Ok, I was able to resolve this one myself.... eventually, by using:
http://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/DBX/1.1.3/DeployDBX/Configuredatabasemonitoring
and
http://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/DBX/1.1.3/DeployDBX/Troubleshoot#If_your_timestamp_is_not_of_type_datetime.2Ftimestamp
Additionally, by following MaverickT's response from http://answers.splunk.com/answers/98601/db-connect-timestamp-issues
Here is my resolved setup:
props.conf ( $SPLUNK_HOME$/etc/apps/dbx/local/props.conf 😞
[xcart_shop]
TIME_FORMAT=%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S
MAX_DAYS_AGO = 3650
inputs.conf ( $SPLUNK_HOME$/etc/apps/dbx/local/inputs.conf 😞
[dbmon-tail://Xcart_Shop_DB/etv_xcart_shop_orders]
host = webmysql.screenrights.org
interval = 15m
output.format = kv
output.timestamp = 1
output.timestamp.column = the_date
output.timestamp.format = yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss
output.timestamp.parse.format = yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss
query = select FROM_UNIXTIME(o.`date`) as the_date, o.orderid, d.productid, d.productcode, d.amount\r\nfrom xcart_orders o, xcart_order_details d \r\nwhere o.orderid = d.orderid {{and o.$rising_column$ > ?}}
sourcetype = xcart_shop
tail.rising.column = orderid
disabled = 0
table = etv_xcart_shop_orders
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