This document doesn't replace documentation relevant to the database software you are

using, ie. README.mysql, README.pgsql or README.sqlite3.

The 'timestamp_start', 'timestamp_end', 'timestamp_arrival', 'timestamp_min' and

'timestamp_max' fields.

'timestamp_start' and 'timestamp_end' fields are being introduced to support logging

of traffic and events via pmacct (mainly NetFlow/IPFIX feature). 'timestamp_arrival'

records libpcap packet timestamp and sFlow/NetFlow/IPFIX packet arrival time at the

collector; 'timestamp_min' and 'timestamp_max' fields support stitching of flows (or

samples if sfacctd or packets if pmacctd), for more info see nfacctd_stitching feature

in CONFIG-KEYS.

Timestamps resolution is up to the msec level and for this reason time residual fields

are optionally introduced ie. 'timestamp_start_residual', 'timestamp_end_residual':

this is because support for resolutions beyond the secs level is something not popular

among the supported RDBMS, ie. only recent versions of MySQL >= 5.6.4 appear to support

it, hence the choice to go for two separate fields. Timestamp resolution can be cut

to secs level by setting timestamps_secs config directive to 'true': in this case the

residual fields can be omitted in the table schema. The guidelines below (typically

n MySQL format) are to add all the described primitives to the SQL schema:

* timestamp_start and timestamp_start_residual fields:

- To declare the fields:

- "timestamp_start DATETIME NOT NULL,"

- "timestamp_start_residual INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,"

- To add them to the primary key:

- "PRIMARY KEY (..., timestamp_start, timestamp_start_residual, ...)"

* timestamp_end and timestamp_end_residual fields:

- To declare the fields:

- "timestamp_end DATETIME NOT NULL,"

- "timestamp_end_residual INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,"

- To add them to the primary key:

- "PRIMARY KEY (..., timestamp_end, timestamp_end_residual, ...)"

* timestamp_arrival and timestamp_arrival_residual fields:

- To declare the fields:

- "timestamp_arrival DATETIME NOT NULL,"

- "timestamp_arrival_residual INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,"

- To add them to the primary key:

- "PRIMARY KEY (..., timestamp_arrival, timestamp_arrival_residual, ...)"

This works similarly for 'timestamp_min', 'timestamp_min_residual', 'timestamp_max'

and 'timestamp_max_residual'.

The primitive is not declared as part of any default table version; yet will not fail

version checks which are enabled when 'sql_optimize_clauses' feature is disabled.