IBM Performance Management

Fields and options for defining attributes

Description of the field information and options for the Attribute Information page that are applicable to all of the data sources

For information about the specific field information for each of the data sources, see the relevant documentation for each data source.
Table 1. Fields and options for defining attributes
Field names/options Description Acceptable values
Attribute name Name of the attribute as it is displayed in the Tivoli® Enterprise Portal or in the IBM® Performance Management console String with the following characters:
  • A-Z
  • _
  • a-z
  • 0-9
Note: The name must start with A-Z or a-z.

The attribute name has a limit of 63 characters and the attribute group name has a limit of 63 characters
Help text Help text for the attribute String
Hidden - can only be used in derived attribute If selected, the attribute is not displayed in the Tivoli Enterprise Portal or in the IBM Performance Management console. See note in the last row. Not applicable
Derived from other attribute values Attribute value is to be calculated from values of other attributes Not applicable
Key Attribute Attribute is a key in the table. Check whether this attribute helps to uniquely define the object that is being reported on.

If the data is warehoused and summarized, the key attributes are used to roll up data in the summary tables.

 This option is not available for Perfmon attributes.
Attribute Information pane The contents of this tab depend on the type of data source to which this attribute belongs. See information in the chapter for the data source you want to monitor for more details.

For a derived attribute, In the Formula field, enter a formula to calculate the value of the attribute that is based on other attributes or constants. You can type the formula in the Formula field or click Edit to use the graphical formula editor. See (Formula Editor).
Attribute type Describes how the attribute is displayed in the Tivoli Enterprise Portal or in the IBM Performance Management console. There are 3 types:
  • String
  • Numeric
  • Time stamp

Attribute types contains more information about the attribute types.

 Table 1 contains descriptions of the numeric attribute type values.
Enumerations Can be a numeric with scale zero or string value. Add your enumerations to the table by using the procedure in (Specifying an enumeration for an attribute).

The enumeration name is displayed in the Tivoli Enterprise Portal or in the IBM Performance Management console when the corresponding Value is received in the attribute from the agent.

This attribute is used for a set of specific values with identified meanings (for example, 1=UP, 2=DOWN).
Note: In cases where the attribute is used in calculations with other attributes, there are reasons not to display the base value. For instance, a number that represents a byte count wraps so quickly that it is of little use.