IBM Performance Management

Creating a filtered attribute group

Create a filtered attribute group (data set) by filtering rows of data from an existing attribute group. If an existing data set returns multiple rows, you can create a filtered group returning one row for use with IBM® Performance Management.

About this task

A filtered attribute group has the same columns as the source attribute group, but can exclude some of the rows. It uses a selection formula to determine which rows to include.

To provide status and summary information for Performance Management, you need to use a data set that returns a single row. For details, see Preparing the agent for IBM Performance Management. If the source information is in a data set that returns multiple rows, you can create a filtered attribute group that returns a single row.

For example, the process, Windows service, and command return code data sources provide information as rows in the single Availability data set. You can create a filtered attribute group, using the NAME field in the selection formula. The group includes status for the necessary application. Define it as returning one row. Then you can use this attribute group as the summary data set for Performance Management.

A filtered attribute group is also useful when a base data source query returns data that you prefer to divide into separate groups. Examples of such data sources are Windows Performance Monitor, SNMP and WMI.

For example, assume that a data source can return the following data: 
Name    Type  Size  Used  Free 
Memory  MEM      8     4     4
Disk1   DISK   300   200   100
Disk2   DISK   500   100   400
This is a table that reports on the storage that exists on the system and it includes both memory and disk space. You might prefer to break down the table into memory and disk as separate tables. You can break down the table by creating two base attribute groups. Each of these base attribute groups collects the same data and filters out the rows you do not want. However, that is not the most efficient way to do things. Instead, you define one base attribute group that returns both the memory and disk usage data together. Next, define two filtered attribute groups. Each uses the same base table as its source. One includes a filter where Type=="MEM" and the other includes a filter where Type=="DISK".
In the example, for the filtered attribute group where Type=="MEM", the returned data is: 
Name    Type  Size   Used  Free 
Memory  MEM      8      4     4
and where Type=="DISK", the returned data is: 
Name    Type  Size  Used  Free 
Disk1   DISK  300   200   100
Disk2   DISK  500   100   400
Note: Attributes groups whose data is event-based cannot be used to create filtered attribute groups. Only attribute groups whose data is sampled can be used.

Procedure

  1. Click Existing data sources in the Monitoring Data Categories area on the Agent Initial Data Source page or the Data Source Location page
    Note:
    • You reach the Agent Initial Data Source page by using the new agent wizard. For more information, see Creating an agent.
    • You can reach the Data Source Location page by right-clicking an agent in the Data Source Definition page of the Agent Editor and selecting Add Data Source.
  2. Select Filter an attribute group's data rows in the Data Sources area.
  3. Click Next The Filter Information page is displayed.
  4. Select a Source attribute group from the list.
  5. Enter a Selection formula to filter the data from the attribute group you selected. For example, in the Filter Information page that is shown earlier, the selection formula filters data rows where the Type attribute is equal to "DISK". Data rows whose Type attribute does not match "DISK" are discarded. The selection formula that you enter must evaluate to a Boolean result, true, or false.
    Note: In the Filter Information page, you can click Edit to enter or modify the formula by using the Formula Editor. For more information about the Formula Editor, see Formula Editor.
  6. Click Next.
  7. Select Produces a single data row or Can produce more than one data row.
    1. If you selected Can produce more than one data row, select a key attribute or attributes from the list.
  8. Click Finish.