diff --git a/includes/datastore.inc.php b/includes/datastore.inc.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..190cd61e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/includes/datastore.inc.php
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+<?php
+/*
+ * LibreNMS abstract data storage interface to both rrdtool & influxdb
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2016 Paul D. Gear <paul@librenms.org>
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+require_once $config['install_dir'] . "/includes/rrdtool.inc.php";
+require_once $config['install_dir'] . "/includes/influxdb.inc.php";
+
+
+/*
+ * @return Copy of $arr with all keys beginning with 'rrd_' removed.
+ */
+function rrd_array_filter($arr)
+{
+    $result = array();
+    foreach ($arr as $k => $v) {
+        if (strpos($k, 'rrd_') === 0) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        $result[$k] = $v;
+    }
+    return $result;
+} // rrd_array_filter
+
+
+/*
+ * Datastore-independent function which should be used for all polled metrics.
+ */
+function data_update($device, $measurement, $tags, $fields)
+{
+    // convenience conversion to allow calling with a single value, so, e.g., these are equivalent:
+    // data_update($device, 'mymeasurement', $tags, 1234);
+    //     AND
+    // data_update($device, 'mymeasurement', $tags, array('mymeasurement' => 1234));
+    if (!is_array($fields)) {
+        $fields = array($measurement => $fields);
+    }
+
+    // rrdtool_data_update() will only use the tags it deems relevant, so we pass all of them.
+    // However, influxdb saves all tags, so we filter out the ones beginning with 'rrd_'.
+
+    rrdtool_data_update($device, $measurement, $tags, $fields);
+    influx_update($device, $measurement, rrd_array_filter($tags), $fields);
+} // data_update
+
diff --git a/includes/functions.php b/includes/functions.php
index ebd7008b3..0e1e0e94e 100644
--- a/includes/functions.php
+++ b/includes/functions.php
@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@ include_once("Net/IPv6.php");
 include_once($config['install_dir'] . "/includes/dbFacile.php");
 
 include_once($config['install_dir'] . "/includes/common.php");
-include_once($config['install_dir'] . "/includes/rrdtool.inc.php");
-include_once($config['install_dir'] . "/includes/influxdb.inc.php");
+include_once($config['install_dir'] . "/includes/datastore.inc.php");
 include_once($config['install_dir'] . "/includes/billing.php");
 include_once($config['install_dir'] . "/includes/cisco-entities.php");
 include_once($config['install_dir'] . "/includes/syslog.php");
diff --git a/includes/polling/altiga-ssl.inc.php b/includes/polling/altiga-ssl.inc.php
index 0096bfb63..dbcf9e1c4 100644
--- a/includes/polling/altiga-ssl.inc.php
+++ b/includes/polling/altiga-ssl.inc.php
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 if ($device['os'] == 'asa' || $device['os'] == 'pix') {
     echo "ALTIGA-MIB SSL VPN Statistics \n";
 
+    $tags = array();
+
     $oids = array(
         'alSslStatsTotalSessions',
         'alSslStatsActiveSessions',
@@ -13,26 +15,27 @@ if ($device['os'] == 'asa' || $device['os'] == 'pix') {
         'alSslStatsPostEncryptOctets',
     );
 
-    unset($snmpstring, $fields, $snmpdata, $snmpdata_cmd, $rrd_create);
-
-    $rrdfile = $config['rrd_dir'].'/'.$device['hostname'].'/'.safename('altiga-ssl.rrd');
-
-    $rrd_create .= ' DS:TotalSessions:COUNTER:600:U:100000 DS:ActiveSessions:GAUGE:600:0:U DS:MaxSessions:GAUGE:600:0:U';
-    $rrd_create .= ' DS:PreDecryptOctets:COUNTER:600:U:100000000000 DS:PostDecryptOctets:COUNTER:600:U:100000000000 DS:PreEncryptOctets:COUNTER:600:U:100000000000';
-    $rrd_create .= ' DS:PostEncryptOctets:COUNTER:600:U:100000000000';
-    $rrd_create .= $config['rrd_rra'];
-
-    if (!file_exists($rrdfile)) {
-        rrdtool_create($rrdfile, $rrd_create);
-    }
+    $tags['rrd_def'] = array(
+        'DS:TotalSessions:COUNTER:600:U:100000',
+        'DS:ActiveSessions:GAUGE:600:0:U',
+        'DS:MaxSessions:GAUGE:600:0:U',
+        'DS:PreDecryptOctets:COUNTER:600:U:100000000000',
+        'DS:PostDecryptOctets:COUNTER:600:U:100000000000',
+        'DS:PreEncryptOctets:COUNTER:600:U:100000000000',
+        'DS:PostEncryptOctets:COUNTER:600:U:100000000000',
+    );
 
     $data_array = snmpwalk_cache_oid($device, $proto, array(), 'ALTIGA-SSL-STATS-MIB');
 
     $fields = array();
 
+    $got_value = false;
     foreach ($oids as $oid) {
         if (is_numeric($data_array[0][$oid])) {
             $value = $data_array[0][$oid];
+            if ($value > 0) {
+                $got_value = true;
+            }
         }
         else {
             $value = '0';
@@ -40,13 +43,9 @@ if ($device['os'] == 'asa' || $device['os'] == 'pix') {
         $fields[$oid] = $value;
     }
 
-    if ($data_array[0]['alSslStatsTotalSessions'] || is_file($rrdfile)) {
-        rrdtool_update($rrdfile, $fields);
-
-        $tags = array();
-        influx_update($device,'altiga-ssl',$tags,$fields);
-
+    if ($got_value) {
+        data_update($device, 'altiga-ssl', $tags, $fields);
     }
 
-    unset($rrdfile, $fields, $data_array);
+    unset($tags, $fields, $oids, $data_array);
 }//end if
diff --git a/includes/polling/core.inc.php b/includes/polling/core.inc.php
index c6f5399a4..ec23309a2 100644
--- a/includes/polling/core.inc.php
+++ b/includes/polling/core.inc.php
@@ -67,22 +67,10 @@ if (is_numeric($uptime)) {
         log_event('Device rebooted after '.formatUptime($device['uptime']), $device, 'reboot', $device['uptime']);
     }
 
-    $uptime_rrd = $config['rrd_dir'].'/'.$device['hostname'].'/uptime.rrd';
-
-    if (!is_file($uptime_rrd)) {
-        rrdtool_create($uptime_rrd, 'DS:uptime:GAUGE:600:0:U '.$config['rrd_rra']);
-    }
-
-    $fields = array(
-        'uptime' => $uptime,
+    $tags = array(
+        'rrd_def' => 'DS:uptime:GAUGE:600:0:U',
     );
-
-    rrdtool_update($uptime_rrd, $fields);
-
-    $measurement = 'uptime';
-    $tags = array();
-
-    influx_update($device,$measurement,$tags,$fields);
+    data_update($device, 'uptime', $tags, $uptime);
 
     $graphs['uptime'] = true;
 
diff --git a/includes/polling/functions.inc.php b/includes/polling/functions.inc.php
index e6435a390..95cfdf8c2 100644
--- a/includes/polling/functions.inc.php
+++ b/includes/polling/functions.inc.php
@@ -268,47 +268,30 @@ function poll_device($device, $options) {
         $device_run  = ($device_end - $device_start);
         $device_time = substr($device_run, 0, 5);
 
-        // TODO: These should be easy converts to rrd_create_update()
-        // Poller performance rrd
-        $poller_rrd = $config['rrd_dir'].'/'.$device['hostname'].'/poller-perf.rrd';
-        if (!is_file($poller_rrd)) {
-            rrdtool_create($poller_rrd, 'DS:poller:GAUGE:600:0:U '.$config['rrd_rra']);
-        }
-
+        // Poller performance
         if (!empty($device_time)) {
+            $tags = array(
+                'rrd_def' => 'DS:poller:GAUGE:600:0:U',
+            );
             $fields = array(
                 'poller' => $device_time,
             );
-            rrdtool_update($poller_rrd, $fields);
-
-            $tags = array();
-            influx_update($device,'poller-perf',$tags,$fields);
-
+            data_update($device, 'poller-perf', $tags, $fields);
         }
 
-        // Ping response rrd
-        if (can_ping_device($attribs) === true) {
-            $ping_rrd = $config['rrd_dir'].'/'.$device['hostname'].'/ping-perf.rrd';
-            if (!is_file($ping_rrd)) {
-                rrdtool_create($ping_rrd, 'DS:ping:GAUGE:600:0:65535 '.$config['rrd_rra']);
-            }
-
-            if (!empty($ping_time)) {
-                $fields = array(
-                    'ping' => $ping_time,
-                );
-
-                rrdtool_update($ping_rrd, $fields);
-            }
+        // Ping response
+        if (can_ping_device($attribs) === true  &&  !empty($ping_time)) {
+            $tags = array(
+                'rrd_def' => 'DS:ping:GAUGE:600:0:65535',
+            );
+            $fields = array(
+                'ping' => $ping_time,
+            );
 
             $update_array['last_ping']             = array('NOW()');
             $update_array['last_ping_timetaken']   = $ping_time;
 
-            rrdtool_update($ping_rrd, $fields);
-
-            $tags = array();
-            influx_update($device,'ping-perf',$tags,$fields);
-
+            data_update($device, 'ping-perf', $tags, $fields);
         }
 
         $update_array['last_polled']           = array('NOW()');
diff --git a/includes/polling/system.inc.php b/includes/polling/system.inc.php
index a4abe2daf..b3d9bbc7f 100644
--- a/includes/polling/system.inc.php
+++ b/includes/polling/system.inc.php
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
 <?php
-
diff --git a/includes/polling/toner.inc.php b/includes/polling/toner.inc.php
index d71628c37..141ba071f 100644
--- a/includes/polling/toner.inc.php
+++ b/includes/polling/toner.inc.php
@@ -12,32 +12,15 @@ if ($config['enable_printers']) {
         }
 
         $tonerperc = round((snmp_get($device, $toner['toner_oid'], '-OUqnv') / $toner['toner_capacity'] * 100));
-
-        $old_tonerrrd = $config['rrd_dir'].'/'.$device['hostname'].'/'.safename('toner-'.$toner['toner_descr'].'.rrd');
-        $tonerrrd     = $config['rrd_dir'].'/'.$device['hostname'].'/'.safename('toner-'.$toner['toner_index'].'.rrd');
-
-        if (!is_file($tonerrrd) && is_file($old_tonerrrd)) {
-            rename($old_tonerrrd, $tonerrrd);
-        }
-
-        if (!is_file($tonerrrd)) {
-            rrdtool_create(
-                $tonerrrd,
-                '--step 300 
-                DS:toner:GAUGE:600:0:20000 '.$config['rrd_rra']
-            );
-        }
-
         echo $tonerperc." %\n";
 
-        $fields = array(
-            'toner' => $tonerperc,
+        $tags = array(
+            'rrd_def'     => 'DS:toner:GAUGE:600:0:20000',
+            'rrd_name'    => array('toner', $toner['toner_index']),
+            'rrd_oldname' => array('toner', $toner['toner_descr']),
+            'index'       => $toner['toner_index'],
         );
-
-        rrdtool_update($tonerrrd, $fields);
-
-        $tags = array('index' => $toner['toner_index']);
-        influx_update($device,'toner',$tags,$fields);
+        data_update($device, 'toner', $tags, $tonerperc);
 
         // FIXME should report for toner out... :)
         // Log toner swap
diff --git a/includes/polling/ucd-diskio.inc.php b/includes/polling/ucd-diskio.inc.php
index 9c6d434b1..225ff7d7a 100644
--- a/includes/polling/ucd-diskio.inc.php
+++ b/includes/polling/ucd-diskio.inc.php
@@ -17,20 +17,16 @@ if (count($diskio_data)) {
 
         d_echo($entry);
 
-        $rrd = $config['rrd_dir'].'/'.$device['hostname'].'/'.safename('ucd_diskio-'.$diskio['diskio_descr'].'.rrd');
-
-        d_echo("$rrd ");
-
-        if (!is_file($rrd)) {
-            rrdtool_create(
-                $rrd,
-                '--step 300 
-      DS:read:DERIVE:600:0:125000000000 
-      DS:written:DERIVE:600:0:125000000000 
-      DS:reads:DERIVE:600:0:125000000000 
-      DS:writes:DERIVE:600:0:125000000000 '.$config['rrd_rra']
-            );
-        }
+        $tags = array(
+            'rrd_name'  => array('ucd_diskio', $diskio['diskio_descr']),
+            'rrd_def'   => array(
+                'DS:read:DERIVE:600:0:125000000000',
+                'DS:written:DERIVE:600:0:125000000000',
+                'DS:reads:DERIVE:600:0:125000000000',
+                'DS:writes:DERIVE:600:0:125000000000',
+            ),
+            'descr'     => $diskio['diskio_descr'],
+        );
 
         $fields = array(
             'read'    => $entry['diskIONReadX'],
@@ -39,10 +35,7 @@ if (count($diskio_data)) {
             'writes'  => $entry['diskIOWrites'],
         );
 
-        rrdtool_update($rrd, $fields);
-
-        $tags = array('descr' => $diskio['diskio_descr']);
-        influx_update($device,'ucd_diskio',$tags,$fields);
+        data_update($device, 'ucd_diskio', $tags, $fields);
 
     }//end foreach
 
diff --git a/includes/polling/unix-agent.inc.php b/includes/polling/unix-agent.inc.php
index 0b9a23e02..8f9f8582f 100644
--- a/includes/polling/unix-agent.inc.php
+++ b/includes/polling/unix-agent.inc.php
@@ -41,19 +41,14 @@ if ($device['os_group'] == 'unix') {
 
     if (!empty($agent_raw)) {
         echo 'execution time: '.$agent_time.'ms';
-        $agent_rrd = $config['rrd_dir'].'/'.$device['hostname'].'/agent.rrd';
-        if (!is_file($agent_rrd)) {
-            rrdtool_create($agent_rrd, 'DS:time:GAUGE:600:0:U '.$config['rrd_rra']);
-        }
 
+        $tags = array(
+            'rrd_def' => 'DS:time:GAUGE:600:0:U',
+        );
         $fields = array(
             'time' => $agent_time,
         );
- 
-        rrdtool_update($agent_rrd, $fields);
-
-        $tags = array();
-        influx_update($device,'agent',$tags,$fields);
+        data_update($device, 'agent', $tags, $fields);
 
         $graphs['agent'] = true;
 
diff --git a/includes/polling/wifi.inc.php b/includes/polling/wifi.inc.php
index 30803f2a1..c2ea60165 100644
--- a/includes/polling/wifi.inc.php
+++ b/includes/polling/wifi.inc.php
@@ -78,51 +78,23 @@ if ($device['type'] == 'network' || $device['type'] == 'firewall' || $device['ty
         echo (($wificlients1 + 0).' clients on wireless connector, ');
     }
 
-    // # RRD Filling Code
     if (isset($wificlients1) && $wificlients1 != '') {
-        $wificlientsrrd = $config['rrd_dir'].'/'.$device['hostname'].'/'.safename('wificlients-radio1.rrd');
-
-        if (!is_file($wificlientsrrd)) {
-            rrdtool_create(
-                $wificlientsrrd,
-                '--step 300 
-                DS:wificlients:GAUGE:600:-273:1000 '.$config['rrd_rra']
-            );
-        }
-
-        $fields = array(
-            'wificlients' => $wificlients1,
+        $tags = array(
+            'rrd_def'   => 'DS:wificlients:GAUGE:600:-273:1000',
+            'rrd_name'  => array('wificlients', 'radio1'),
+            'radio'     => 1,
         );
-
-        rrdtool_update($wificlientsrrd, $fields);
-
-        $tags = array('radio' => '1');
-        influx_update($device,'wificlients',$tags,$fields);
-
+        data_update($device, 'wificlients', $tags, $wificlients1);
         $graphs['wifi_clients'] = true;
     }
 
     if (isset($wificlients2) && $wificlients2 != '') {
-        $wificlientsrrd = $config['rrd_dir'].'/'.$device['hostname'].'/'.safename('wificlients-radio2.rrd');
-
-        if (!is_file($wificlientsrrd)) {
-            rrdtool_create(
-                $wificlientsrrd,
-                '--step 300 
-                DS:wificlients:GAUGE:600:-273:1000 '.$config['rrd_rra']
-            );
-        }
-
-        $fields = array(
-            'wificlients' => $wificlients2,
+        $tags = array(
+            'rrd_def'   => 'DS:wificlients:GAUGE:600:-273:1000',
+            'rrd_name'  => array('wificlients', 'radio2'),
+            'radio'     => 2,
         );
-
-        rrdtool_update($wificlientsrrd, $fields);
-
-        $tags = array('radio' => '2');
-        influx_update($device,'wificlients',$tags,$fields);
-
-
+        data_update($device, 'wificlients', $tags, $wificlients2);
         $graphs['wifi_clients'] = true;
     }
 
diff --git a/includes/rrdtool.inc.php b/includes/rrdtool.inc.php
index 2c12dac62..011ab39cc 100644
--- a/includes/rrdtool.inc.php
+++ b/includes/rrdtool.inc.php
@@ -331,49 +331,55 @@ function rrdtool_tune($type, $filename, $max) {
     }
 } // rrdtool_tune
 
+
 /*
- * Please use this instead of creating & updating RRD files manually.
- * @param device Device object - only 'hostname' is used at present
- * @param name Array of rrdname components
- * @param def Array of data definitions
- * @param val Array of value definitions
- *
+ * rrdtool backend implementation of data_update
  */
-function rrd_create_update($device, $name, $def, $val, $step=300)
+function rrdtool_data_update($device, $measurement, $tags, $fields)
 {
     global $config;
-    $rrd = rrd_name($device['hostname'], $name);
 
-    if (!is_file($rrd) && $def != null) {
-        // add the --step and the rra definitions to the array
-        $newdef = "--step $step ".implode(' ', $def).$config['rrd_rra'];
+    $rrd_name = $tags['rrd_name'] ? $tags['rrd_name'] : $measurement;
+    $step = $tags['rrd_step'] ? $tags['rrd_step'] : 300;
+    $oldname = $tags['rrd_oldname'];
+    if (isset($oldname) && !empty($oldname)) {
+        rrd_file_rename($device, $oldname, $rrd_name);
+    }
+
+    $rrd = rrd_name($device['hostname'], $rrd_name);
+    if (!is_file($rrd) && $tags['rrd_def']) {
+        $rrd_def = is_array($tags['rrd_def']) ? $tags['rrd_def'] : array($tags['rrd_def']);
+        // add the --step and the rra definitions to the command
+        $newdef = "--step $step ".implode(' ', $rrd_def).$config['rrd_rra'];
         rrdtool_create($rrd, $newdef);
     }
 
-    rrdtool_update($rrd, $val);
-} // rrd_create_update
-
-
-/*
- * @return bool indicating existence of RRD file
- * @param device Device object as used with rrd_create_update()
- * @param name RRD name array as used with rrd_create_update() and rrd_name()
- */
-function rrd_file_exists($device, $name)
-{
-    return is_file(rrd_name($device['hostname'], $name));
-} // rrd_file_exists
+    rrdtool_update($rrd, $fields);
+} // rrdtool_data_update
 
 
 /*
  * @return bool indicating rename success or failure
- * @param device Device object as used with rrd_create_update()
- * @param oldname RRD name array as used with rrd_create_update() and rrd_name()
- * @param newname RRD name array as used with rrd_create_update() and rrd_name()
+ * @param device Device object
+ * @param oldname RRD name array as used with rrd_name()
+ * @param newname RRD name array as used with rrd_name()
  */
 function rrd_file_rename($device, $oldname, $newname)
 {
     $oldrrd = rrd_name($device['hostname'], $oldname);
     $newrrd = rrd_name($device['hostname'], $newname);
-    return rename($oldrrd, $newrrd);
+    if (is_file($oldrrd) && !is_file($newrrd)) {
+        if (rename($oldrrd, $newrrd)) {
+            log_event("Renamed $oldrrd to $newrrd", $device);
+            return true;
+        }
+        else {
+            log_event("Failed to rename $oldrrd to $newrrd", $device);
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+    else {
+        // we don't need to rename the file
+        return true;
+    }
 } // rrd_file_rename
diff --git a/includes/snmp.inc.php b/includes/snmp.inc.php
index 4f15260aa..e2d4bac01 100644
--- a/includes/snmp.inc.php
+++ b/includes/snmp.inc.php
@@ -1139,25 +1139,17 @@ function save_mibs($device, $mibname, $oids, $mibdef, &$graphs)
 
             $usedoids[$index][$obj] = $val;
 
-            // if there's a file from the previous version of MIB-based polling, rename it
-            if (rrd_file_exists($device, array($mibname, $mibdef[$obj]['object_type'], $index))
-            && !rrd_file_exists($device, array($mibname, $mibdef[$obj]['shortname'], $index))) {
-                rrd_file_rename($device,
-                    array($mibname, $mibdef[$obj]['object_type'], $index),
-                    array($mibname, $mibdef[$obj]['shortname'], $index));
-                // Note: polling proceeds regardless of rename result
-            }
-
-            rrd_create_update(
-                $device,
-                array(
-                    $mibname,
-                    $mibdef[$obj]['shortname'],
-                    $index,
-                ),
-                array("DS:mibval:$type"),
-                array("mibval" => $val)
+            $tags = array(
+                'rrd_def'       => array("DS:mibval:$type"),
+                'rrd_name'      => array($mibname, $mibdef[$obj]['shortname'], $index),
+                'rrd_oldname'   => array($mibname, $mibdef[$obj]['object_type'], $index),
+                'index'         => $index,
+                'oid'           => $mibdef[$obj]['oid'],
+                'module'        => $mibdef[$obj]['module'],
+                'mib'           => $mibdef[$obj]['mib'],
+                'object_type'   => $obj,
             );
+            data_update($device, 'mibval', $tags, $val);
         }
     }