in Console ≥ 2.x.

Optimize/Save

Optimize

Over time and through continued use, the efficiency of your Measurement schema may well start to degrade ("gaps" in table data, inefficient indexes etc.) - this degradation can significantly impact performance with the most visible impact seen in the performance of the CAST Dashboards. To counter this, CAST provides a feature (known as CssOptimize) that can be run manually to optimize the Measurement schema stored in your CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance - i.e. to clean up defects that have appeared over time. Click the button and choose the action you require. The optimization action will run immediately:

You can find a full explanation of each action in Administration Center - Settings - CSS Optimization.
By default, Console will run an automatic optimization of the Measurement schemas using the Analyze action (this action can be changed/disabled - see Administration Center - Settings - CSS Optimization) immediately on completion of a data upload to the Measure schema.

Save

Any change made in this panel (Database connections/Measurement schema names) must be saved using the Save button. Changes are not applied until the button is clicked.

CSS Optimization

Over time and through continued use, the efficiency of your Application's schemas may well start to degrade ("gaps" in table data, inefficient indexes etc.) - this degradation can significantly impact performance with the most visible impact seen in the performance of the CAST Dashboards. To counter this, CAST provides a feature (known as CssOptimize) that can be run to optimize the schemas stored in your CAST Storage Service/PostgreSQL instance - i.e. to clean up defects that have appeared over time.

The CssOptimize tool can perform various different optimization actions, all of which are standard PostgreSQL actions:

Analyze and Vacuum
Disabled	This option disables all automatic optimization actions. Only for use when troubleshooting - otherwise not recommended since this can have a significant impact on performance of CAST Dashboards.
Analyze (default action)	See https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/sql-analyze.html for more information on the actions performed.
Vacuum	See https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/sql-analyze.html for more information on the actions performed.
Full Vacuum

This tool is run automatically with the default Analyze action in the following situations:

immediately on completion of a snapshot
immediately on completion of a data upload to the Measurement schema

If you would like to change the default action (for example change to Analyze and Vacuum, or to disable the action entirely), choose the option you require in the drop down list.

The optimize actions can also be run manually:

via the Console GUI:
- See the section Settings above(for the Measurement schema in v. 2.x)
- Administration Center - Settings - Measurement (for the Measurement schema in v. 1.x)
- Administration Center - Applications (for the Application schemas)
using command line tools:
- Maintenance activities for CAST Storage Service and PostgreSQL

Backups

If you would like to create a backup of the Measurement schema, click the Backup Measurement button as highlighted below. This will perform an immediate backup of the Measurement schema and list it in the table below:

Name	Name of the backup - this can be chosen when you click the Backup Measurement button. The default is YYYY-MM-DD:
Date	Date the backup was performed.
Size	Total size of the backup.
	Download the backup. The backup will be downloaded as a ZIP file containing a .cssbackup file. This can be restored using the CAST Storage Service tools. Measurement backups are physically stored on Nodes. When the backup is run, the least "busy" Node will be used to store the backup file in the following location. By default, this location is set to use the "backup" folder defined for the Nodes - see Configure AIP Node storage folder locations - optional - v. 1.x for more information. %PROGRAMDATA%\AipConsole\AipNode\backup\measurements\YYYY-MM-DD.zip
	Deletes the backup from Console. This process cannot be reversed.