Dashboard Menu Input Parameters - internal key and human key

[HeadScratcher]

I have a a dashboard that runs some DQL based on an input parameter called $AppChoice.  This functions fine but is really anti-user friendly as the AppChoice is a kind of private key in our organisation i.e. just a reference number.   So you have to look it up or remember it (yuk, I know)

What I would like is to present the dashboard user with a human friendly string such as "Horizon App" and then convert that string over to the internal reference that is required for the DQL to work correctly.   

What is the best approach for this.    Appreciate any suggestions... 

NOTE: I am coming from a Splunk environment where we would probably use a csv or DB lookup as a solution. 

[ChadTurner]

@HeadScratcher the Private key, how many are there? Are they unique to a singular segment? For example, If someone has the same result of "Horizon App" would we expect each user to have the same Private Key?

[HeadScratcher]

There are about 150 applications  in our deployment so in my mind a lookup table is the answer.    The mapping from human-friendly name with its private number is 1:1.   Ideally I would like to define a reusable lookup resource that others could also make use of or even better delegate to the external inventory application and cache the results in DT so that I can avoid maintenance TOIL.  

[ChadTurner]

Understandable. So this data is primarily for server identification for the App and App ID correct? We had something similar at another company. Our solution was to extract the values from the CMDB at time of install. So when Server 1 was onboarded, it had an App ID of 123456 and the App Name of EZTravel. The data was populated as custom environment data on the applicable hosts then also formulated as an automatic tag. This allowed users to search and filter hosts out by either the App ID or the Human Friendly App Name. This was also expanded to include ownership of the servers, environments etc... all extracted from your single source of truth. 

[HeadScratcher]

Correct. In my role I am often looking at ensuring consistency of the hosts on the tenant, for example:

1. which applications are not running a supported version of one agent
2. which applications are missing some important tag defined 
3. which applications etc...