A Data Collector regularly queries your enterprise objects for specific information, and each information type is called a collection task. Each collection task runs at specific intervals, and not all collection tasks run at the same intervals.

A collection task does not always return data because sometimes there isn’t any data to return. However, when the collection task returns data, this historical information is used to determine the collection task’s activity pattern or threshold.

Most collection tasks run between every 20 minutes to 24 hours. However, one collection task, the Backup Job Completed Event, can post data several times a second at the height of the backup window, thereby setting the historical period for posting data to a very short interval. Subsequently, when the backup window is closed and no backups are being performed, the status monitoring might indicate an alert for this data collection component. If you have a backup window with heavy activity and then no or little activity, you may encounter some false positives for this component. If this component indicates it has not captured any data for more than 24 hours, then the component likely indicates an issue that requires investigation.

The Event Data Collector is the software component responsible for capturing backup event data. It is started for the following subsystems: Commvault Simpana, EMC Data Domain, EMC NetWorker, HP Data Protector, and Veritas Backup Exec. This event collection is logged to enable troubleshooting and isolation of collection issues, by processing thread. You can access the logs via the Support Tools utility: Admin > Advanced > Support Tools. See also, Data Collector Log Files for a description of the log file naming convention.