VistaMart User Guide

VistaMart 4.
0
User Guide
Part Number: 40_300_000_40

Copyright 1996-2007 InfoVista S.A.
All rights reserved.
InfoVista, VistaView, VistaBridge, VistaMart, VistaDiscovery, VistaPortal,
VistaFoundation , VistaInsight, VistaLink, Vista Plug-In, VistaProvisioner,
Vista Troubleshooter, VistaCockpit, and Vista Watch are trademarks or
registered trademarks of InfoVista S.A. in the United States and/or other countries.
The information contained in this document is the property of InfoVista S.A. No part of
this publication may be reproduced in any form (including photocopying or electronic
storage on any medium) or by any means or used to make any derivative work (such
as translation, transformation or adaptation) without the express written permission of
InfoVista S.A.
The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice and
does not carry any contractual obligation for InfoVista. InfoVista reserves the right to
make changes to any products or services described in this document at any time
without notice. InfoVista shall not be held responsible for the direct or indirect
consequences of the use of the information contained in this document.
Brand and product names mentioned in this publication may be registered trademarks
or trademarks of their respective holders.
web : www.infovista.com
E-mail: support@infovista.com
VistaMart 4.0 User Guide
Contents
1
Getting started with VistaMart

VistaMart in a nutshell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
How does VistaMart work?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
VistaMarts role within the VistaFoundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Coming from earlier VistaMart versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Introducing the VistaMart Application Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Whats new between version 2.2 SP2 and 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Connecting to VistaMart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Getting acquainted with the Inventory Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Configuring VistaMart for your VistaInsight solution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Checking initialization settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Installing libraries (VistaViews) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Configuring Zonesets and Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Configuring the reporting scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Provisioning the VistaMart database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Synchronizing VistaMart with InfoVista Servers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Modifying miscellaneous settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Registering user services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Setting preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Receiving traps from InfoVista Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Setting VistaMart data lifetime and aggregation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Adding data sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Provisioning VistaMart
Understanding centralized provisioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Inventory Manager for provisioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Importing topologies for provisioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selecting Zones and Zonesets to provision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding Zonesets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
About change management and provisioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recognizing Instance modifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Moving proxy Instances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Managing groups Instances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding synchronization levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exercising object ownership and priority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Applying provisioning modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selecting topology files for provisioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using VistaDiscovery for provisioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using external topology files for provisioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Choosing a file format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Provisioning with XML topology files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Provisioning with CSV topology files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Generating automatically a configuration file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Following-up your provisioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Managing topology objects manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Searching inventory objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Deleting inventory Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Command-line provisioning options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Managing InfoVista Servers

Overview of InfoVista Server management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
InfoVista Servers in the production context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Assigning zones to Groups of InfoVista Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding Zone assignments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Assigning Instances to an InfoVista Server group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Examples of Zone/InfoVista Server Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Declaring a New InfoVista Server Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Declaring a new InfoVista Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking InfoVista Server properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Synchronizing InfoVista Server groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Getting InfoVista Server feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Handling unstable servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Managing InfoVista Server loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Redistributing Instances between InfoVista Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Understanding the Vistamart Forwarding Service

Basic principles in data forwarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Benefits of forwarding data instead of collecting data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Forwarding data from InfoVista Servers to VistaMart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Forwarding service implementations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Forwarding concepts and terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Connecting to the forwarding service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recovering missing data (VistaMart) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Requesting a recovery (VistaMart) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Requesting a recovery (InfoVista Server) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ensuring data availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How VistaMart manages data flows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Avoiding a saturated situation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Contents
Aggregating and calculating data

Understanding aggregation and display rates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Defining aggregation settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Using timeout to handle missing data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Setting aggregation attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Selecting the aggregation Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Using the current aggregation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Selecting an alternative value for aggregation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Setting the Indicators aggregation attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Calculating group Indicator values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Setting the group Indicator attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Accessing Data
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Displaying Slot data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Displaying Report data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Customizing the InfoVista model for your reporting solution

Overview of the InfoVista Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Defining the Model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Browsing the Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
About Libraries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Searching the Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Customizing the Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
New Object Wizards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a VistaMart Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modifying VistaMart Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modifying Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Deleting VistaMart Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating an Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Global Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating patches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Managing Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Importing InfoVista Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting InfoVista Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Deleting InfoVista Libraries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Importing VistaMart Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting VistaMart Libraries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Deleting VistaMart Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Working with Modules and Rules

About Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting conditions and actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Executing Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Making Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Managing Properties using Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Determining Rule priority for execution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a new Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Editing a Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Examining conditions in detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Getting into actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Building a string to set values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting actions to trigger data acquisition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting actions for multivalued Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working with Rules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Applying or Reapplying Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enabling/disabling and removing Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using resource activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Putting Rules inside Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working with Modules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
130
130
131
133
133
134
135
136
138
149
150
151
153
167
167
168
169
170
171
Handling events in VistaMart

Purpose of generating events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Handling the event and trap flow in the VistaFoundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Viewing events in VistaPortal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Defining events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Distinguishing events from traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Determining how wrong and for how long (why) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Establishing event duration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Classifying events by type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Applying a severity level to an event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Identifying an event with a unique key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Developing formulas to generate events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Applying specific conditions to send events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Defining event syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using event operators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
List of event operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Examples of event formulas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Purging events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
176
176
177
178
178
179
180
181
183
183
184
184
186
188
190
204
205
Contents
10 Writing formulas using the formula editor

Developing a formula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Distinguishing type of values in an expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Making references to objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the formula editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working with the formula editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating expressions to send traps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
List of operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conditional operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Basic arithmetic operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Advanced arithmetic operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reduction operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Miscellaneous operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Temporal operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
207
208
208
209
210
211
212
213
215
217
219
222
224
Rule user cases

Duplicate Property from Basic to Proxies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Feed Groups with Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Start Reports according to Agent Vendor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
XML Topology files examples

Example #1 - Topology file defining Instances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Example #2 - Topology file defining groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Example #3 - Defining proxies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Example #4 - Defining group contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Example #5 - Instance defined with several Vistas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
240
241
242
243
244
Glossary of terms
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Remarks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Contents
1 Getting started with VistaMart

At the heart of the VistaFoundation, VistaMart acts as the pivotal point that
provisions, forwards, and computes data to transform it from its raw state to
processed values displayed in VistaPortal for your reporting solution.
"VistaMart in a nutshell" on page 9

"Coming from earlier VistaMart versions" on page 11
"Connecting to VistaMart" on page 13
"Configuring VistaMart for your VistaInsight solution" on page 15
"Modifying miscellaneous settings" on page 23
VistaMart 4.0
VistaMart in a nutshell
VistaMart is a global data mart that performs two primary functions: data inventory
and data computation.
At the heart of the VistaFoundation, VistaMart gathers data from various sources and
computes it to generate reports on your monitored resources.
These reports are ultimately available for viewing in VistaPortal. They generally
display the results according to the VistaInsight reporting solutions, which are a
series of Web pages containing real time, dynamic, and customized monitoring for
specific types of IT infrastructures.
How does VistaMart work?

VistaMart stores and provides provisioning topology information on monitored
resources and applications to the InfoVista Servers, which in turn poll the required
data and then push it to VistaMart using the forwarding service.
>
Once it receives the data, VistaMarts computation service performs aggregation

and calculations on it and writes the results in the Oracle database.
>
VistaPortal retrieves and displays the data results on the VistaInsight solution
pages.
VistaMart is based on a classic n-tier architecture as illustrated in the diagram below.
NOTE
User Guide - Chapter 1
The reporting layer comprises VistaPortal, which is the presentation component

in the VistaFoundation.
VistaMart 4.0
10
VistaMarts role within the VistaFoundation

The VistaFoundation is an ensemble of InfoVista products working together to provide
real-time reporting on IT infrastructures:
ADMINISTRATION (1) VistaCockpit provides a centralized view of the distributed

system and thus helps to maintain a coherent configuration over the life time of the
project. From the VistaCockpit console, an administrator can configure components in
a homogeneous fashion, debug the system, and automate the administrator's tasks
(such as network discovery, data collection, InfoVista Server backup, etc.)
INVENTORY AND CONSOLIDATION (2, 3) The consolidation layer consists of just one
product, VistaMart, which provides InfoVista Servers with reporting requirements,
calculates and stores data values that subsequently goes to the presentation layer.
The inventory provisioning comes from VistaDiscovery, which automatically discovers
the network devices and correlates them with the appropriate reporting.
DATA COLLECTION (4) There are various ways to poll data. InfoVista Server uses
standard protocols (mainly SNMP and Ping) to obtain data from resources. Other
data, such as user log files or data in proprietary formats, go through other products
such as VistaBridge (non-SNMP data), Vista Watch (transaction data), and VistaLink.
As soon as data points become available, the InfoVista Servers push them in bulks to
VistaMart using the forwarding service.
PRESENTATION (5) Collected data is presented to users in VistaPortal in pages that
form together a management dashboard for any chosen solution (SLM, Capacity
Planning, Server Monitoring, etc.). Alerts show up directly in VistaPortal, and you can
obtain real-time data by drilling-down from higher-level summary reports.
Numerous test points in the chains of task execution enable the administrator to
pinpoint quickly errors encountered during the development phase of a project.
Once the production phase begins, you can automate the inventory management and
data consolidation using VistaCockpit. The result is a finely tuned reporting solution
that requires minimum administrator intervention.
VistaMart 4.0
Coming from earlier VistaMart versions
11

If you upgraded from previous versions of VistaMart, you undoubtedly noticed the
absence of the Gateway component and VistaNotifier from the VistaMart architecture.
>
The Gateways data collection function gives way to the forwarding service, which
InfoVista Servers use to push polled data to VistaMart.
>
VistaNotifier takes its retirement from trap sending and receiving functions. The
new event management feature provides an advanced filtering system to identify,
locate, and prioritize detected problems in order to take appropriate remedial
action.
Introducing the VistaMart Application Services

The VistaMart Application Services, formerly the VistaMart Server is the main
component that processes polled data and transforms the results into meaningful
values for users to analyze in VistaPortal.
The Application Services component includes the provisioning, forwarding and
computation services:
PROVISIONING The provisioning service oversees VistaMarts inventory which

includes:
>
topology information gathered from resources on the network
>
the type of measurements (Indicators) to compute. These measurements use

Indicators that are defined in a set of Libraries (called VistaViews).
VistaMart keeps these Libraries in its repository and downloads them to InfoVista
Servers. This means that all InfoVista Servers refer to the same set of Indicators
to ensure consistency in data calculations.
>
the type of reports to start and what kind of data to poll depending on your chosen
reporting solution
DATA FORWARDING VistaMarts forwarding service is in charge of commuting data from

InfoVista Servers as well as external sources.
InfoVista Servers become an active component that push newly polled data or
computed points to VistaMart in bulks, as they become available.
VistaMart also receives and processes other non-SNMP such as VistaBridge or
external data from topology files.
DATA COMPUTING As the database gets regularly populated with data samples from the
forwarding service, the VistaMart computation service permanently executes the
aggregation and calculation on this data for all specified Instances (individual and
group) according to the reporting solutions requirements.
VistaMart 4.0
12
Whats new between version 2.2 SP2 and 4.0

NEW FORWARDING PROCESS The Forwarding Service is a process which allows InfoVista
Servers (pollers) to send or forward data and traps to VistaMart as they arrive using
one or several forwarding services comprised within the VistaMart Applications
Services. See "Understanding the Vistamart Forwarding Service" on page 84.
EVENT MANAGEMENT From a reporting solutions point of view, an event signals an

abnormal occurrence in the normal working process and assists users in locating and
remedying the problem as necessary. The new event management system uses an
advanced filtering method and provides formulas using specific operators to generate
events. See "Handling events in VistaMart" on page 175.
FORMULA EDITOR AND NEW OPERATORS The VistaMart formula editor facilitates the
creation of custom to compute data values using a range of operators from simple
mathematical operators to the more complex trend and property management
operators. See "Writing formulas using the formula editor" on page 206.
PROXY MOVE Proxy move is a VistaMart feature to manage customer inventory that
allows the redirecting of a proxy Instance from one basic Instance to another basic
Instance. For example, it is possible to move a customer interface from router A to
router B without losing VistaMart data. See "Moving proxy Instances" on page 36.
CSV WIZARD VistaMart accepts custom topology files in CSV format.

Each CSV file that you submit must have an associated XML configuration file to
map its contents to InfoVista objects (such as Vistas, Instances, and Properties).
During the import, the Inventory Manager uses the configuration file to convert the
CSV file into an equivalent XML file.
Rather than manually writing a configuration file in XML, you can generate it
automatically using the CSV Wizard. See "Generating automatically a configuration
file" on page 49.
MONITORING VISTAMART VistaMart 4.0 provides a set of KPIs aimed at monitoring the
performance and activity of the entire VistaMart environment, including the Oracle
instance, the database, the services and the synchronized servers. You consult a set
of VistaPortal pages to access the VistaMart Tuning reports. See the VistaMart 4.0
Administration Guide, chapter Administering VistaMart, section Monitoring VistaMart.
VistaMart 4.0
Connecting to VistaMart
13
To begin working with VistaMart, it is essential to have the software installed and
running on a machine with a valid connection to a database.
If necessary, refer to the VistaMart Installation Guide, and specifically the Database
Manager and the Configuration Manager context-sensitive online help systems for
precise instructions.
Once you establish a connection with VistaMart, the Inventory Manager displays. This
is VistaMarts graphic user interface.
T
Start the Inventory Manager

1 From the Start menu, select InfoVista/VistaMart Inventory Manager. A connection
box appears.
2 From the Service drop-down list box, select a service (this list is defined at
installation time).
3 Enter the user name and password and click OK.
Getting acquainted with the Inventory Manager

Using the Inventory Manager, you can:
>
Create, delete, update and query InfoVista objects (Libraries, Vistas, Properties
Reports, Slots, Instances etc.).
>
Manage topologies to provision your inventory according to your reporting needs.
>
Launch the discovery tool to update topology information and incorporate any
change since the previous discovery (e.g. new or modified Instances, Slots and
Reports).
>
Create and edit Rules. Rules are an association of conditions and actions
(example For all Juniper routers, start daily reports). They allow you to define
specific groups of Instances on multiple resources and customize your reporting
accordingly by setting owner priorities, Report Template filters, etc.).
>
Manage Libraries. VistaViews (or Libraries) get added or updated automatically to

drive the polling functions for InfoVista Servers.
VistaMart 4.0
14
The Inventory Manager is set up as follows:

A
The tree pane: an arborescence listing VistaMart objects, configuration and

provisioning settings.
The contents pane: a list of the items belonging to the currently expanded node in
the tree pane
Property or information pane: detailed information about a selected item in the

contents pane.
The tree pane comprises three tabbed views which you select from the tree pane:
>
Browser
>
Model
>
Config
BROWSER VIEW The view allows you to:

>
Browse through InfoVista topology objects (Reports, Instances, Slots etc.).
>
Search for specific Instances
>
Modify, delete, and manipulate all topology objects
>
Make global modifications (for example, modify Instance Property Values for a
specific customer).
>
Manually create, update and delete Reports, Instances, Slots and Links, stop and
start existing reports.
MODEL VIEW This view displays the Libraries and Vistas corresponding to your
reporting solution. It also allows you to create, modify and delete VistaMart Libraries
and their associated objects.
CONFIG VIEW This view allows you to define your global configuration parameters such
as initialization, data lifetime and data source settings, forwarding targets, InfoVista
Server groups, zone sets, and geographical information.
VistaMart 4.0
Configuring VistaMart for your VistaInsight solution
15
Configuring VistaMart for your VistaInsight

solution
Initially, when you launch VistaMart for the first time following installation, you must
set up the environment for your reporting solution to define the proper settings,
provisioning information, and synchronize your InfoVista Servers to start data polling.
The configuration process takes place in three phases as shown in the following
illustration:
Phase
Description
Define your reporting solution:
> "Checking initialization settings" on page 16

> "Installing libraries (VistaViews)" on page 16
> "Configuring Zonesets and Zones" on page 17
> "Configuring the reporting scope" on page 18
- "Configuring the polling and display rate" on page 18
- "Setting the source data lifetime" on page 19
- "Activating VistaInsight modules" on page 20
2
3
"Provisioning the VistaMart database" on page 21

"Synchronizing VistaMart with InfoVista Servers" on page 22
VistaMart 4.0
16
Checking initialization settings

The main initialization settings are made at the time of installation. However, before
you start, double-check that these settings are correct for your reporting solutions.
T
Check VistaMart initialization settings

1 From the VistaMart Inventory Manager, click the Config tab and expand the
Global Configuration node.
2 Double-click on Initialization.
3 In the contents pane, click the first item. A property sheet displays at the bottom of
the pane.
4 Check the following values:
Global Time zone: select your time zone
Default display rate: default display rate is hourly

NOTE
You can change this display rate to a lower value depending on your solution.
This allows VistaMart to insert data values with a smaller display period.
Installing libraries (VistaViews)

When you start VistaMart for the first time after installation, you must begin by
installing the required libraries for your VistaInsight solution.
Libraries, or VistaViews, contain the necessary objects for reporting on a given
resource. These objects include metrics, indicators, variables, report templates, etc.
VistaMart keeps these Libraries in its repository and downloads them to InfoVista
Servers. This means that all InfoVista Servers refer to the same set of Indicators to
ensure consistency in data calculations.
The set of libraries that VistaMart uses include VistaMart libraries (i.e. VistaInsight
solution libraries) and InfoVista Server libraries.
VISTAMART LIBRARY VistaMart Libraries contain the same range of objects as InfoVista
Libraries. They differ from these Libraries in that they:
>
generally manage lower-frequency data points
>
handle only scalar, numeric, and trap indicator values
>
contain rules used to define which reports to start and properties to update
>
do not contain report templates
VistaMart Libraries can be customized using the VistaMart Inventory Manager (unlike
InfoVista Libraries). You can add new indicators and properties to VistaMart libraries.
Libraries can also be exported from one VistaMart database to another.
INFOVISTA SERVER LIBRARY Also known as a VistaView, the Library represents a

package of objects that represent a particular type of resource (for example, frame
relay networks or Compaq servers or Oracle databases etc.) InfoVista libraries can be
imported or exported to or from one VistaMart database to another.
VistaMart 4.0
T
17
Install libraries on VistaMart

1 From the Inventory Managers File menu, select Manage Libraries.
2 In this window, click the Set the repository of libraries button
3 Browse to the folder containing your solution libraries (for example,

\vmart\VIS40_CI.zip) and click OK.
4 In the Library Management window, there are several libraries (in bold) that come
with the .zip file. Select them and click Import.
The VistaViews are now imported into your VistaMart configuration.
NOTE
Refer to the readme file for detail on the current VistaView versions.
Configuring Zonesets and Zones

VistaInsight solutions monitor network resources and groups of resources.
To do this, the reporting solution requires the configuration of zones. You can use the
default zone or set up a new zone or zone set.
>
A Zone contains a list of specific Instances.
>
A Zoneset contains a list of specific zones.
Create a Zone Set

NOTE
Do this only if you want to use a different zone set than the default zone set.
1 From the VistaMart Inventory Manager Config tab, right-click Zoneset definition
and select New Zoneset from the short-cut menu.
2 A dialog box appears. Enter the Zone Set name, identifier, and description.
3 Click Finish to validate your choice and create the new zone set.
T
Create a Zone
1 From the VistaMart Inventory Manager Config tab, expand the Zone set
definition node.
2 Right-click the zone set to which you want to add a new zone and select New
Zone from the short-cut menu. A dialog box appears.
3 Enter the parameters for the zone: name, identifier, InfoVista Servers Group.
4 Click Finish to validate your choice and create the new zone.
VistaMart 4.0
18
Configuring the reporting scope

The reporting scope designates which network devices to monitor in your
infrastructure.
The configuration of the reporting scope consists in customizing the way you want the
data to appear in the VistaPortal pages, notably the polling rate and the rules that
dictate which types of resource to monitor.
POLLING AND DISPLAY RATE sets the frequency of data acquisition and report display
rate.
RULE ACTIVATION selects the type of measurements (Indicators or KPIs) to display in

VistaPortal pages.
A Rule defines the filtering criteria for a reporting solution by determining for as many
related Instances as possible, the actions that VistaMart performs, and the type of
reporting you want your solution to display.
A module is a container for a set of Rules. To select the KPIs, you must activate or
deactivate modules delivered with your VistaInsight solution. Depending on the
module you activate, you obtain different pages in VistaPortal.
NOTE
For further information on Rules and module, refer to the section "Working with
Modules and Rules" on page 129 in this guide.
The reporting scope configuration takes place in the following order:

"Configuring the polling and display rate" on page 18
"Activating VistaInsight modules" on page 20
Configuring the polling and display rate

Depending on your reporting solution, it is possible to configure the data acquisition
(polling) and display rate either to 1 minute, 5 minutes or 15 minutes. You can
subsequently modify this setting if necessary.
T
Set the display and polling rate

1 In VistaMart Inventory Manager, select the Model tab and expand the VistaMart
Libraries node.
2 Expand InfoVista Common library and then select Global Variables.

3 In the contents pane, select Minimum Report Display Rate (to set the display rate
of InfoVista Server reports) or Minimum Report Slot Acquisition Rate (to set the
polling rate for a given instance/indicator in VistaMart) to display its properties.
4 In the property pane, set Value either to 1_min, 5_min or 15_min and press
[ENTER] to validate the change.
NOTE
It is mandatory that you check these values after each import of VistaMart
libraries.
Make sure that you use the correct syntax (i.e. 5_ min), otherwise
VistaMart cannot take the setting into account.
VistaMart 4.0
19
Setting the source data lifetime

The source data lifetime parameter defines how long InfoVista Servers keep data
samples before dropping them. This parameter applies to all the InfoVista Servers
polling for your reporting solution.
The source data lifetime has a direct impact on the data that InfoVista Servers push to
VistaMart, so it is important to configure an appropriate setting.
There are two possibles cases:
>
The source data lifetime is too short. InfoVista Servers drop data samples before it
pushes it to VistaMart.
>
The data life time is optimum. InfoVista Servers drop data samples after it pushes
it to VistaMart.
Consider the following factors prior to setting the lifetime:
>
VistaMart may be stopped for a time (e.g. for maintenance purposes). Data must
remain in the InfoVista Servers during this waiting period.
>
The longer the data lifetime, the higher the risk of server congestion. Since the
same data lifetime applies to all InfoVista Servers, it is recommended to set a wellbalanced data lifetime to optimize server load.
Set the source data lifetime

1 From the Inventory Manager, select the Config tab.
2 Expand the Global Configuration node, then click Sources to display the list of the
available data sources.
3 In the contents pane, select the source InfoVista to display its properties.
4 In the Data Lifetime box, click on the spin arrows and the unit button to set a
value. By default the source data lifetime is 14 days.
VistaMart 4.0
20
Activating VistaInsight modules

Each InfoVista solution comes with a set of modules containing VistaMart Rules,
which are associated with VistaMart libraries.
The following is an example of VistaInsight for Servers module organization.
VistaMart Library
Modules
InfoVista Common
Startup
InfoVista VM VIS Server
> VIS Server Basic

> VIS Server Capacity Planning
> VIS Server Advanced
InfoVista VM VIS Server Groups
> VIS Server Groups Advanced
InfoVista VM VIS Application Process
> VIS Application Process Basic

> VIS Application Process Group Advanced
There are two ways to execute the Rules in a module:

>
Global: VistaMart always activates the module. For example, VistaInsight for
Servers solution requires that VistaMart always executes the Servers module
when a server figures in the topology file.
NOTE
>
Startup is a Global module, which comes with all VistaInsight solutions. The
Startup module automatically activates the Rules modules.
Rules: VistaMart activates the module only when a Rule calls for its activation. For
example, a Rule in VistaInsight for Servers solution can request the execution of
the module containing the KPIs related to Server Groups.
These modules are activated by default when you install the VistaInsight solution.
You can choose to de-activated them at a later stage.
T
Activate a module as global or rule

1 From the tree pane, select the Model tab and expand the VistaMart Libraries
node.
2 Expand the node of the library that has the associated module you want to
activate.
3 Click on Modules. The list of modules associated to the selected library displays
in the contents pane.
4 From the contents pane, click on the module name to display its properties.
5 In the property pane, in the Scope box, click on the drop-down arrow to select
either Global or Rules.
VistaMart 4.0
21
Provisioning the VistaMart database

After you configure VistaMart for the proper reporting settings, you provide it with
information about which network resources to monitor. This is called the inventory
provisioning process.
The provisioning information comes in a topology file, which is a flat file describing the
devices in an IT infrastructure, with basic information pertaining to that device, such as IP
address, manufacturer, etc. The topology file can either be in csv or xml format.
The topology file can come from either VistaDiscovery or an external source.
Each line in the topology file is an Instance for which VistaMart must get data. An
Instance is a representation of a monitored IT resource, as seen by the data collection
engine (InfoVista Server) that gathers status and performance data.
When you import this topology file in VistaMart, you provision its inventory with
Instances to monitor.
This section explains how to provision VistaMart. The provisioning process takes
place in the following order:
"Discovering the infrastructure topology" on page 21
"Importing topology information" on page 21
Discovering the infrastructure topology

This provisioning procedure uses VistaDiscovery to discover the network devices.
To apply the appropriate discovery parameters required for your VistaInsight solution,
refer to your VistaInsight Installation Guide.
Importing topology information

WARNING Ensure you import the correct CSV file and its corresponding XML
configuration file. For further information on the syntax of XML files, refer to
the section "Provisioning VistaMart" on page 29.
T
Import topology file

1 Connect to your VistaMart Inventory Manager.
2 From the Provisioning menu, select Import Topology. A dialog box appears.
3 In the Zone box, select the zone assigned to monitored resources.
4 In the Provisioning Mode box, select Full Synchronization (Change) from the drop
down list.
5 In the Topology file box, click the browse button to select the CSV file to import.
6 In the Configuration file box, click the browse button to open the corresponding
XML configuration file (example: TOPOLOGY_definition.xml.)
7 Select the option Allow proxy move box if you want to enable the transfer of a
proxy instance from one basic instance to another (see "Provisioning VistaMart" on
page 29 ).
VistaMart 4.0
22
8 Click on Preview to simulate the topology import. This is useful to validate any
change and check for any error before you commit them in VistaMart.
9 Click on Run to import the group definition into VistaMart.

Once the groups are created in VistaMart, you can verify them by browsing the
Instances from the Model tab in the corresponding Vistas. You can also connect to
your VistaPortal site to visualize groups in the system navigator.
Synchronizing VistaMart with InfoVista Servers

The synchronization process from VistaMart to InfoVista Servers is necessary to
update the InfoVista Servers with new topology information in order to poll data for
VistaInsight reports.
At this point, all Instances are correctly provisioned in the VistaMart repository.
T
Synchronize VistaMart with InfoVista Servers

1 Log on to the VistaMart Inventory Manager.
2 In the Server menu, select Synchronize Server Group. A new window opens.
3 In the new window, select your Server Group and click the Synchronize button.
VistaViews and Instances are uploaded to the InfoVista Servers. This may take a
few minutes. You can close the synchronization windows.
At this point, the InfoVista Servers can start to poll immediately for the provisioned
Instances.
VistaMart 4.0
Modifying miscellaneous settings
23

After you configured VistaMart to begin receiving data for your reporting solution, you
can modify certain settings if necessary.
Registering user services

A user service defines the name of a user allowed to access a VistaMart database.
Each user service includes an alias, the database hostname, the Oracle System
identifier (SID), and the VistaMart repository user identification and password.
T
Add a user service

1 From the Windows Start Menu, select InfoVista/VistaMart Inventory Manager.
The VistaMart Connection dialog box opens.
2 Click the
button to open the Data Source dialog box.
3 Enter the following information:

Box
Description
Repository Alias
The alias to identify the service.
HostName
The Oracle hostname (contact your Oracle DBA if necessary)
DB Port Number
The Oracle Instance port number.
SID
The Oracle Instance identifier.
User Name
The Operator name or the Owner name.
Password
Password to identify the user.
VistaMart 4.0
24
4 Click Save to save these connection details and click Connect to access the
VistaMart database defined above.
5 The next time you connect to VistaMart, select the Service (VistaMart database
user connection) from the drop-down box and click OK.
T
Connect to a VistaMart database (command-line)

1 Browse to the directory <installdir>\bin.
2 Execute the inventory.exe file.
Details of each database connection are stored in an XML file under:
<installdir>\config\dblist.xml. We recommend that you save a copy of this
file for reference purposes (for example, when you re-install the Inventory
Manager.)
Setting preferences
You can set your user settings when connecting to the VistaMart Inventory Manager.
T
Set preferences
1 In the Inventory Manage, select File/Preferences. The Configuration Editor
window opens.
2 Modify the following preferences as required:

Preference
Description
Auto Column List

Resize
Select True to resize automatically all Column List Views (width

and height) after manually sizing them.
Auto Tree Resize
Select True to resize automatically browser windows after

manually resizing them.
Check DB
Connection
Timeout
The time, in seconds, to check if the database connection is valid.
VistaMart 4.0
25
Preference
Description
Graph
This node allows you to configure how to display data samples in

the graphs. See "Accessing Data" on page 173.
IVReport Path
The path used by VistaMart to access IVReport, the InfoVista

Servers graphic interface. By default, this path is:
<InfoVista_install_dir>/Essentials/bin
Click Choose file, to modify this location.
Look & Feel
You can change the fonts used by the Inventory Manager. Select
an available font from the drop down list and choose a font size,
weight and angle.
By default, the Inventory Manager uses Tahoma, 11 point, normal.
Visual Date Format Modify the date and time format used by the Inventory Manager.
By default, the Inventory Manager uses yyyy.M.dd HH:mm:ss for

its visual date format.
Receiving traps from InfoVista Server

InfoVista Server uses the forwarding to push data as well as traps to VistaMart.
You enable the trap reception in the Inventory Manager.
T
Enable trap reception

1 In the Inventory Manager, and expand the Global Configuration node.
2 Select the Config tab and click on Initialization to display the list of databases.
3 Select the database where you want to receive traps.
4 In the property pane, select the option Push IV traps.
VistaMart 4.0
26
Setting VistaMart data lifetime and aggregation

VISTAMART DATA LIFETIME This parameter determines how long VistaMart keeps data
values in its repository. You can make a data lifetime setting for each display rate if
necessary.
NOTE
The VistaMart data lifetime setting is not the same as the source data lifetime
setting, which determines how long InfoVista Servers keep data samples before
dropping them. See the section "Setting the source data lifetime" on page 19 for
more details.
DATA AGGREGATION VistaMart takes data samples and calculates them for any
specified display rate.
You enable aggregations according to your reporting requirements and database
capacity. For instance, if you want to show data values in VistaPortal for an hourly
display rate, you would set the aggregation at one hour.
T
Set data lifetime

1 From the Inventory Manager, select the Config tab and expand the Global
configuration node.
2 Click on Data Lifetime to display the list of display rates.

3 Select a display rate for which you want to specify the data lifetime.
4 In the property pane, in the Lifetime box, click on the spin arrows and the unit
button to set a value.
VistaMart 4.0
T
27
Set aggregation
1 From the Inventory Manager, and select the Config tab and expand the Global
configuration node.
2 Click on Data Lifetime to display the list of display rates.

3 Select a display rate for which you want VistaMart to aggregate data.
4 In the property pane, select the Aggregation option.
A message box appears to prompt you to restart VistaMart in order to take the new
setting into account.
Adding data sources

Data samples generally come from InfoVista Servers, which handle the polling and
calculate derived indicators where applicable. This is not, however, the only possible
data source. Other data sources include:
>
VistaMart
>
VistaBridge (non-SNMP data collection)
>
Vista Watch (Internet scenario testing software).
Add a data source

available data sources.
3 If the source you want to add is in this list, select the option isCollecting to start
data acquisition from the new source. If not, see "Add and configure a new data
source" on page 28
VistaMart 4.0
T
28
Add and configure a new data source

available data sources. If the source you want to add does not figure in this list,
right-click Sources in the tree pane again and select New source. A New
source wizard appears.
3 Enter the source name, description, and provider in the respective boxes.
4 In the Timeout box, click on the spin arrows and the unit button to set a value. The
timeout is the interval that VistaMart waits for a data sample to arrive from a
source in order to perform aggregation. Past the timeout interval, the data sample
is considered missing. See
5 Select the IsCollecting option to start data acquisition from the source.
6 In the Data Lifetime box, click on the spin arrows and the unit button to set a
value. This defines how long the source poller keeps data samples before
deleting them. By default the source data lifetime is 14 days. See "Setting the
source data lifetime" on page 19 for more details.
7 Click Finish to add the new source.
2 Provisioning VistaMart
This section explains the basic provisioning concepts as well the ways to provision
VistaMart. It also shows how to manipulate VistaMart objects using the Inventory
Manager.
"Understanding centralized provisioning" on page 30

"Selecting Zones and Zonesets to provision" on page 32
"About change management and provisioning" on page 34
"Selecting topology files for provisioning" on page 44
"Managing topology objects manually" on page 52
29
VistaMart 4.0
Understanding centralized provisioning
30

Initially, performance data comes from the monitored resources themselves or the
probes that monitor them. The InfoVista Servers process the data samples, which are
then stored in the VistaMart repository for final viewing in VistaPortal.
The centralized architecture in which VistaMart functions uses a central provisioning
process to drive this information flow. The VistaMart inventory contains:
>
the topology information (gathered from resources on the network),
>
the type of measurements (Indicators) to compute,
>
the provisioning information (i.e. which type of reports to start and what data to
collect).
Using the Inventory Manager for provisioning

The Inventory Manager is the main user interface to the VistaMart repository. Its role
includes:
>
Managing the topology files which define the resources that the InfoVista Servers
must monitor. These files come from either the user who manually generates them
or automatically using VistaDiscovery, which scans the network for resources of a
specified type.
VistaMart keeps the topology information in its repository and downloads it to the
groups of InfoVista Servers that monitor the resources.
>
Determining the type of data to collect from the resources and the measurements
(called Indicators) which the InfoVista Servers compute for the data.
The Indicators are defined in a set of Libraries (called VistaViews) and are
initially stored in the VistaMart repository and subsequently downloaded to the
InfoVista Servers. This means that all InfoVista Servers refer to the same set of
Indicators to ensure consistency in data calculation.
>
Checking for coherence of the data in the VistaMart repository before it gets
downloaded to the InfoVista Servers. This is the synchronization process during
which the InfoVista Servers create the Instances (representing the monitored
resources), import the VistaView Libraries (to get the Indicators), and begin to
collect data.
VistaMart 4.0
31
Importing topologies for provisioning

To import topology files for provisioning, you use the Inventory Manager.
T
Import topology files

>
From the Inventory Managers Provisioning menu, select Import Topology. The
Import Topology window displays.
When you import topologies to provision VistaMart, you must indicate the following
information:
Line
Description
The ZoneSet or Zone to provision (see "Selecting Zones and Zonesets to

provision" on page 32)
Provisioning mode (see "About change management and provisioning" on

page 34)
Topology file and format (see "Selecting topology files for provisioning" on
page 44)
If the file format is CSV, you must also provide a XML configuration file to map
each comma-separated value to InfoVista objects such as Vistas, Instances,
Properties, etc. (see "Provisioning with CSV topology files" on page 48)
You can use the CSV Wizard to analyze and convert automatically CSV topology
files (see "Generating automatically a configuration file" on page 49).
Proxy move option (see "Moving proxy Instances" on page 36)
VistaMart 4.0
Selecting Zones and Zonesets to provision
32

Topology files give information about the resources on the network that the InfoVista
Servers must monitor.
There are two main sources of topology information:
> Automatically created VistaDiscovery topology files
> Manually edited topology files (user edited, VistaBridge, Vista Watch, etc.)
"Understanding Zones" on page 32
"Understanding Zonesets" on page 33
Understanding Zones
Each topology file corresponds to a Zone.
DEFINITION A Zone is a logical partition in the information system. Each Zone in the
infrastructure can contain a set of resources related by technology, geography,
customer, etc.
Each Zone corresponds to one topology file or one discovery phase which defines a
specific group of Instances. This makes it possible to configure the discovery process
differently according to the network zones.
As each topology file corresponds to a Zone, consider the following examples:

>
Three topology files for three IP VPN clients make three zones.
>
One ATM network topology file and one Frame Relay topology file make two
zones.
>
Five distinct WANs for which you generate five topology files make five zones.
>
If your entire infrastructure is compiled in one topology file you still have only one
Zone.
VistaMart 4.0
33
Understanding Zonesets
DEFINITION A Zoneset contains a group of zones. Typically, you create a Zone set to
provide reporting for a specific environment.
Zoneset(s) can contain two or more Instances with the same name but which must
always have unique TAGs. In other words, Instances with the same name are made
unique by the Instances TAG attribute.
DEFINITION The TAG attribute is the primary identifier of an Instance. It must be

unique inside a ZoneSet. TAG computation Rules depend on the environment, and
are subject to change.
If you define two zonesets, one for environment #1 and one for environment #2, you
might have a situation where one Instance exists in both Zone sets, with an identical
tag (and possibly an identical name). There is no conflict since both Zone sets are
clearly differentiated.
VistaMart 4.0
About change management and provisioning
34

The provisioning modes use change management to determine which part of the
inventory to add, update, archive, or delete in the VistaMart Repository. The
provisioning modes apply to Instances, Vistas and Properties.
Change management takes place for individual zones. Deletions are detected for one
Zone only. When a basic Instance is deleted, its associated proxy Instances get
deleted as well.
>
A new topology file for one Zone is compared to a prior version of the same
topology file/Zone pair.
>
Any changes (new Instance additions, modified Properties, Library versions,

deleted objects, etc.) are analyzed by VistaMart.
>
If you accept the differences, Instances which require modification are updated,
and merged with the VistaMart database.
>
These Instances can now be downloaded to a group of InfoVista Servers and

polling can begin and return report/slot data.
Recognizing Instance modifications

TAG RECOGNITION Instances are recognized in the change management process using
the TAG attribute. The tag must be set to ensure that the Instance is unique in the
database.
Every Instance must have a tag value. In the case of automatic discoveries, tags are
generated automatically based on information in the VistaDiscovery mapping file.
INSTANCE STATUSES This diagram illustrates the successive statuses of an Instance in

your VistaMart database from the time it appears in the inventory until the time it gets
deleted:
VistaMart 4.0
35
A new Instance is active as soon as it appears in the inventory for the first time
following import. Provided that the Rules trigger slots and real-time reports for this
Instance, reporting data is available upon the InfoVista Servers synchronization.
The Instance status remains active as long as the Instance is present when you
update your topology information.
The Instance status is turned to unstable if the Instance is no longer part of the
topology list. However, the reporting data flow remains active as previously. In
term of reporting, there is no difference between the active and unstable statuses.
The Instance attribute LastDiscoveryTime is set to the date the Instance has been
discovered the last time.
The Instance remains unstable as long as the Lifetime Before Archiving period
has not elapsed. This parameter set at Zone level.
If the Instance is submitted again (rediscovered) during the Lifetime Before
Archiving period, it is re-activated.
If the Instance is not re-activated during the Lifetime Before Archiving, it becomes
an archive . This means:
> The real-time reports and slots are suspended. There is no more data
collection for this Instance. However, the historical data is still available and
the Instance still appears in the VistaPortal reports.
> The Instance is removed from the InfoVista Server.

The Instance remains visible in the database, as an archive, until you launch the
Archived Topology process.
If the monitored entity reappears in the topology before the archive purging, the
Instance is re-activated. That is, reporting data become available again. However,
historical data is missing for the period covering the Instance's archive status.
As soon as you archive the topology, the Instance becomes Deleted. This means:
In terms of reporting, the Instance does not exist anymore and is no longer
available. Its associated reporting data cannot be accessed anymore.
The Instance's tag is modified. That is, the Instance cannot be identified as
previously. If the monitored network entity corresponding to the deleted Instance
re-appears in the provisioning topology, the new resulting Instance cannot be
correlated with the former one.
Finally, all the Instances with the Deleted status are physically removed from the
database when you apply the Instance purging process.
Note that data associated to deleted Instances are regularly dropped as ordinary
obsolete data when you apply the data purging.
See also:
"Lifetime before Archiving" on page 54
VistaMart 4.0
36
Moving proxy Instances

Proxy move is a VistaMart feature to manage customer inventory that allows the
redirecting of a proxy Instance from one basic Instance to another basic Instance. For
example, it is possible to move a customer interface from router A to router B without
losing VistaMart data.
The activation of this feature requires a rigorous tagging policy for proxies in
VistaDiscovery.
The default tag for the proxy Instance contains
the tag of the basic (parent) Instance, as in the following example:
tag=LAN_%parent.build.tag%_%IfName%
USING VISTADISCOVERY DEFAULT TAGGING
The result, if you keep this tagging policy when using the proxy move feature, you
duplicate the Instance because the tag is now different due to the change in the basic
Instance, and you lose your data.
EXAMPLE
Moving Interface 1 from Router B to Router C:
> Case 1: default tagging policy for Interface 1

Tag=Router B_Interface 1 becomes Tag=Router C_Interface 1
Result: Creation of new Instance with tag Router C_Interface 1; loss of data
> Case 2: custom tagging policy using Customer and Site Name for Interface 1
Tag=CustomerName_SiteName remains Tag=CustomerName_SiteName
Result: the tag for the interface does not contain any reference to the parent device,
but only information on the object. The proxy move function redirects the interface
to the new router, and data polling continues without interruption.
USING CUSTOM TAGGING

>
This gives the proxy Instance a unique tag:
In the tagging policy of the proxy Instance, do not include any reference to the
basic (parent) Instance, as in this example:
tag=LAN_%IfAlias%, where the alias contains the customer and site name
>
Using VistaDiscoverys integration mode, force the tag to a column value (see the
VistaDiscovery User Guide for complete details.)
WARNING By default, the proxy move feature is disabled as a safeguard against
accidental moves of Instances, causing widespread changes to your

inventory. This can be complicated, if not impossible, to reverse.
Use this function cautiously when you must redirect your proxy Instances
for specific Zones only.
VistaMart 4.0
37
Managing groups Instances

The ability to group individual Instances is especially useful when you must group
network resources in your reports according to specific criteria.
The objective is to facilitate group reporting by starting a slot or report for the group
Instance. Everything required for the calculation such as Instances, Indicators, and
Report Templates are launched automatically.
A group Instance is an Instance with:
>
Dedicated Properties which qualify the related members within the group.
>
Dedicated Indicators, whose values are calculated through formulas from the
respective members Indicator values.
About group members

Within the VistaMart database, each individual Instance has a Property Member of
Group which identifies the group(s) to which it is related. There are two different
ways to assign members to a group:
>
For each related Instance, you explicitly declare the Member of group Property
value in the topology file you import to provision the VistaMart Zone.
>
Using Rules, you modify the Property value according to a given set of conditions.
Note that a given group can federate Instances sourced from different zones individual members and their group(s) do not necessarily belong to the same Zone.
This gives you the flexibility to use specific topology files for defining the groups.
An Instance can be a member of several groups using a multi-valued Property. For
example, a server can be a member of the groups Servers, Database, and
Windows.
Groups can also be members of groups. This allows you to define a flexible structure
and create as many reporting combinations as you need.
VistaMart 4.0
38
Understanding synchronization levels

A synchronization level is a flag that indicate the state of Instances, Reports and
Slots according to the synchronization phase between VistaMart and the data source.
Synchronization levels are useful because they:
>
prevent any conflict with the Update Date attribute (two simultaneous updates
could cause database conflict).
>
avoid extensive comparisons (diffs) which involve retrieving InfoVista databases

and comparing them with new topologies
There are five possible synchronization levels as shown in the following diagram:
Synchronization
Levels
Applied to...
1:
Entities manually created or modified in the VistaMart Inventory

Manager including any automatically created entities (e.g: by
VistaDiscovery) which are then manually modified.
Requires Rules
Application
Note: By manual modification, we mean all modifications using the

VistaMart Inventory Manager or by any external application which is
unaware of the current synchronization state. This includes SQL
plus.
All entities with state 1 have not any Rules applied.
2:
All entities provisioned in a VistaMart database using VistaDiscovery.
Awaiting Server
Synchronization
All entities with state 1 which have Rules applied.
These entities, which are potentially not synchronized on InfoVista

Servers, are synchronized the next time a server group is updated.
VistaMart 4.0
Synchronization
Levels
39
Applied to...
3:
All entities successfully uploaded and synchronized on an InfoVista

Synchronized on Server.
Any entity which is rediscovered and which exists in the same form
Server
on an InfoVista Server is therefore not resynchronized, thus saving
resources.
4:
Error during
Server
Synchronization
5:
An unrecoverable error has occurred while uploading this entity. It is

not considered for InfoVista Server uploads in future unless it is
changed (automatically or manually) and returns to state 1 or 2.
You need to use the repair mode to recover the entity.
VistaBridge and Vista Watch Instances are successfully provisioned.
Provisioned
Exercising object ownership and priority

Objects on the VistaMart repository (such as Instances, Property Values, Slots,
Reports, Links) that come from provisioning have an owner attribute. This attribute
indicates the priority exercised when updating, inserting, or removing these objects
from the database.
Owner priorities allow you to protect database coherence. In order to modify or
delete an existing object, an owner must have the same priority or higher than the
current owner of the object. For example, if an object has Application as owner, it
cannot be modified by the owner Auto; it can only be modified by the owner
Application or higher.
The following table lists the various owners and their related priorities:
Name
Priority
Description
Default
(lowest)
Property Values which still maintain their default values.
Auto
50
This priority is set for all objects imported by provisioning using

the change and proxy modes.
Rules
50
Objects created or modified by VistaMart Rules
Application
100
Objects created by applications such as VistaBridge
User
200
Objects modified by a user or by provisioning in the update

mode
Specific
(highest)
500
Objects created by applications such as Vista Watch that need to

keep strict control over the Instances it generates.
NOTE
Properties Values and Instances have separate owners that are not
necessarily the same. Thus, you can set Instance attributes at a User owner
level and maintain Property Values under Auto owner.
VistaMart 4.0
40
Applying provisioning modes

You can apply six provisioning modes:
"Change mode" on page 40

"Device mode" on page 41
"Update mode" on page 42
"Addupdate mode" on page 42
"Delete and archive modes" on page 43
Change mode
This provisioning mode is called Full Synchronization.
For a given Zone, this mode creates new Instances and updates existing Instances. It
also removes Instances that do not appear in the current topology file when compared
to the previous topology file (reconciliation process).
This mode follows the owner priority when modifying or deleting objects. All new
objects created from a topology file have the owner auto.
When importing the new topology file, the user must indicate the name of the topology
file and the Zone to which it applies.
VistaMart 4.0
41
Device mode
This provisioning mode is called Synchronization limited to devices declared in the
topology file.
The objective of this mode is to limit the change management to the Instances
defined in the topology files for a subset of the Zone:
>
It creates new Instances defined in the topology file
>
It updates existing Instances defined in the topology file
>
Removes proxy instances if these do not appear in the topology file. Their
associated basic instances remain.
For glossary definitions of basic and proxy instances, see the entry "instance" on
page 250.
DEVICE UPDATE CASE When you define a basic Instance in the topology file, you must
also provide the definition of all its related proxies within that same topology file (for
example, a router and all its interfaces). The basic and proxy instances belong to the
same Zone. Since change management applies to the whole device, the related
proxies that are not in the topology file are deleted.
PROBE/INTERFACE UPDATE CASE This provisioning mode also manages proxy Instances
without affecting other Instances in the Zone. It is particularly useful when detecting
new probes or QoS interfaces on routers, which are by definition proxy type
Instances.
This type of configuration requires at least two separate Zones:
>
The first Zone is dedicated to the network device definitions,
>
The second Zone is strictly dedicated to the related proxy definitions.
For example, VistaDiscovery discovers the routers contained in Zone 1 and the
probes in Zone 2. The provisioning process automatically makes the link between
the routers and the probes and updates only the probes in a given Zone. The proxy
Instances linked to the same basic Instances located in other zones are not affected.
The ownership hierarchy applies in this provisioning mode.
VistaMart 4.0
42
Update mode
This mode is also called the Primary update of Properties and Vistas mode.
For any given topology file, it does not create or delete any objects in the inventory. It
simply updates Properties and Vistas.
The objective of this provisioning mode is to:
>
Modify the Property values of an Instance so that an automatic process cannot

override them.
>
Add new Vistas to the Instance
If you want to change the Property Value of an Instance, you must import a new
topology file in the update mode or change it manually using the Inventory Manager.
Once you apply the update provisioning mode to an Instance Property, the Property
owner of that Instance changed to User. Hence that Property Value cannot be
changed or deleted by the change provisioning mode or by Rules.
We recommend that you separate all Properties updated with the update mode from
those that can be regularly updated using the change mode.
Addupdate mode
This mode is also called Additional Updates of Properties.
You use this mode to update only Properties belonging to an Instance in the topology
file, as opposed to the update mode which updates Properties as well as Vistas.
The following example illustrates the case where you need to update the monitored
routers with two different sets of Properties, sourced from two distinct CSV topology
files:
>
The first topology files provides the Service definitions
>
The second topology file provides the Customer definitions.
VistaMart 4.0
43
Delete and archive modes

The objective of these two removal modes is to remove Instances from a given Zone.
The topology file contains a list of Instances to remove. It only requires the tag of
each Instance to remove.
>
when using the delete mode, VistaMart deletes the Instances. The Instance is
permanently destroyed.
>
when using the archive mode, VistaMart archives the Instances. The reporting
associated to the archived Instance is suspended even though it still appears in
VistaPortal. This function can be reversed. Data polling stops, but the user can still
access the data.
When you remove or archive basic Instances, the associated proxies are also
removed or archived.
LINKS The links between the deleted or archived Instances and other Instances are
deleted as well.
REFERENCED PROPERTIES AND GROUPS When you remove an Instance, all referenced
Properties and Groups from this Instance are reset to null.
VistaMart 4.0
Selecting topology files for provisioning
44

A topology file is a flat file describing the devices in an IT infrastructure with basic
information pertaining to that device such as IP address, manufacturer, etc.
In addition, it gives information about Instances, Indicators, Property Values, Vistas,

that VistaMart uses to provide the reporting you need.
>
You can declare multiple Vistas in a topology file. This is the case when an
Instance belongs to several Vistas (for example, a server Instance can belong to
the Database and Server Vistas).
>
It is possible to declare proxy Instances without explicitly declaring the basic

Instance. It is only necessary to include a reference or link to the basic Instance.
>
You can use the Property Value Member of Group to identify the members of a
given group (i.e. Cisco Routers). You can also use this Property to create groups
of groups.
Using VistaDiscovery for provisioning

VistaDiscovery allows you to automate the network discovery process. During a
discovery phase, it may find new objects which you can incorporate into the VistaMart
inventory.
VistaDiscovery produces topology files that are formatted in XML to work compatibly
with VistaMart. The file details each Instance, its related Vista and its Property
Values.
Zones created in VistaDiscovery carry the tag Automatic. You can either create
these Zones in VistaDiscovery or the VistaMart Inventory Manager to use in the
discovery.
You can modify the topology file generated by VistaDiscovery for a Zone to suit your
reporting requirements. For example, you can use Rules to modify Instance Property
Values or create/delete/modify objects individually and manually.
For comprehensive details about VistaDiscovery features, see the VistaDiscovery
User Guide.
Using external topology files for provisioning

You can create topology files manually or through other applications such as
VistaBridge or Vista Watch and import them into VistaMart using the Inventory
Manager.
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Choosing a file format

Topology files come in two possible formats:
XML The file complies with the standard XML syntax and conforms to a built-in
VistaMart schema. You can submit this file directly for provisioning.
CSV This customized format must be converted to XML so VistaMart can read it.This
conversion process uses an additional Configuration file that maps the commaseparated values to objects in the VistaMart inventory such as Instances, Property
Values, etc.
Provisioning with XML topology files

You manually provision VistaMart with an XML topology file that follows XML syntax.
NOTE
T
You can only provision one Zone at a time.
Import a topology file

1 In the Inventory Manager, select Provisioning/Import Topology. The Import
Topology window opens. This window allows you to:
set your VistaMart provisioning parameters,
preview your topology files (use test small Instance groups as it is a memoryconsuming process),
launch provisioning,
monitor changes in the integrated log window.
2 Select the appropriate Zone and Provisioning Mode.

3 Click the browse button
in the Topology file box to select the XML topology
file to import and click Open.
The option topology file is selected by default to XML File. Do not change it.
4 Click Preview. This allows you to test the validity of the submitted file and display
the changes compared to the previous topology.
VistaMart uses the submitted topology file to show what changes (additions,
deletions, modifications) it would make in the database for these objects:
Instances: Inserted (blue), changed (green), removed (red). Any Instance

needing resynchronization appear in yellow (see "Understanding
synchronization levels" on page 38).
Reports (for each Instance)
Slots (for each Instance)
Properties (for each Instance)
To display Reports/Slots/Property information for each Instance, select an

Instance in the contents pane of the Browser tab.
5 Click OK to close the Preview window.
VistaMart 4.0
46
6 Click Run to apply the changes.

VistaMart updates the database for all Instances as required.
Instances that are no longer in the Zone topology file are not deleted immediately
from the database, but turned as unstable Instances. This means that you can
submit them again until the expiration of their Lifetime before Archiving.
XML file structure

An XML topology file follows a specific structure and contains the following items:
"Detailed description" on page 46
Detailed description
The following table gives explanations for the essential parts of the XML topology file.
This file includes the description of an Instance with a link. Note that the object WID is
not mandatory.
Instance Declaration and related Property Values
Description
<ADResult Seq=-1 Id=id >
Autodiscovery result.
<Instances>
Instances container
<Instance Name=FR RT hq01rt10 172.29.0.1 Serial0/1.1 995"
The name and tag can be

identical if the Instance name
is unique in the database.
Tag=FR RT hq01rt10 172.29.0.1 Serial0/1.1 995" >

<Description>Serial0/1.1 </Description>
A short description of the

Instance.
<Vista Name=FR Pvc/>
The name of the Vista(s) that

the Instance belong to.
VistaMart 4.0
Instance Declaration and related Property Values
Description
<PropertyValue VistaName=Interface Name=Interface Index

Value=4 ></PropertyValue>
Details for the Vista that this

Property is based on.
<PropertyValue VistaName=FR Pvc Name=EIR Value=512000 >
The Value of the Property

where applicable. It can be
modified for each Instance.
</PropertyValue>
<PropertyValue VistaName=FR Pvc Name=DLCI Value=995
Encryption=0 >
</PropertyValue>
47
The encryption attribute to

indicates if the Property value
is encrypted.
<Basic Tag=RT HQ01RT01 194.98.138.252"/ >
Indicates the parent basic

Instance of the proxy
Instance.
<Link Type=layer3 Tag0=FR RT hq01rt11 172.16.1.11 Serial0/0.1

995" VistaName0=FR Pvc VistaName1=FR Pvc Tag1 =FR RT
hq01rt10 172.16.1.10 Serial0/1.1 995"/ >
The associated Instance or

Link is the Instance used by
the VistaPortal Service Level
Navigator.
</Links>
<Subnets/>
(For VistaDiscovery only)

Related subnets discovered.
Leave empty for nonVistaDiscovery topologies.
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Provisioning with CSV topology files

VistaMart accepts custom topology files in CSV format.
In this format, each row represents an Instance, with one field containing the identifier
for the Instance such as Tag or IP address.
Each CSV file that you submit must have an associated XML configuration file to
map its contents to InfoVista objects (such as Vistas, Instances, and Properties).
During the import, the Inventory Manager uses the configuration file to convert the
CSV file into an equivalent XML file. The conversion process is transparent to the
user.
Once converted, you can submit the topology file in XML format for provisioning.
You can either create manually the configuration file or automatically using the CSV
wizard.
The configuration file include three sections:
1 The Settings section includes the Separator used to separate the objects (the
respective columns) in each row, and a Best Effort option to accept/reject
unresolved Instances.
2 The Resolution section includes the objects which are used for resolving the
addressed Instance. In some cases, the Resolution section is not necessary if the
Instance can be directly resolved using the unique Tag identifier.
3 The Mapping section that provides a column to property mapping for the
Instance.
INSTANCE CREATION Each new Instance is specified with as many attributes (Tag,
Name, Description,.) and Properties as necessary. Note that both Tag and Vista
definitions are mandatory.
INSTANCE UPDATE The Instance to update can be resolved by several ways:

>
You explicitly supply the Instance Tag
>
The resolution section of the Configuration file includes as many Properties as

necessary to identify the Instance.
NOTE
See "XML Topology files examples" on page 239 for a series of detailed
Configuration File examples that you can use as templates.
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Generating automatically a configuration file

Rather than manually writing a configuration file in XML, you can generate it
automatically using the CSV Wizard.
The major steps in the wizard guide you through the following steps:
>
Import or create a new configuration file and topology file
>
Define the file format (separator, encoding, lines to exclude)
>
Define the Instance type
>
Define the provisioning mode (change, update, etc.)
>
Define the Instances (tag, name) or define the resolution method
>
Define the associated properties
>
Confirm and save the configuration file
The table below synthesizes the general information you must enter build your
configuration file. The steps vary depending on whether you are working in the
change or update provisioning mode.
Step
Description / Information to enter
File structure
Column separator: choose between tab, semi-colon, comma, or

other (enter the symbol in the associated box)
Instance type
> Simple case: one type of Instance (example: router). Choose

the associated Vista from the drop-down list box.
> Complex case: several types of Instance (example: router and

WAN interface). The wizard parses the CSV file to find the
number of Instance types.
- Associate the Vista for each type of Instance.
- If the selected Vista is a proxy, select the Vista for the basic
and indicate if the Vista is defined in the topology file
Provisioning mode
The provisioning mode plays a key role in the configuration file.

There are several possibilities:
> You create or delete instances: The Instance TAG is mandatory

and must be defined in this configuration file
> You only update instance properties: You specify a

reconciliation policy to find the instance using for example the
instance name, TAG, some properties.
> You update instance properties but also the associated Vista:
You have two reconciliation mechanisms. The Vista gets
updated according to the one defined in the Instance type.
Instance definition
This step applies if you are in the change mode (full

synchronization). Here, you describe how to name the Instances.
The tag is necessary for Instance identification, as well as
Instance reconciliation (i.e. associating a proxy Instance with its
basic (parent) Instance).
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Step
Description / Information to enter
Instance
reconciliation
This step applies if you are in the update mode. You define how
to find the Instance through a mapping of column to properties.
The list of the properties displays automatically filtered depending
on the Instance type Vista and associated basic Vista (if the
instance is a proxy).
Properties definition
Here you update the Instance properties according to one or

several columns.
Validation
This final step guarantees that:
> The configuration file is properly updated and saved

> All columns are used
> Resolution process is matching instances (in update mode)
> No errors when processing the first lines for each type of
instance.
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Following-up your provisioning

The Zone container in the Browser tab contains the list of Zones and their related
objects created during the configuration process (Instances, Reports, Slots, etc). The
contents of each Zone are separated into the following items:
Zone contents
Description
Instances
The complete list of Instances according to the topology file used to

create the Zone.
New Instances
The date stamp attributed to new Instances.
Manually Created This applies both to manually created Instances and all manually
modified Instances. For example, an Instance for which you have
Instances
changed a Property Value is in this list.
Unstable
Instances
Instances which were not submitted during the most recent

provisioning (theyre not discovered by VistaDiscovery, theyre not
part of the topology files).
Unstable Instances is turned to:
> archives, if they are not re-discovered before their lifetime expires,
> active Instance, if they are re-discovered.
Archived
Instances
Instances which are no longer unstable, that is, their lifetime has
expired?
Requires Rules
Application
These Instances need to be associated with Rules.
Ready for
Synchronization
These Instances have been associated with Rules: They are now
ready to be uploaded (synchronized on a group of InfoVista Servers).
Instances listed here have Synchronization level 1 (for details, see

"Understanding synchronization levels" on page 38).
Instances listed here have Synchronization level 2 (for details, see

"Understanding synchronization levels" on page 38).
Events
All events related to Zone creation and management in order of trap

severity.
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Managing topology objects manually
52

You can create, modify or delete topology objects manually in the Inventory Manager.
Each object is created individually. For example, you might want to add a specific
type of Interface report to a single LAN Interface Instance which, using standard
Rules, is not associated with this report.
CREATION Manually created objects are not overwritten when you re-apply Rules.
Manually created objects always have higher priority than automatic object creation.
MODIFICATION You can use the Browser View to modify object values directly, using
the Property sheet of the relevant object.
If you modify a Property value for a specific Instance, the changes applied to the
Property value are stored under the history attribute. This allows you to keep track of
changes and recall default values if required.
"Creating a Zoneset" on page 52
"Creating Zones" on page 53
"Creating/deleting Instances" on page 54
"Creating/deleting proxies" on page 55
"Creating/deleting Reports" on page 56
"Creating/deleting Slots" on page 57
"Creating/deleting Links" on page 58
Creating a Zoneset
T
Create a Zoneset
1 In the Inventory Manager, click the Config View tab.
2 Right-click ZoneSet Definition and select New Zone set.
The zoneset Definition dialog box opens.
3 Enter a zoneset Name which usually corresponds to a Customer. This Zone set
contains all corresponding zones (for example European servers, Cisco Frame
Relay devices etc.).
4 Enter a zoneset Identifier. By default, this value is the same as the zoneset name.
This attribute must be unique for each zoneset.
5 Enter a zoneset description (optional) and click Finish.
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Creating Zones
T
Create a Zone
1 In the Inventory Manager, open the Config tab.
2 Expand Zone Set Definition, right-click the Zone set to associate with the new
Zone and select New Zone.
3 Add the parameters as required.

All underlined parameters, flagged with a * in this list, are mandatory.
Parameter
Description
Zone name*
A name (up to 64 characters) which corresponds to a type of

reporting you want it to handle (for example European Servers,
Cisco Frame Relay, Customer X IP VPN devices, etc.).
Zone Identifier*
By default the Identifier takes the same value as the Zone name.
Zone Description
A relevant description (up to 2048 characters).
Zone Kind
Two possible options:
> Manual. The Zone is populated using topology files

> Automatic. The Zone is populated using VistaDiscovery.
Default InfoVista
Servers Group*
Associate the new Zone with an InfoVista group. By default the

Default server group is used. You can modify this parameter at a
later date.
Default Location
You can set a physical location for the Instances in this Zone.
Select any Country/City combination from the drop-down list.
VistaMart 4.0
Parameter
Description
Resource
Activation*
By default, all related values for the following resources are

activated:
54
> Solution
> Report Template Capabilities
> Indicators Capabilities
> Vendor
> Template Frequency
> Vistas
> Template/Indicator Library
They can be deactivated or reactivated using Zone filters.
Lifetime before
Archiving
The lifetime of Instances in unstable status. Once this time has

elapsed, the Instance is archived.
4 Click Finish.
Creating/deleting Instances
T
Create Instances manually

1 In the Inventory Manager, open the Browser View tab.
2 Expand the Zone container.
3 Expand the Zone where you want to create the Instance.
4 Right-click the Instances icon
to access the New Instance Wizard.
5 Enter the following attributes in the New Instance Property sheet ( Note: most of
these attributes can be modified after the Instance is created).
Underlined attributes, flagged with a * in this list, are mandatory.
Attribute
Description
Name*
Any unique name (string max 255 characters).
Instance
Identifier*
Corresponds to the TAG attribute - the primary identifier of an

Instance. It must be unique inside a ZoneSet. The Rules to compute
the TAG depend on the customer, and are subject to change.
By default the Instance Identifier has the same value as the
Instance name.
Kind*
Basic or Group: according to the specified Vistas. This value is

fixed and cannot be modified.
Description
A textual description (2055 character maximum).
Zone*
By default, the Zone you are using to create the Instance. You can
change this Zone here if required.
VistaMart 4.0
Attribute
Description
Location*
The geographical location of the Instance to be created.
55
Select any country/city combination from the drop-down box.
InfoVista
Servers
Group*
You must associate the Instance with a group of InfoVista Servers. If

you have not already configured a group, use Default.
Vistas*
Related Vista and any related parent Vistas. Alternatively, you can
select the Vista which most closely represents the device; all other
related Vistas inherit this Instance (for example a router Instance is
inherited by the Resource and SnmpNode Vistas etc.).
You can modify this attribute at a later stage.
See The InfoVista Solution Model on page 188 for details on

object relationships.
T
Delete Instances manually

1 Click the Manually Created Instances or the Instances icon for the relevant Zone.
2 Select the Instance(s) you want to delete in the Property sheet, right click and
select Delete.
NOTE
If you manually delete a referenced Instance (e.g. a group), you must reapply
the Rules for all zones containing Instances referencing that Instance.
Creating/deleting proxies
You can create proxy Instances based on basic Instances.
T
Create proxies manually

3 Expand the Zone containing the parent Basic Instance.
4 Click the Instances icon to expand the list of Instances.
5 Click the Instance you want to create a Proxy for. Its details are displayed in a list
below the Instances.
6 Right-click the Proxies icon
and select New Proxy.
7 Complete the following attributes

All attributes are mandatory, except the description, are mandatory.
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Attribute
Description
Name*
Instance
Identifier*
Corresponds to the TAG attribute (primary Instance identifier) which must

be unique inside a ZoneSet. Rules to compute the TAG depend on the
customer and can change.
By default the Instance Identifier takes has the same value as the Instance
name.
Description A textual description (2055 character maximum).
Zone*
By default, the Zone you are using to create the Instance. You can change
this Zone here if required.
Vistas*
Related Vista and any related parent Vistas. Alternatively, you can select
the Vista which most closely represents the device; all other related Vistas
inherit this Instance (for example a LAN Interface Instance is inherited by
the Router, Resource, Common and SnmpNode Vistas).
Location*
The Location can be different from the Instance used to create the proxy.
Proxy*
The name of the Instance used to create the proxy.
Delete proxies manually

1 Click the Proxy in an Instance Property sheet. It appears in the pane to the right.
2 Right-click this Proxy and select Delete.
Creating/deleting Reports
T
Create Reports manually

1 In the Inventory Manager, open the Browser View tab and expand the Zone
container.
2 Expand the Zone where you want to create the Report.

3 Click the Instances icon to open the Instances Property sheet.
4 Click the Instance you want to create a report for. Its details are displayed in a list
5 Right-click the Reports icon and select New Report Wizard.

6 Enter the following attributes (all attributes are mandatory, except Description.)
Attribute
Description
Name
Description
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57
Attribute
Description
Report
Template
You must associate a Vista and Report Template to create a report based
on the selected Instance. Select any Vista/Report Template combination
from the drop-down list.
You cannot modify the Vista/Report Template attribute after report
creation.
Timezone
The time Zone for which this report is calculated. It is set by default to
the global time Zone.
This attribute cannot be modified after the report is created.
7 Repeat these steps for other Instance/Report Template combinations.

T
Delete Reports manually

1 Click the Running Report or Suspended Reports icon for the relevant InfoVista
Server.
2 Select the Report(s) you want to delete in the Property sheet, right click and select
Delete.
Manually created Reports, when deleted, are sent to the Trash. They are deleted form
the Trash when you the database.
Creating/deleting Slots
A slot is raw data returned for an Instance/Indicator pair. You can store slots in
VistaMart and use this slot information to create graphs in VistaPortal.
T
Create Slots manually

3 Expand the Zone where you want to create the Slot.
5 Click the Instance you want to create a Slot for. Its details are displayed in a list
6 Right-click the Slots icon and select New Slot.

Underlined attributes, flagged with a * in this list, are mandatory.
Attribute
Description
Data Indicator Data Indicators function with Instances at the InfoVista Server level to
retrieve data from polled devices.
Description
Acquisition
Rate*
The Slot data acquisition rate. Hourly by default.
Display rate*
The minimum Slot data display rate. Hourly by default.
VistaMart 4.0
Attribute
Description
Source*
The default data source types are:
58
InfoVista: slots are handled by default by InfoVista Servers.

VistaMart: concerns SQL-created slots in VistaMart.
Other sources can exist (for example Vista Watch or VistaBridge).
Timezone*
Time Zone for this Slot. It is set by default to the global timezone.
This attribute cannot be modified after the report is created.
Displayed
Indicator
Display Indicators are created at VistaMart level to enable you to have a

more generic/solution-based approach to reporting.
By default, it is the same as the data Indicator.
Delete Slots manually

1 Click the Running Slots or Suspended Slots icon for the relevant InfoVista Server.
2 Select the Slot(s) you want to delete in the Property sheet, right click and select
Delete.
Creating/deleting Links
You can create Links between two Instances to associate these Instances for the
purposes of the VistaPortal Service Level Navigator. Instances can be linked over one
or more layers.
T
Create Links manually

3 Expand the Zone where you want to create the Link.
5 Click the Instance you want to create a Link for. Its details are displayed in a list
6 Right-click the Links icon and select New Link Wizard...

All attributes are mandatory.
Attribute
Description
Link Identifier
An automatically-created WID for the Link.
Instance Source
The Instance used as the principal Instance.
Instance
Destination
The Instance you want to link to the principal Instance.
VistaMart 4.0
Attribute
Description
Link Type
The layer number used to define the link. Undefined by default.
Is Oriented
The direction of the Link is usually oriented from the Instance

Source to the Instance Destination. If you do not want to orient
the Link, select Unoriented.
59
Delete Links manually

1 Click the Link in an Instance Property sheet. The Link is displayed in the pane to
the right.
2 Right-click this Link and select Delete.
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Searching inventory objects

The VistaMart Inventory Manager incorporates a sophisticated search engine which
allows you to launch cascade queries to locate inventory objects.
A cascade query is based on a combined series of search criteria.
Example:
>
Search for router Instances, and
>
Search for router Instances located in London UK, and
>
Search for router Instances on InfoVista Server nch.
Launch a cascade query for a VistaMart topology object

1 In the Inventory Manager, open the Browser View.
2 Expand the Search for directory.
3 Click an object type you want to launch a query on to open the Search for/
Instances window.
4 In the first drop-down list, select an attribute you want to search this object with.
This could be its Name, Description, Location, InfoVista Server, Vista, State, etc.
5 In the second drop-down list, select either contains or like for an exact or close
match.
6 Enter the string you want to use as a base for this search criteria in the text box.
7 Click the Add more criteria button to add more search criteria (see the example
above for details).
8 Click the Launch Query button to launch the search based on these criteria.
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Deleting inventory Objects

This section explains how to manually delete zones and zonesets and all the
respective objects they contain.
"Removing Instances from a Zone" on page 61
"Deleting a Zoneset" on page 62
"Deleting a Zone" on page 63
"Removing deleted Library objects" on page 64
Removing Instances from a Zone

You must remove all Instances from a Zone before removing it from your inventory.
T
Removing Instances from a Zone

2 Expand the Zone node then the Zone you want to remove Instances from.
3 Select the Instances you want to delete in the Property sheet, right-click and
select Delete.
Removing all Instances in a Zone

1 In the Inventory Manager, from the Provisioning menu, select Delete All Instances
in Zone.
2 The Delete Topology wizard opens.

From the drop-down menu, select the Zone for which you want to delete the
Instances. Click Next.
3 A new page appears and prompts you to confirm.

Select Yes, I want to delete Instances then click Finish.
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Deleting a Zoneset
You cannot delete a Zoneset if it contains zones.
T
Delete a Zoneset
1 In the Inventory Manager, open the Config View tab.
2 Expand Zoneset Definition, right-click the zoneset you want to delete and select
Delete.
The zoneset is removed from the database.
NOTE
You cannot delete the Default Zoneset (ID = 1).
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Deleting a Zone
You cannot delete a Zone if it contains Instances. Prior to deleting a Zone, you may:
>
Remove all the Instances it contains,
>
Import its topology in a different Zone in the same zoneset.
Delete a Zone
1 In the Inventory Manager, open the Config View tab.
2 Expand Zoneset Definition and click the Zoneset which contains the Zone you
want to delete.
The list of Zones is displayed in the List View pane.
3 Right-click the Zone and select Delete.
The Zone is removed from the database.
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Removing deleted Library objects

The Purge Repository function allows you to purge, from the trash, Library objects
which are no longer used.
T
Removing deleted objects

1 From the VistaMart Inventory Manager menu, select Provisioning/Removing
deleted Library Objects.
2 The Purge VistaViews Objects wizard opens.

3 Select the option Yes, I want to purge all Vista views objects from the trash.
4 Click Finish. Note that the deletion can take some time to perform.
5 Click Close when the deletion is complete.

6 From the Provisioning menu, select Test and Apply Rules to guarantee the
integrity of the whole database.
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Command-line provisioning options

You can activate provisioning features using the command-line options.
T
Access command-line options

1 Navigate to the VistaMart Inventory Manager bin directory. By default:
<InfoVista_install_dir>\VistaMart\bin
2 Launch the provisioning using the command vmprovisioner.exe (or

vmprovisioner.sh).
3 Use the following parameters:

Help option
-h
Usage
Explains all available options as listed below.
Services options
Usage
-d
URL
URL of the Application Services (example http://

vistamart_host:11080)
-u
username
Services user (i.e. user operator)
-p
Services password (for user operator)
Import options
Usage
These options are used to provision a Zone with a topology file.

-z
zonename
Tag of the Zone to populate:update.
-t
filename
Topology file name. This is either an XML or a CSV file.
-c
configname
When submitting a CSV file, you must specify the Configuration File
to process it.
-x
Dump xml
filename
When submitting a CSV file, this option returns the generated XML
equivalent.
-ad
Instance
deletion (%)
Provisioning Validity Check. In a production environment

(scheduled provisioning), whenever the ratio of deleted Instances
exceeds a predefined threshold, the provisioning batch is stopped.
This option is only valid using the change mode.
Default threshold value is 20%.
-l
[none]
Gives a list of Zone sets and Zones.
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66
Import options
Usage
-s
stop before
provisioning
When submitting a CSV, this option allows you to check the

generated XML equivalent before provisioning.
-m
Provisioning
mode
> change: Resynchronizes the Zone. All Instances in the topology

file are updated, all Instances not in the file are removed.
> update: Updates the Zone. All Instances in the topology file are
updated. None are created nor deleted.
> addupdate: Updates only the Properties. No creation nor

deletion.
> device: only imports or updates a list of devices in the Zone.

> rules: Only applies Rules on the specified Zone. In this case, the
option -t is optional.
> delete:
> archive:
Export options
Usage
These options are used to export the topology of a given Zone.
-z
zonename
Tag of the Zone to address.
-e
export
filename
XML file name where the topology is exported.
-ea
export
archived
XML file where only the archived Instances are exported (e.g.
before running a purge).
-m
mode
> full: Exports the full Zone topology, including Property values.
> structural: Exports the Zone topology, without any Property
value (the generated file only contains the Instance hierarchy).
> valued: Exports the full Zone topology, including Property

values excepted the ones which have their own default values.
Provisioning examples:
>
The following command imports the topology file topo.xml according to the
change mode (full resynchronization) into the Default Zone of the database vmar
located on the machine keitaro:
vmprovisioner.exe -d @keitaro:1521:ivdb -u vis_operator -p mypassword -z
Default -m change -t topo.xml
>
The following command only applies the Rules to the servers Zone of the
database vmar, without importing any topology file:
vmprovisioner.exe -d @keitaro:1521:ivdb -u vis_operator -p mypassword -z
servers -m Rules
>
The following command exports the content of the servers Zone of the database
vmar in full mode (all Instances and their Properties) to the file myservers.xml:
vmprovisioner.exe -d @keitaro:1521:vmar -u vis_operator -p mypassword -z
servers -e myservers.xml -m full
3 Managing InfoVista Servers

Data samples are sourced from either InfoVista Servers or external sources such as
VistaBridge and Vista Watch.
This section shows you how to declare new Server groups in VistaMart and assign
new InfoVista Servers to the respective groups. Then it describes how VistaMart
distributes the Instances over the Server groups and controls data acquisition.
"Overview of InfoVista Server management" on page 68

"Assigning zones to Groups of InfoVista Servers" on page 70
"Declaring a New InfoVista Server Group" on page 72
"Declaring a new InfoVista Server" on page 73
"Synchronizing InfoVista Server groups" on page 75
"Managing InfoVista Server loads" on page 79
67
VistaMart 4.0
Overview of InfoVista Server management
68

The InfoVista Servers used for polling are entirely driven by VistaMart. Upon the
synchronization command, VistaMart:
>
distributes the Instances onto InfoVista Servers, according to the declared Server
groups and Instance allocations,
>
uploads the InfoVista Libraries to the Servers, according to the reports and basic
Indicators you need, based on the Rule actions,
>
starts the relevant reports and slots on the servers, according to the assigned
Instances, uploaded Libraries and relevant Instance/Indicator pairs.
INSTANCE DISTRIBUTION Instances are distributed equally onto InfoVista Servers which
belong to the server group they are assigned to. The distribution takes into account
the individual operational capacities of each server and the size of the submitted
Instances. Instance size is calculated based on the number of its associated slots and
reports.
Proxy Instances are always pushed on the same InfoVista Server as their related
basic Instance.
INFOVISTA LIBRARY DOWNLOAD All the InfoVista Servers within a given group receives
the entire set of Libraries needed for processing whatever reports and slots specified
for that group.
DATA ACQUISITION The InfoVista Servers automatically start polling upon reception of
the Instances and Libraries, based on the Rules you apply and the Resource
Activation you specify.
SERVER LOAD The goal is to ensure that servers are provisioned to use approximately
the same load. Load is calculated as the percentage of memory remaining up to a
specific threshold.
You need to declare enough servers to handle polling of all your Instances. VistaMart
can manage as many servers as your reporting solution requires. You use
VistaCockpit to evaluate new server requirements.
VistaMart 4.0
69
InfoVista Servers in the production context

InfoVista Servers are locked as soon as they are under control of VistaMart. They are
independent polling tools. This means:
>
The Instances to monitor are uploaded to the server(s) from the VistaMart
database. You cannot add, modify or delete Instances at the individual InfoVista
Server level.
>
The InfoVista Libraries imported from VistaMart cannot be modified on a

production Server. Any Library modification must be performed on a standalone
InfoVista Workshop machine, from which you export the final version to VistaMart.
In turn, VistaMart distributes the needed Libraries to the synchronized InfoVista
Servers according to the handled topology.
>
When you add a new Server to a given configuration, you must install the InfoVista
software from scratch. In other words, you cannot incorporate a Server which has
been used for other purposes (such as any lab development).
>
When you re-initialize a VistaMart repository, you must reset all the InfoVista
Servers pertaining to the pool.
VistaMart 4.0
Assigning zones to Groups of InfoVista Servers
70

In VistaMarts Centralized Architecture, zones are used for provisioning (one topology
file per Zone); InfoVista Server groups are used for polling.
Zones and InfoVista Server Groups are strictly independent. This means:
>
You can define one Zone for several groups of InfoVista Servers.
>
You can define several zones for one group of InfoVista Servers.
To make the link between a Zone and an InfoVista Server group, an assignment is
made either manually using the management Inventory Manager or by using Rules.
Understanding Zone assignments

DEFAULT INFOVISTA SERVER GROUP When there is a single InfoVista Server group, the
Zone is directly associated with a Default InfoVista Server group defined by the user.
NOTE
Whenever you create a new default InfoVista Server group, all Instances
previously assigned to the former default group are not automatically moved
to the new one. You need to use a Rule to transfer the Instances to the new
default InfoVista Server group.
ZONE ASSIGNMENT BY RULES When you have several groups of InfoVista Servers, a Zone
can potentially be assigned to several groups of InfoVista Servers. Hence, you use a
Rule.
Assigning Instances to an InfoVista Server group

Once you created your Zones and provisioned the topology file contents on a
VistaMart database:
>
The Instances are mapped to the InfoVista Server group as defined previously.
>
The automatic load balancing mechanism assigns the Instance to a given

InfoVista Server.
For scalability purposes, topology files are synchronized on a group of InfoVista
Servers, and not a any single InfoVista Server.
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71
Examples of Zone/InfoVista Server Management

The following examples show different configurations of Zones and InfoVista Servers.
Simple example (several zones and one InfoVista Server group)

In this example, the whole VistaMart database is associated with a single InfoVista
Server group. In such a case, there is no need to use Rules to define the InfoVista
Server group on which you want to synchronize your Instances.
Complex example (multiple InfoVista Server groups)

In this example, a single Zone corresponds to several InfoVista Server groups.
Logically, the server groups are located as close as possible to the infrastructure
equipments they poll data from. You use Rules to define which InfoVista Server group
you want to associate with which Instances, for example, according to their respective
Location Property.
*
VistaMart 4.0
Declaring a New InfoVista Server Group
72
Declaring a New InfoVista Server Group

An InfoVista Server group is a user-defined pool of pre-installed InfoVista Servers. A
server group can be associated with several Zones. Rules associate InfoVista Server
groups with Zones.
We recommend that you create server groups before provisioning VistaMart. This
way, you avoid having to perform mass moves of Instances later on.
T
Declare a new InfoVista Server group

1 Start the Inventory Manager and open the Config View.
2 Expand the InfoVista Server Groups container.
3 Right click on the InfoVista Server Groups icon and select New InfoVista Server
Group.
4 In the InfoVista Server Group Wizard enter details as required.

5 Click Finish. The new group is added to the list.
(Parameters flagged with a * are mandatory).

Parameters
Description
Group Name*
Group name (255 characters maximum).
Group Description
Textual description of the group (2048 characters maximum).
Type*
Production by default. The Backup option is reserved to

VistaCockpit purposes.
Backup Group
The name of the InfoVista Server group used as a backup.
VistaMart 4.0
Declaring a new InfoVista Server
73

If you need to install new production or backup servers, see the InfoVista Installation
Guide. For guidelines on how many servers you need for the number of Instances you
want to monitor, refer to the InfoVista Sizing kit.
T
Declare a new InfoVista Server

1 Open the Inventory Manager and open the Config View.
2 Expand the InfoVista Server Groups container.
3 Right click the server group where you want to create the server, then select New
InfoVista Server Wizard.... The server is created in this group.
4 In the InfoVista Server Wizard enter details as required.

5 Click Finish. The new InfoVista Server appears in the group list.
(Parameters flagged with a * are mandatory).

Server Parameter
Description
Name*
Name by which the server is known.
Type*
Select InfoVista Server for real servers that poll equipments or,
either VistaBridge or Vista Watch in case of external sources.
Synchronize?
Check the box to force topology synchronization on the server.
Location
Geographical location of the InfoVista Server.
Description
Textual description of the InfoVista Server (2048 characters max.).
VistaMart 4.0
Server Parameter
74
Description
There are three available string syntaxes:

InfoVista Server
Connection String* > hostname. A single server is installed on the machine, and
there is no firewall.
> Instance@hostname. As of InfoVista 3.1, in case of several

servers installed on a single machine.
> hostname:mport:cport:bport. The server is installed on a

machine behind a firewall.
Administrator
Username*
An administrator user name for users with administrators rights

(Administrator by default).
Administrator
Password*
A valid password for this administrator.
Viewer User name* An InfoVista user who can connect to the InfoVista Server and
view report data (Viewer by default).
Viewer Password*
A valid password for this viewer.
Checking InfoVista Server properties

When you select a InfoVista Server from a group in the Browser View, it contains the
following properties:
Element
Description
Instances
All Instances currently uploaded on this InfoVista Server.
Running
Reports
The list of all Reports which have their state set to Running are
uploaded onto this server.
Running
Slots
The list of all Slots which have their state set to Running that are
currently uploaded onto this server.
Information includes the displayed Instance, associated Vista and the
name of the InfoVista Server which is collecting data for this slot.
Suspended
Slots
A list of all suspended Slots (by Rules and/or manually).
To be
removed
Instances which are deleted from VistaMart are placed in this folder.
However, there are still present in the InfoVista Server.
If you have Slots which are suspended by the InfoVista Server due to
memory overload, consider adding another server to your group and
redistributing Instances to balance the load.
VistaMart 4.0
Synchronizing InfoVista Server groups
75

The Server synchronization process consists of:
>
Distributing the Instances over the InfoVista Servers of the group
>
Launching the real-time reports and slots for the designated Instances.
Servers are always updated per group. A group of servers is configured to manage
one or more Zones. The server group is populated automatically with Instances,
Reports, Slots, and any required Libraries.
Instances are distributed evenly over all configured servers. The load is evaluated in
terms of memory (See: "Managing InfoVista Server loads" on page 79).
T
Synchronize a Server Group using the Inventory Manager

1 Open the Inventory Manager and select Server/Synchronize Server Group.... The
Server Group Synchronization window opens.
2 Select the name of the server group from the Server Group drop-down list.
All the server belonging to that group are displayed with their respective current
load and status. Possible statuses are as follows:
Computing. The server is retrieving the load information.
Nominal. The server is up and running. Possibly, it can handle more Instances.
Overloaded. The server is stressed - it is not recommended to add anymore

Instances, it is automatically unselected.
Empty. The server has just been added to the group, it doesnt handle any
Instance yet.
Classic architecture. This server cannot be synchronized. It should be

removed from the group.
No collector. The collector process is not running on the server. It should be

fixed before attempting a synchronization.
Error. The server cannot accept any synchronization.
3 Unselect the servers to which you dont want to add new Instances (you suspect
they are soon overloaded). Select the servers which can potentially accept
additional load.
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4 Click Synchronize. The servers of the group are updated with the latest available
Instances, Reports, and Slots. The displayed window logs all details.
5 After the update, click Close.

T
Synchronize a Server Group using the Command-line Option

1 Navigate to the VistaMart Inventory Manager bin directory. By default:
<InfoVista_install_dir>\VistaMart\bin
2 Launch the synchronization using:

ivprovisioner.exe (or ivprovisioner.sh). Enter -h to display help information.
Use the following parameters:
Parameters
Description
-d
database
The Oracle database URL. Ex: http://keitaro:11080
-u
user
Database user (operator).
-p
password
Database user password.
-g
group
Name of the Server group to synchronize.
-r
[none]
Resets the state of objects in error, before synchronizing the

Servers.
-e
[none]
Empties trash for the specified Server group.
-l
[none]
Lists the groups and the servers;
Example: The following command synchronizes the Server group mygroup

addressing the database ivdb, located on the machine myhost. It empties the
trash Library for that group.
ivprovisioner -d http://keitaro:11080b -u myrep_operator -p mypassword -g

mygroup -e
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Getting InfoVista Server feedback

Upon synchronization, the InfoVista Server provides a status of the reports and slots
triggered by the Rules.
1 From the Browser view, open the server group then the server you want to check.
2 Click Running reports / Running slots.
The right hand pane lists all the reports/slots running on the server.
For each launched slot and report, the displayed icon reflects the status as illustrated
below:
Successful synchronization. The slots are started correctly.
Incorrect synchronization. The slots are not started correctly.

Check the Rules and your InfoVista Libraries.
Successful synchronization. The reports are up and running.
Incorrect synchronization. The reports are not running correctly.

Check the Rules and the report templates;
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78
Handling unstable servers

For a given server, any decision regarding a potential load increase is based on the
servers current load, provided that the load value the server returns is reliable.
Whenever a server is stopped, e.g. for maintenance purposes, and then restarted,
you cannot rely on the value it returns for a period of 4 hours after it is restarted. The
server status is unstable.
During that period of 4 hours, the server appears capable of handling more Instances
than it actually can. It is not a reliable candidate for taking many more Instances into
account.
Each time synchronization is triggered on a server group, VistaMart discriminates the

servers according to their respective statuses and manages the synchronization as
follows:
>
Only the empty servers and the stable servers reporting a nominal status are
taken into account for the distribution of new Instances,
>
VistaMart checks that there is no more than 50% of unstable servers in the group,
>
Each stable server should not receive more than 100 additional Instances.
SYNCHRONIZE A SERVER GROUP USING THE COMMAND-LINE OPTION If both later conditions are
not met, VistaMart issues an error message and the synchronization process is
stopped.
SYNCHRONIZE A SERVER GROUP USING THE INVENTORY MANAGER The unstable servers report
the message Unstable in the uptime column and they are automatically unselected.
They must be managed carefully because there is a risk of overload. Even though
VistaMart emits a warning message if both conditions mentioned above are not met,
you are still free to increase their load.
It is recommended not to increase their load if:
>
The previous server load was above 60%. (Refer to the InfoVista Server Tuning
reports for consulting the historical values).
>
You intend to increase the number of Instances by 20%.
VistaMart 4.0
Managing InfoVista Server loads
79

LOAD BALANCING InfoVista Server loads are handled automatically. VistaMart uploads
Instances onto servers in such as way that each server has an equal load. Whenever
you update a topology, new Instances are distributed to ensure balance between
servers.
LOAD CONTROL The InfoVista Server has a load control feature which limits database
loads. Before starting new data acquisitions, the server checks collector states to
define the action to take. States are based on server thresholds which are
recalculated every 5 seconds. Thresholds are based on server memory usage and
other processes.
Redistributing Instances between InfoVista Servers

InfoVista Server load management is handled with VistaCockpit. VistaCockpit alerts
you about server overloads or potential overload situations as they develop.
In such a case, you use the Inventory Manager to redistribute Instances between
InfoVista Servers.
There are three possible scenarios:
VistaMart 4.0
Scenarios
When to use
1. Transfer
Instances from one
InfoVista Server to
another
A server is no longer in use and you want to transfer all Instances

from that server to a new machine you install and declare for the
group.
2. Distribute
Instances from an
inactive server over
the entire group
A server is no longer in use and you want to spread its load over the
other servers in the group.
3. Transfer
Instances from one
server the others
VistaCockpit notifies you that a server is overloaded. You perform a

partial transfer of Instances from that server to other servers
belonging to the group;.
NOTE
80
The redistribution method is a direct machine-to-machine transfer.

The new machine must have sufficient capacity to handle the
transfer.
Redistribution automatically balances load according to the

remaining server capacity of the other servers.
In all cases, real-time data for all Instances moved from the source Server
are lost.
Redistribute Instances
1 Select Server/Redistribute Instances...The Redistribute Instances window opens.
2 Select one of the following redistribution options:
3 Click Next.
T
Option 1: Transfer Instances from one InfoVista Server to another

1 In the Select Source window, select a server as the source. In other words, the
server you want to transfer Instances from. Click Next.
2 In the Select Destination window, select the server you want to sen Instances to.
3 Click Next twice.
4 To start the redistribution, click Yes: I want to start the redistribution now. Click
No, I do it later if you have other transfer operations to perform. Transfer
parameters are saved and executed when you reopen the wizard or if you
synchronize servers.
VistaMart 4.0
T
81
Option 2: Redistribute Instances from an inactive server over the entire group
1 In the Select Source window, select a server as the source. In other words, the
server you want to redistribute Instances from. Click Next.
2 In the Select Destination window, the server group for the server you selected
above is displayed. This is the server group where you transfer or redistribute
Instances to.
3 Click Next twice.

4 To start the redistribution, click Yes: I want to start the redistribution now. Click
No, I do it later if you have other transfer operations to perform. Transfer
parameters are saved and executed when you reuse the wizard or if you
T
Option 3: Transfer Instances from a server to other servers
1 In the Select source window, select one or several (overloaded) server(s) you
want to transfer Instances from. Click Next.
2 In the Select Destination window, select the server(s) to which you want to
transfer Instances and click Next.
3 You can perform a partial transfer of Instances, according to:
A reference date. All the Instances created since that date are transferred to
the destination server(s). Click the date box to select a date in the calendar.
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82
A given number of Instances. VistaMart displays the total number of Instance

handled by the overloaded server. You enter the approximate number of
Instances you want to move, which is recalculated more accurately according
to the basic/proxy relationship of Instances.
NOTE
Keep in mind that real-time data for the Instances you transfer are lost.
The older the Instances the more real-time data is lost. Consequently,
you should prefer transferring the data according to the reference date
whenever possible so as to minimize the loss of data.
4 Click Next.
5
To start the redistribution, click Yes: I want to start the redistribution now. Click
No, I do it later if you have other transfer operations to perform.
Transfer parameters are saved and executed when you reuse the wizard or if you
6 Click Next.
7 VistaMart displays a summary of the impacted Instances.
8 Click Go, then Close.
VistaMart 4.0
T
83
Restarting suspended reports and slots

It is likely that Reports and Slots are suspended on the Source server.
1 From the Server menu, select Restart suspended reports/Slots.
2 Select the concerned Server, then click Next.

VistaMart provides the list of reports/slots which needed to be restarted.
3 Click Close.
4 Understanding the Vistamart

Forwarding Service
The Forwarding Service is a process which allows InfoVista Servers (pollers) to send
or forward data and traps to VistaMart as they arrive using one or several forwarding
services comprised within the VistaMart Applications Services.
"Basic principles in data forwarding" on page 85

"Forwarding concepts and terminology" on page 87
"Connecting to the forwarding service" on page 88
"Recovering missing data (VistaMart)" on page 89
"Ensuring data availability" on page 90
84
VistaMart 4.0
Basic principles in data forwarding
85

By default, VistaMart has the forwarding service already enabled to retrieve data and
traps automatically. There is no (or minimum user) configuration required.
The following sections contain descriptive explanations of how the forwarding service
mechanism works within the VistaMart environment.
Benefits of forwarding data instead of collecting data

The push process, or data forwarding, is a new feature that replaces the scheduled
data collections that VistaMart used to perform using the Gateway, which is no longer
part of the VistaMart architecture. Data forwarding has several advantages:
>
no data loss using a secured protocol
>
fault tolerant, i.e. minimum data loss if a server fails
>
optimal use of network bandwidth
Forwarding data from InfoVista Servers to VistaMart

The InfoVista Servers poll data and send it via the forwarding service to the VistaMart
Computation Service, which calculates the data values and stores them in the
database.
The forwarding process involves the following constituents:
>
one or several InfoVista Servers
>
a VistaMart forwarding service
>
a VistaMart database
VistaMart 4.0
86
Forwarding service implementations

There are three implementation of the forwarding service:
THE PRIMARY VISTAMART FORWARDING SERVICE Responsible for sending VistaMart data to
the VistaMart Computation Service for calculation.
VISTAPORTAL FORWARDING SERVICE Embedded forwarding service in charge of
implementing the LiveChart feature in VistaPortal, which receives data from the
InfoVista Servers.
CUSTOM FORWARDING SERVICE Implemented when a customer wants to receive and

handle the data himself.
VistaMart 4.0
Forwarding concepts and terminology
87
Forwarding concepts and terminology

The following concepts and terminology are regularly encountered when speaking of
the forwarding feature:
FLOW CONTROL InfoVista Servers send data in bursts at specified timestamps and the
flow control allows a smooth absorption of data in VistaMart
RECOVERY is the process which guarantees that the overall forwarding mechanism
works properly and is robust enough to handle network failures at all levels, as well
as a failure (such as a crash or a stop) of any of the constituents in the forwarding
system.
When VistaMart receives data from InfoVista Servers that are located in
different timezones, the data values get stored according to a centralized timezone,
e.g. the Global Timezone defined in your VistaMart Global Configuration.
TIMEZONE
TIMESTAMP The timestamp is the time at which the data is saved in the InfoVista
Server. A timestamp is an interval during which data is polled. For example, for hourly
display rates, a timestamp of 4 PM includes data polled between 4PM and 5PM.
ROLLUP A set of data associated to a timestamp and a display rate. For example, the
rollup for 4PM includes all data polled or calculated between 4PM and 5PM.
When a rollup is available, this means that InfoVista Server has completed polling or
calculating data for this timestamp. Hence the rollup for 4PM would be available
around 5 PM.
BULK FORWARDING A bulk forwarding is an ensemble of data values that InfoVista

Server pushes to VistaMart. It may contain data belonging to several rollups. Data
values are pushed in bulks to optimize network bandwidth and latency.
VistaMart 4.0
Connecting to the forwarding service
88
Connecting to the forwarding service

SETTING THE FORWARDING SERVER URL In order for InfoVista Server to forward data to the
correct VistaMart, you must define the target URL.
NOTE
In a NAT environment, this is the URL that you see in InfoVista Server.
This URL is defined at the time of installation. However, you can change it as required
in the Configuration Manager.
VistaMart updates the URL during the InfoVista Server synchronization phase. Hence
if you change the URL (port, address, etc.) you must resynchronize your InfoVista
Server to take the new URL into account and forward the data to the correct target.
SECURITY AND AUTHENTICATION With regards to security and authentication, there is no

need to define a user or a passwords. VistaMart automatically generates them during
the repository creation or upgrade.
VistaMart sends these user credentials to InfoVista Server the first time it sends the
subscription information, which InfoVista Server uses to forward data.
The forwarding protocol implements security based on the DIGEST authentication.
The user and password never go through the network.
FORWARDING SERVICE CONNECTIVITY The forwarding service uses HTTP as the underlying
protocol because it is simple, robust, safe, and can easily support SSL and data
transport over WANs.
By default, the URL for the forwarding service is:
http://hostname:11080/push/push
CHANGING THE SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Manually:

>
>
Update subscription info in Configuration Manager
change the URL
update the Tomcat configuration
Synchronize InfoVista Server to update URL
VistaMart 4.0
Recovering missing data (VistaMart)
89
Recovering missing data (VistaMart)

Recovery is the process through which the forwarding service can request data from
the InfoVista Server when it becomes aware that certain data is missing.
Requesting a recovery (VistaMart)

The forwarding service makes the recovery request indirectly via a response to a
forwarding bulk. This response contains a list of timestamps and intervals for the data
to recover.
This means that the granularity of a recovered slots corresponds to the display rate,
timezone, and timestamp of the missing data.
The recovery request therefore contains the following information:
>
>
a unique ID
an interval list sorted from the most recent to the least recent and includes:
display rate, timezone
first timestamp (inclusive) and last timestamp (inclusive)
a maximum duration (in seconds)
Requesting a recovery (InfoVista Server)

On the InfoVista Server side, the recovery works as follows:
>
The collector process connects to the forwarding service
>
The forwarding service answer OK and puts in a recovery request in the

response body (potentially empty). If the recovery request is not empty, the
collector sends this request to the browser.
>
The browser process the recovery request.
VistaMart 4.0
Ensuring data availability
90

The average rate of data availability in the VistaMart database largely depends on two
primary factors which affect how VistaMart handles the data flow from the time data
arrives via the forwarding services and other sources to its output as processed
values:
ENTRANCE The size of the solution, i.e. the number of slots to poll, the number of
connections, etc.
EXIT The size of the physical hardware and the available storage space. In other
words, how much charge the machine can handle, taking into account not only the
database activity, but also various other client applications such as VistaPortal,
provisioning, and database statistics.
How VistaMart manages data flows

Take as an example, a bathtub that represents VistaMart and which receives and
processes data, and computes results for storage in the database.
INCOMING DATA FLOWS There are three sources of data that arrive in VistaMart (see
illustrations below):
>
data from InfoVista Servers (A) (fixed flow, for example 1000 rows/s)
>
data in aggregation and calculation (A) (variable flow, for example 200 rows/s)
>
recovered data, i.e. missing data that VistaMart requests from InfoVista Servers
(C) (variable flow, for example 600 rows/s)
OUTGOING DATA FLOW The processed results of the cumulated data flows described
above.
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91
Optimum scenario
In an ideal case, where there is no missing data (hence no need for recovered data):
A + B < exit flow
VistaMart 4.0
92
Saturated scenario
When VistaMart must also handle recovered data and the output capacity does not
have extra room to accommodate the cumulative flows, the result is saturation:
A + B + C = exit flow
Avoiding a saturated situation

It is possible to regulate to a certain extent the data flows and to configure the system
to avoid saturation resulting in delayed data availability:
>
Carry out a thorough sizing to know approximately the traffic volume
>
Monitoring your data flows using the Tuning VistaViews
5 Aggregating and calculating data

Data aggregation is the process of combining several data samples with a short
display rate (such as an hourly interval) into a single data sample representing a
longer display rate (such as a daily interval).
Data aggregation allows you to generate data samples for different time intervals
without having to retrieve data for each interval.
"Understanding aggregation and display rates" on page 94

"Defining aggregation settings" on page 96
"Setting aggregation attributes" on page 98
"Calculating group Indicator values" on page 101
93
VistaMart 4.0
Understanding aggregation and display rates
94

Since the database is regularly populated with the data samples, the VistaMart Server
permanently supervises the database to perform the following tasks:
>
Aggregation of data samples for all provisioned Instances, according to the

Aggregations you define.
>
Calculation and Aggregation of the Indicator data samples for each Group
Instance provisioned in your database, provided that you have defined the
Indicators you need.
Data aggregation is the process of calculating data samples of a given interval by

combining samples of smaller intervals. VistaMart aggregates the data samples as
follows:
>
The 15-minute value is based on 5-minute data
>
The 30-minute value is based on calculated 15-minute or 5-minute data. VistaMart

automatically uses the highest display rate available.
>
The hourly value is based on calculated 30-minute, 15-minute or 5-minute data.
>
The daily value is based on calculated hourly data, and so on.
For a given display rate, the aggregated value is given the

timestamp of the beginning of the time period corresponding to the aggregated data
samples.
TIMESTAMP ASSIGNMENT
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95
AGGREGATION SEQUENCING VistaMart aggregates data asynchronously. That is, data for
a given display rate will be calculated only when the data points from the lower
display rate are available. Whenever recent data samples are available earlier than
older ones, they are aggregated first. As a consequence, the database is populated
asynchronously and holes may appear in the VistaPortal reports.
The following example illustrates how data aggregation for the15-minute and hourly
display rates progresses between 2.19 and 2.26 oclock.
VistaMart 4.0
Defining aggregation settings
96

You can enable and disable aggregation for the entire range of Slot display rates
(excepted for the 5 minute. display rate which is the smallest one). For this, you use
the Global Configuration/Data LifeTime setting.
WARNING Aggregations are defined all inclusively. If you disable one aggregation,
this will apply to all slots.

For each display rate, you can:
>
Enable the data aggregation according to your reporting requirements and the
database capacity.
>
Define the lifetime of the data samples. Historical reports will be available from
VistaPortal as long as the lifetime has not expired.
A key consideration is the number of samples stored in the database.

Typically, a data consolidation strategy might be defined by Slot aggregation in Real
Time (5 minutes), Hourly, Daily and Weekly. The intermediate and longer display rate
aggregations can be disabled, therefore saving database space.
Note that the lifetime for samples stored on VistaMart is not necessarily the same as
the lifetime of data stored on InfoVista Servers.
T
Set the Aggregations and Lifetimes

1 Open the Inventory Manager and click the Config View tab.
2 Expand the Global Configuration folder and select Data lifetime.
The right-hand pane displays all possible display rates.
3 Click each display rate for which you need aggregated data.
The editor opens at the bottom of the pane.
4 Check the Aggregation check box to enable aggregation for that display rate.
Make sure that you disable aggregation for all rates you do not want to have data
for. This can considerably reduce database load.
5 Click the lifetime value then use the spin arrows and the unit button to define the
value.
Consideration about timezones and aggregation

With respect to the weekly display rate, VistaMart aggregates data according to the
specifics of the timezone you set in the Global Configuration/Initialization section.
The first day of the week depends on this timezone (Monday or Sunday).
NOTE
See Appendix F for the complete list of the official timezones.
VistaMart 4.0
97
Using timeout to handle missing data

The VistaMart Server processes data asynchronously on the fly as it becomes
available from an input buffer. Whenever data samples are not available during a
given Timeout interval, VistaMart does not perform the aggregation and ignore those
samples until they become available.
The following example illustrates the case of three samples which are left empty since
the timestamps (1:30, 1:45 and 2:00) take place within the Timeout interval:
Therefore, three different situations may occur:

>
The samples become available during the Timeout interval. The corresponding
slots are populated and VistaMart performs the aggregations.
>
The samples are still not available when the Timeout is elapsed. VistaMart
performs the calculation with an alternative value of your choice, as shown below
(see "Selecting an alternative value for aggregation" on page 99). However, the
data points remain empty.
>
The samples become available after the timeout has elapsed, as shown below.
The aggregated samples are calculated again and update the former ones.
VistaMart 4.0
Setting aggregation attributes
98

For each Indicator, you can configure the way you want VistaMart to aggregate data.
Selecting the aggregation Type

To calculate the Indicators value for a given display rate, VistaMart can apply one of
the following aggregation types to the lower display rate samples:
None / Void
The values of the Indicator are not aggregated. The only available
values are those of the lowest display rate.
Note: Refer to the next section, for understanding the difference

between the None and Void options with regard to group Indicators.
Averaging
Data is aggregated by averaging all values.
Additive
Data is aggregated by adding all values together.
Minimum
VistaMart retains the minimum value from the series of samples.
Maximum
VistaMart retains the maximum value from the series of samples.
First
VistaMart retains the first value from the series of samples.
Latest
VistaMart retains the last value from the series of samples.
Using the current aggregation

When you select this option, VistaMart does not wait for the complete series of data
samples for the considered aggregation period. Instead it calculates a temporary
aggregated value each time a new sample is available.
In the example above where the Current Aggregation is enabled, the Indicators value
at 12:19 oclock for the 30 mn display rate is calculated from the four available
samples taken since 12.00 oclock.
In this second example where the Current Aggregation is disabled, the Indicators
value for the 30 mn display rate will not be available before 12:25 since VistaMart
needs 6 samples for calculating the aggregating value.
VistaMart 4.0
NOTE
99
As a consequence of selecting the Current Aggregation option, data

becomes immediately available in VistaPortal reports, whatever the used
display rate.
Selecting an alternative value for aggregation

There are cases where the data sample is inappropriate to aggregation:
>
Its state has been set by the InfoVista Server to timeout, calendar, gone or
undefined,
>
The sample is still missing after the Timeout has elapsed. (Refer to "Using
timeout to handle missing data" on page 97).
In these cases, VistaMart uses an alternative value to perform the aggregation. There
are three options:
Ignore. The slots are ignored. If you have selected the Current Aggregation,
VistaMart uses the sibling available samples, if any, to perform the
aggregations.
Fail. The aggregation cannot apply. In turn, all aggregations for higher display
rates cannot be performed.
Zero. The missing values are replaced by zero.
Setting the Indicators aggregation attributes

All aggregation parameters can be set at once when you access the Indicators
attribute list.
T
Set aggregation attributes

1 In the Inventory Manager, select the Model View.
2 Expand the Vista node, then the Vista for which you need to set aggregation
attributes.
3 Click the Indicator node. The list of Indicator displays.

4 Click the Indicator to edit. Its list of attributes appears.
5 Make your choice from the Aggregation Type drop-down list.
6 Check the Use Current Aggregation option if you want to aggregate Indicators
data samples on the fly.
If this is an InfoVista Indicator, the patches list attribute is added to the

Property sheet. This attribute shows which VistaMart Library this Indicators
aggregation is redefined in.
Click the
button in the patches List attribute box. A new window opens.

VistaMart 4.0
100
A VistaMart Library is selected by default which is used to redefine the

InfoVista Indicator. To select another VistaMart Library, click the existing
Library in the Redefine column and select another available Library in the
drop-down list.
7 Make your choice from the Handle missing as popup list.
VistaMart 4.0
Calculating group Indicator values
101

Each group Indicator is based on a single Indicator common to all members and a
formula that computes the respective member data samples altogether.
As soon as individual data samples are available from the members of the group,
VistaMart calculates the derived Indicator values for a given display rate and feeds
the database.
The following example illustrates the calculation of the group Indicator A, by
averaging the respective values of the Indicator 1 sourced from all the members of
the group.
There are four available formulas:

Averaging
VistaMart calculates the mean value from all Indicators values.
Additive
VistaMart sums up the individual values from all Indicators.
Minimum
VistaMart retains the smallest Indicators value.
Maximum
VistaMart retains the highest Indicators value.
VistaMart 4.0
102
Consolidation and group aggregation

Once the derived Indicators values are calculated and stored in the database for the
lowest display rate, VistaMart calculates the values for each needed display rate,
according to a specified aggregation type that you specify.
There are three possible cases:
1 Consolidated Indicators. From the lowest display rate to the highest one, the
aggregation applies in cascade as per any basic Instances Indicator.
The Aggregation types Averaging, Additive, Minimum, Maximum, First and Latest
as described above for the basic Indicators apply the same way to the derived
Indicators.
The following diagram illustrates a consolidated Indicator case:
On the left-hand side, the Group Indicators mean values are calculated from
both group members for the 5 mn display rate.
On the right-hand side, the members Indicator values and the Group values
are aggregated for the 15 mn display rate. VistaMart retains the max values.
There is no specific Aggregation Types for the Group Indicators. Refer to the table
above.
VistaMart 4.0
103
2 Non-consolidated Indicators. No aggregation is applied to the Group Indicators

values. VistaMart applies the formula to the aggregated data samples sourced
from the members Indicators for each display rate.
VistaMart generates non-consolidated Indicators when you select the type
Aggregation None.
The example that follows uses the same values as above. This time, VistaMart
calculates non-consolidated Indicators. The group values for the 15 mn display
rate are calculated from the respective members Indicator values.
3 No Aggregation. VistaMart calculates only the group values for the lowest display
rate. Upper Display rates are irrelevant and are not calculated.
You prevent VistaMart from calculating upper display rates by selecting the type
Aggregation Void.
VistaMart 4.0
104
Setting the group Indicator attributes

The following procedures allows you to set a new Instance Group Indicator and all its
attributes, then to define the formula and the basic Indicator it is derived from.
T
Set Group Indicator Attributes

1 In the Inventory Manager, select the Model View.
2 Expand the VistaMartGroup Vista. Right click the Indicator node.
3 Select New Indicator. The New Wizard windows opens.
4 Give the new Indicator a Name and a Description.
5 Select the Aggregation type from the drop-down list.
6 If needed, check the Use Current Aggregation check box.
7 From the Handle Missing drop-down list, select the alternative value you want to
substitute for the missing value when Vistamart aggregates this Indicators data
samples.
8 Enter the unit from the Unit box. Of course, it must be identical to the unit of the
group members Indicator you derive this Indicator from.
9 Click Finish. The new Indicator displays in the list and its attributes appear in the
Property sheet at the bottom of the window.
T
Define the formula

1 In the attributes sheet of the Indicator, click the
button in the Formula box. The
New Wizard window opens.
2 Enter a description.
3 From the Formula drop-down list, select the appropriate formula.
4 Click the
button in the Indicator Used box. The Indicator Selection window

appears (see below), from which you select the basic Vista then its Indicator to
take into account for your group Indicator. Click OK.
5 From the Handle Missing As drop-down list, select an alternative value you want
to use for the calculation in case the basic Indicator value is not available.
6 Click OK.
Your New Indicator description is complete.
6 Accessing Data
This section describes how to display data samples using the VistaMart Inventory
Manager.
"Overview" on page 106

"Displaying Slot data" on page 106
"Displaying Report data" on page 108
105
VistaMart 4.0
Overview
106
Overview
You normally use VistaPortal to examine your data displayed in advanced reports.
However, VistaMart allows you to access and visualize collected and calculated data
stored in the VistaMart database, directly from the Inventory Manager.
The data display schema is as follows:
Displaying Slot data

You can display Slot data for one or more Instances in the Inventory Manager.
T
Display Slot data in the Inventory Manager

2 Expand the Zone which contains the Instances for which you want to view Slot
data.
3 In the list of Instances for the selected Zone, right-click the required Instance(s)
and select Display Data.
The Slot Display window displays Slot samples for each Indicator associated with
this selected Instance.
Accessing Data
VistaMart 4.0
Overview
107
4 The Slot Display window allows you to:
View the latest or historical data for each slot. You can view one or more Slots
by selecting them from the list and clicking Refresh.
View details on the selected Slots such as the acquisition rate, the InfoVista
Server used to poll data and the aggregation type used.
Accessing Data
VistaMart 4.0
Overview
108
Displaying Report data

You can open InfoVista reports from the Inventory Manager. Reports are viewed in the
InfoVista graphical client IVreport. To access reports, you need to have an InfoVista
client installed on the same machine as the VistaMart installation.
T
Display Report data in the Inventory Manager

2 Expand the Server which contains the Reports for which you want to view data.
3 Right-click the Report and select Start IVReport.
The Report opens in a read-only window.
Use the refresh

tables.
button to update the latest data points in the graphs and
Accessing Data
7 Customizing the InfoVista model for

your reporting solution
This section shows you how to define the appropriate model to suit your reporting
requirements, that is, how to define the Vistas, Instances Properties and Indicators.
"Overview of the InfoVista Model" on page 110

"Defining the Model" on page 111
"Browsing the Model" on page 112
"Customizing the Model" on page 115
"Modifying VistaMart Libraries" on page 118
"Managing Libraries" on page 125
109
VistaMart 4.0
Overview of the InfoVista Model
110
Overview of the InfoVista Model

The InfoVista object model is entirely managed in VistaMart. Using the VistaMart
Inventory Manager, you can do the following:
Feature
Description
Define the
model
Loads your reference InfoVista VistaView Libraries, and their related

Vistas and Properties into VistaMart.
Visualize
model
Visualizes the principal objects in the InfoVista model. The VistaMart

Inventory Manager displays InfoVista and VistaMart Libraries, their
Indicators, Properties, Report Templates etc.
A complete search function is available.
Customize
model
VistaMart provides the necessary flexibility for creating/customizing

your own reporting solution; you can
> Create new Vistas,

> Create Rules,
> Create new Libraries, which in turn host new Indicators, traps and
Properties,
> Create additional global variables,

> Create patches, that is, modifications of InfoVista Libraries (The
patch is stored outside the modified Library).
Manage
Libraries
Manages the two types of Libraries:
> You import InfoVista Libraries which is uploaded to the InfoVista

Servers, according to the handled topologies and reports.
> You import and modify VistaMart Libraries on a development

platform, then you export the Libraries to another VistaMart
database.
VistaMart 4.0
Defining the Model
111
Defining the Model

A key initial consideration when using the VistaMart is to define which InfoVista model
is most suitable for each configuration you want to manage.
Use the following workflow:
Important notes
>
You must create/customize InfoVista Libraries (VistaViews) using a Workshop

version of InfoVista before importing them into VistaMart.
>
You cannot modify InfoVista Libraries in the VistaMart Inventory Manager. Any
modifications to an InfoVista Library, using InfoVista Workshop, means you must
reimport it into VistaMart.
>
You create new VistaMart Libraries in the VistaMart Inventory Manager.
>
Indicators, Properties, Vistas etc. can only be modified in VistaMart Libraries.
VistaMart 4.0
Browsing the Model
112
Browsing the Model

You can visualize the following objects in the Model View:
Object Type
Displays
Vistas
All Indicators, Properties and Report Templates associated with a

specific type of technology. You can customize objects associated with
Vistas if you have sufficient access rights.
InfoVista
Libraries
All installed InfoVista Libraries currently imported for this database

configuration.
VistaMart
Libraries
Default or customized VistaMart Libraries. The two basic VistaMart

Libraries are:
> Default where you can create all generic VistaMart Library entities
(Indicators, Properties, Global Variables, etc.). Note that you can of
course create new VistaMart Libraries to add and customize
VistaMart Library entities.
> Common which contains all default Rules associated with the
Solution Model. This Library is not installed by default; you need to
import it using the Manage Libraries... feature.
Rules
All standard and customized Rules are displayed in the Model View.
"About Libraries" on page 113

"Searching the Model" on page 114
VistaMart 4.0
Browsing the Model
113
About Libraries
A Library represents a package of objects created by developers and grouped
according to common purposes. For example, one Library might contain objects
which model routers and another might contain objects for modeling servers.
The Library is the only object which can be imported or exported from one VistaMart
database to another. Therefore, to import a Vista, for example, the Vista must first be
placed in a Library and the Library then imported.
A Library (InfoVista and VistaMart) can contain the following objects:
Library object Description
Vistas
A general type or category of resource, such as IP node, Server,

Database, etc.
Standard Vistas (Router, ATM Switch, etc.) are contained in the
InfoVista Solution Model Library.
Properties
Represent one aspect of a Vista. For example, the Vista IP node has
the Property IP address. A Property is either associated with either:
> a single value for each Instance created from the Vista, or
> multiple values.
Report
Templates
Represent the graphical layout of a report.

Standard InfoVista Libraries contain a selection of standard Report
Templates which cover basic and advanced reporting metrics.
Report Templates are always part of an InfoVista Library and cannot be
modified in VistaMart.
Indicators
Represent a measurement data sourced from the monitored resource.

They measure performance, such traffic, availability, response time, or
quality of service.
Global
Variables
(VistaMart
Libraries only)
Global variables are used for setting Rules. You may use variables
instead of setting hard coded values in Rules.
Rules
Using Rules, you can automatically set Instance Properties, assign

members to groups and manage Instance reports and slots according to
various parameters.
For example, if you set a Global Variable to 15 minutes in one Library,

all Rules using this Library take the value. You do not have to change
each individual Rule if this value changes.
VistaMart 4.0
Browsing the Model
114
Searching the Model

In a database containing several thousand Instances, it is important to be able to
locate specific objects with powerful integrated search tools.
You use the Inventory Manager to search the model for: Vistas, Report Templates,
Indicators, Properties, Rules and Global Variables.
EXAMPLE OF A QUERY In this example, we want to locate a Property which handles

SNMP v3 authentication. We know the Property has v3 in its name and also that it is
part of the InfoVista Core Library. Proceed as follows:
T
Query the Model (example)

1 In the Model View tab of the VistaMart inventory, expand the Search for folder.
2 Double-click the Properties? icon.
3 In the Search for Properties window that opens in the main part of the Viewer,
click the Configure Query tab.
4 Enter v3 in the Search box.

5 Click the Add more criteria button and select Library from the Name drop- down
list and InfoVista Core from the list of Libraries which is displayed.
6 Click the Launch Query button in the lower part of the window to display results.
You can add as many search criteria as necessary to fine tune your search.
VistaMart 4.0
Customizing the Model
115

You can extensively customize the model with the Inventory Manager. All
modifications and creations are automatically performed in a VistaMart Library. You
cannot create or modify objects which are part of InfoVista Libraries.
NOTE
You must have at least read/write/delete access rights to customize objects.
See:
"New Object Wizards" on page 115
"Creating a Vista" on page 116
"Creating a VistaMart Library" on page 117
"Creating Rules" on page 117
Overview
You add entities with the help of built-in wizards. Existing or customized entities can
be deleted or modified as required.
NOTE
All new entities (Vistas, Properties, Indicators, Global Variables and Rules)
are created in a VistaMart Library (default unless stated otherwise).
You can create entities with identical names. Each new entity is given a unique
identifier (WID). However, when you create entities manually, we recommend that you
vary your naming pattern for future ease of use.
Remember that:
>
you can only create/delete/modify entities in VistaMart Libraries.
>
other InfoVista entities used to create VistaViews (Formulas, Metrics, Graph

Templates) are not part of the VistaMart Inventory.
New Object Wizards

When defining your model configuration, you might need to modify or delete existing
objects or create new ones. You can do this on:
>
An individual level. For example, when you create a new CMTS Indicator in a
VistaMart Library,
>
A Library level. For example, when you modify a Property in the VistaMart
Common Library which can change, using dependencies, this Property in all
related Libraries.
Create new entities with in-built wizards. Access the wizards by right-clicking the
entity you want to create.
NOTE
Entities created using InfoVista Libraries are added to a VistaMart Library

(Default unless stated otherwise).
VistaMart 4.0
116
Creating a Vista
Each Vista you create is automatically integrated into a VistaMart Library. Logically,
when you create a Vista for a specific network resource, this Vista is associated with
the Resource Vista which is in turn associated with the Common Vista (see The
InfoVista Solution Model for details).
You might need to create a new Vista to incorporate objects relative to VistaBridge or
Vista Watch data. The new Vista allows you to add Indicators to define reporting and
slot measurements and Properties to define grouping criteria.
T
Create a Vista
1 In the Inventory Manager, click the Model View tab.
2 Right-click the Vista icon and select New Vista.
3 Enter the following attributes in the New Vista Property sheet.
All underlined attributes, flagged with a * in this list, are mandatory.
Attribute
Description
Name*
Kind*
Basic, Proxy or Group.
Description
A textual description (string max 2048 characters).
Library*
The Library associated with the Vista object. Note that this Library
can only be a VistaMart Library.
4 Specify the new Vista inheritance and click Next, then Finish.
VistaMart 4.0
117
Creating a VistaMart Library

You use the Inventory Manager to create VistaMart Libraries and enter the
identification attributes.
T
Create a VistaMart Library

2 Right-click VistaMart Libraries and select New Library.
3 In the Wizard, enter the following parameters as required.
Parameter
Description
Name*
A name (up to 64 characters) which corresponds to its role (for

example Compaq servers).
Version*
Library version number. 1 by default when you create a new

Library.
Description
A relevant description (up to 2048 characters).
Provider
Name of the person or entity who created the Library. This box is
for the Library developer or third-party software suppliers.
Type*
The data source type. VistaMart is the mandatory type for this
Library.
Access
Rights*
Select access rights for this object from:
> Use (related objects only can be referenced)

> Read Only (objects can be read and referenced)
> Read/Write (default)
> Read/Write/Delete (total control)
4 Click Finish to create the Library.

The Finish button is dimmed as long as you have not entered all the mandatory
parameters.
Creating Rules
Rules always belong to a VistaMart Library. Standard Rules belong by default to the
VistaMart Common Library which you can import into your VistaMart Repository.
The chapter VistaMart Rules describes in detail how to specify and design Rules
according to your reporting solution.
"Working with Modules and Rules" on page 129
VistaMart 4.0
Modifying VistaMart Libraries
118

If you have read/write access rights, you can modify all the Library identification
attributes except for the Type parameter which is not user dependent.
In addition to these attributes, you can set the following:
Parameter
Description
State
Shows the Library State which can be active or deleted. If you

delete a VistaMart Library, it continues to exist in the VistaMart
Repository (see the Recycle Bin).
(View only)
Dependency
You can associate this Library with other Libraries. As such, they take
any associated entities: Global Variables, Vistas (including Properties,
Indicators and Report Templates) and Library-specific Indicators.
Required Build This refers to the InfoVista Server build required to support the Library.
Version*
You need to set this in accordance with possible constraints at the
InfoVista Server level.
T
Modify a VistaMart Library attributes

2 Click the VistaMart Libraries icon to open the Libraries window.
3 Click the Library you want to modify from the list to open its Property sheet.
4 Modify any of the Library parameters and change, if necessary, the Dependency
parameters described above.
5 Close the Libraries window to save your modifications.

See:
"Modifying Objects" on page 119
"Deleting VistaMart Objects" on page 119
"Creating an Indicator" on page 119
"Creating a Property" on page 122
"Creating a Global Variable" on page 123
"Creating patches" on page 124
VistaMart 4.0
119
Modifying Objects
You can modify most of the VistaMart Library objects provided that you have read/
write rights. As a general Rule, any attribute which cannot be modified is dimmed in
the Object Property sheet, which means the attribute is locked.
T
Proceed as follows to modify objects

1 From the Model View, click the object in the object tree. Its Property sheet opens
in the main part of the window.
2 Modify any attribute which is not locked by the system.
Deleting VistaMart Objects

You can, with sufficient user rights, delete entities in your VistaMart Libraries. Note
that you cannot delete InfoVista Server Library entities.
T
Delete objects
1 Select the entity in the VistaMart object Tree.
2 Right click the entity and select Delete.
WARNING If the object has any related child objects (that is, a Library with
manually-created Properties), you must delete the child objects first.

The object is sent to the relevant container in the Recycle Bin. To remove the
Library entity completely from the VistaMart database, you must perform a purge.
Creating an Indicator
Most Indicators are created using InfoVista Server Libraries. All Operators and
Formulas used to construct your Indicators can only be created and modified on an
InfoVista Server (using IVReport, the InfoVista graphical user interface).
The Indicators created in VistaMart could be intended, for example, to model nonpolled devices managed by VistaBridge. New Indicators can also be used as Display
Indicators in VistaPortal (for details, see Understanding Data Indicators and Display
Indicators on page 125).
T
Create an Indicator
2 Expand the Vista where you want to create the Indicator, right click the Indicator
icon and select New Indicator.
3 Enter the following attributes in the New Indicator Property sheet.

VistaMart 4.0
Attribute
Description
Name*
Any unique name (string max. 255 characters).
Vista*
The Vista associated with the Indicator.
Description
A textual description (string max. 2048 characters).
Unit
The text to display on the axis of graphs using this Indicator. For
example % or Megabytes.
Type*
Type of data this Indicator returns data on (float, integer etc.).
120
This attribute cannot be modified after the object is created.
Aggregation
type*
Defines what method is used to aggregate data.
Use Current
Aggregation
Activate the Current Aggregation type by clicking this box. "Using the
current aggregation" on page 98
Refer to "Setting aggregation attributes" on page 98 for a complete

information about aggregation.
Current aggregation is not a standard InfoVista Indicator type.

However, you can set this value for InfoVista Indicators in VistaMart.
See: "Setting the Indicators aggregation attributes" on page 99.
Library*
The Library associated with the Vista entity. Note that this Library can
only be a VistaMart Library.
Calendar Name
Select from these default Calendars (other user-created Calendars

may also exist):
> 24h/24h: A modifiable calendar active by default 24 hours per day,

7 days a week.
> Always: The default calendar. It is non-modifiable and active 24

hours per day, 365 days per year.
> Business Hours: A modifiable Calendar (by default: 9:00 a.m. to

8:00 p.m., 7 days a week).
Label
The Label used to replace the Indicator name in generated Reports.
Handle missing
as*
Alternative value used for calculation in case of missing data. See

"Using timeout to handle missing data" on page 97on page 165.
Vendor
Select a vendor if your Indicator is part of a vendor-specific reporting

solution.
Indicator attributes for Rules

The following attributes can be used to define conditions when you set up Rules. See
"Set Instance attribute value" on page 156 for details.
Capability
Capabilities are types of industry technology used for service

performance monitoring. Select a type from the drop-down list:
> None
> BasePI (Basic Performance Indicators) for real time, daily, weekly
or monthly reporting.
VistaMart 4.0
Attribute
Description
User box
Any other information you want to include for this Indicator (512
characters max.).
Solution
Enter a Solution type from the drop-down list (by default).
121
> None
> IP telephony (VistaInsight for IP Telephony)
> Operation Center (troubleshooting solutions)
> Service Manager
> VIA (VistaInsight for Applications)
> VIN (VistaInsight for Networks)
> VIS (VistaInsight for Servers)
4 Click Finish. The new Indicator is added to the list.

5 Click the Indicator you just created. Its attributes appears in the Property sheet.
6 If you want this Indicator to generate events, click the
button in the Trap box.
7 If this Indicator belongs to the VistaMartGroup Vista, the list offers a Formula box.
Selecting the Group Indicator Formula

Each Indicator that belongs to the VistaMartGroup Vista requires a formula to
aggregate data sourced from the group members. See Calculation of Group Indicator
values on page 169.
Define the Formula

1 Click the
button in the Formula box. The Formula box opens.
2 Enter a description (optional).

3 From the drop-down list, select the formula to apply to the members values.
Possible options are Additive, Averaging, Minimum and Maximum.
4 Click the
button in the Indicator Used box.
5 Select the Vista, then the Indicator used. Logically, the Group members belong to
this Vista. Click OK.
6 Select the alternative value to be used for calculation in case of a missing sample.
Possible options are Ignore, Fail, or Zero.
VistaMart 4.0
122
Creating a Property
T
Create a Property
2 Expand the Vista where you want to create the Property, right click the Properties
icon and select New Property.
3 Enter the following attributes in the New Property sheet.

(All attributes flagged with * are mandatory).
Attribute
Description
Name*
Description
A textual description (string max 2048 chars).
Vista*
The Vista associated with the Property object.
Library*
The Library associated with the Vista entity. (This Library can only be a
VistaMart Library.)
Type*
Type of data this Property represents (string, integer, float, etc.).

This mandatory attribute cannot be modified after object creation.
Referenced
Vista
Used in conjunction with ID Properties. Allows you to link Instances

together and associate a type of link.
NOTE
This attribute appears only when you are creating an ID

Property.
Default Value Default value used by all associated Instances. Example: The Property
snmprd community has the default value Public.
Mandatory
Check this box to ensure the Property always has a value associated for
each Instance.
Multi-valued
Check this box to enable this Property to have several possible values.
4 Click Finish.
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123
Single value vs. multi-valued Properties

Most Properties take one value which is used by default by all associated Instances.
The Property can be modified at Instance level.
EXAMPLE
Ping Availability Very Poor in the InfoVista Problem Resolution Library

takes the value 50%. If, for one or more Instances, you want to modify
this value, you can do so at Property Value level.
If you want the Property (and not an associated Instance/Property Value pair) to take
more than one value, you must define a multi-value Property attribute.
EXAMPLE
Capabilities in the InfoVista Solution Model Library is a multi-valued

Property: Cisco router may have several capabilities (e.g. Cisco Router
Details, Cisco SAA, etc.).
Creating a Global Variable

A Global Variable defines a value which, when modified, changes all attributes which
have this value.
An example of Global Variable is a minimum report display rate. If you set this value
to 15 minutes as a Global Variable in one Library, all Rules using this variable set the
report display rate accordingly and you do not have to change each Rule individually
if this value changes.
Set a Global Variable for any attribute/Property you want to change across your entire
reporting solution.
T
Create a Global Variable

1 In the Inventory Manager, click the Model View tab and expand the VistaMart
Library node.
2 Select the VistaMart library where you want to create the new Global Variable and
expand this node.
3 Right-click Global Variables and select New Global Variable. A property sheet
opens.
4 Enter the following attributes:

All underlined attributes flagged with * in this list are mandatory.
Attribute
Description
Name*
Description
A textual description (string max 2048 characters).
Library*
The Library associated with the Global Variable object (this Library can
only be a VistaMart Library).
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Attribute
Description
Type*
String by default.
Value
A string or integer defining the Global Variable (for example: the display
rate).
5 Click Finish.
Creating patches
As a general Rule, you cannot modify InfoVista Library objects. However, consider the
following exceptions:
>
>
For the Indicators, you can:
Adjust the Current Aggregation Attribute and set the Aggregation Type,
Define a User box. The user box gives you additional flexibility for filtering
Indicators in the Rules conditions.
For the report templates, you can:
Modify the User box. The user box gives you additional flexibility for filtering
Indicators in the Rules conditions.
Modify the report lifetime once it is instantiated, at the Rules level.
By default, the modified parameters are stored as external patches in the default
VistaMart Library. Afterwards, it is recommended to move the patches to your Library
where you can manage customized parameters.
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Managing Libraries
125
Managing Libraries
This section explains how to handle the Libraries from your Inventory Manager
(Import, Export and Deletion).
Importing InfoVista Libraries

You can import standard or customized InfoVista Libraries into VistaMart, provided
that they are version 6.0 or higher.
T
Import InfoVista Libraries

1 In the Inventory Manager, select File/Manage Libraries.... The Library
Management window opens.
2 Click the open folder button
to browse for the directory or ZIP file where the
VistaView Libraries are located.
3 Select the VistaView ZIP file and click OK.

Libraries are uploaded into the VistaMart Repository. You can see them listed in
the Library Management window.
4 Select the Libraries you want to use for reporting purposes. You can import all the
Libraries which display in bold.
5 Click the Import Libraries button
6 Close the Library Management window and check that the Libraries are imported
correctly in the Model View.
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126
Exporting InfoVista Libraries

You can make standard or customized InfoVista Libraries available to other users or
store them for backup purposes.
T
Export InfoVista Libraries

2 Right-click the InfoVista Library you want to export and select Export Library....
3 Select a destination folder for the Library file and click Export.
Deleting InfoVista Libraries

You can delete any InfoVista Library from your VistaMart database at any time. If the
Library you want to delete has dependent Libraries, they are also deleted from the
database.
T
Delete InfoVista Libraries

1 In the Inventory Manager, select File/Manage Libraries... to open the Library
Management window.
2 Select the InfoVista Libraries)
you want to delete and click the

button. If
related Libraries exist, they too is deleted. These Libraries are listed in an
information window.
3 In the confirmation window, click Go on, please to delete the Libraries) or No,
thanks to cancel the operation.
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127
Importing VistaMart Libraries

You can import standard or customized VistaMart Libraries into VistaMart.
T
Import VistaMart Libraries

1 In the Inventory Manager, select File/Manage Libraries.... The Library
Management window opens.
2 Click the open folder button
to browse for the directory or ZIP file where the
VistaView Libraries are located.
3 Select the ZIP file and click OK.

Libraries are uploaded into the VistaMart Repository. You can see them listed in
the Library Management window.
4 Select the Libraries you want to use for reporting purposes. You can import all the
Libraries which display in bold.
5 Click the Import Libraries button
6 Close the Library Management window and check that the Libraries are imported
correctly in the Model View.
Exporting VistaMart Libraries

You can export any VistaMart Library to a file of your choice. This is useful if you want
to use an identical feature (e.g. identical Rules) with another VistaMart Repository.
T
Export VistaMart Libraries (1)

1 In the Inventory Manager, select File/Manage Libraries....
2 Select the VistaMart Library you want to export and click the
button.
3 Select a destination folder for the Library file and click Export.
T
Export VistaMart Libraries (2)

Alternatively, you can export VistaMart Libraries from the Inventory Manager.

2 Click the VistaMart Libraries icon to open the Libraries window.
3 Right-click the VistaMart Library you want to export and select Export Library....
4 Select a destination folder and click Export.
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128
Deleting VistaMart Libraries

You can delete a VistaMart Library as long as it does not have any related Instances.
T
Delete VistaMart Libraries

1 In the Inventory Manager, select File/Manage Libraries... to open the Library
Management window.
2 Select the Libraries to delete and click the
button.
3 In the confirmation window, click Go on, please to delete the Libraries) or No,
thanks to cancel the operation.
8 Working with Modules and Rules

VistaMart Rules provide you with an effective means to generate Reports and start
Slots for Instances according to their requirements.
Modules take Rules one level beyond by encompassing a set of Rules -- acting in
effect as a container of Rules. The objective of the Module function, among others, is
to facilitate the customization and evolution of InfoVista solutions by attaching the
Modules to a VistaMart Library, rather than to the Libraries packaged within the
solution itself.
To understand how Modules function, it is first necessary to understanding how Rules

work in general:
About Rules (p. 130)
Making Rules (p. 133)
Examining conditions in detail (p. 138)
Getting into actions (p. 149)
Working with Rules (p. 167)
Putting Rules inside Modules (p. 170)
129
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About Rules
130
About Rules
A Rule is an object in the InfoVista Model. It defines the filtering criteria for a reporting
solution by determining for as many related Instances as possible, the actions that
VistaMart performs and the type of reporting you want your solution to display.
EXAMPLE
A Rule can state that VistaMart start reports using the minimum display
rate for all Compaq Servers Instances which do not have the Property
Value Capabilities/HostResources.
Several Rules can apply to one Instance. For example, a server Instance can have
related reports based on Rules for Generic Servers and Sun Servers.
VistaMart stores the Rules in its Libraries. You edit them using a Rule Editor in the
Inventory Manager, where you define the conditions and actions for each Rule.
A Library can contain several Rules which VistaMart executes based on a userdefined priority value.
WARNING Each Rule can make comprehensive modifications to several thousand
Instances. Therefore, use them with caution. InfoVista recommends that

you use the default Rules that come with the InfoVista Common Library
and those tested with InfoVista solutions. If you create your own Rules,
test them thoroughly prior to application in a production environment.
Setting conditions and actions (p. 130)
Example of a Rule (p. 132)
Setting conditions and actions

Rules require two essential components: conditions and actions:
CONDITION is a prerequisite that must be present in order for an event to occur. In this
case, VistaMart checks each Instance for the fulfillment of the condition before it
executes a Rule.
For example, you can instruct VistaMart to Start a Report if the Region Property of
the Instance equals Europe.
Conditions enable you to define which Instances to select based on:
> Vistas
> Property Values
> Proxy Instances
> Vendor and Capabilities
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131
ACTIONS determines what to do when the conditions meet the criteria. This means
that VistaMart only executes the action(s) if the Instance Properties match the
condition(s), i.e. VistaMart starts reports on all Instances located in Paris and Madrid,
but not those in New York.
Actions enable you to:
>
make modifications to Attributes, Property Values, Vistas, Locations, etc.
>
choose the Report Templates to apply to all Instances matching the conditions.
>
start Slots for Instance/Indicator pairs for all Instances matching the conditions.
Executing Rules
VistaMart attempts to apply Rules to each Zone until it finds an Instance that matches
the conditions for that Rule.
For each Instance that matches the conditions, VistaMart starts related Slots and
reports defined in the Rule, starting with:
>
the Slot with the smallest display rate, then
>
the Slot with the smallest Acquisition Rate

NOTE
If the Rule does not find related Report Template/Indicators, it cannot start
Reports or Slots.
PRIORITY VistaMart executes Rules by order of priority: first by alphabetical order and
then numerical. The highest numerical priority value has the highest execution
priority.
QUALIFIER ATTRIBUTE When two Rules have the same priority, VistaMart executes them
according to a Qualifier Attribute which separates Rules alphanumerically.
EXAMPLE
In the case with two standard server Rules, Cisco 1 and Cisco 2, with
priority 150, the former takes priority.
If two separate Rules create the same Report, VistaMart executes the second Rule
and creates the Properties which this Rule specifies (e.g.Timezone, display rate, etc.)
See:
Determining Rule priority for execution (p. 134)
Example of a Rule (p. 132)
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About Rules
132
Example of a Rule
The following is an example of the Rule template used to define reporting on
Microsoft Servers.
EXAMPLE
Conditions: Select all Server Instances whose Capabilities Property

is MicrosoftNT4, and exclude the cases where the Property
is CompaqMib or HostResources.
Actions: Select the Report Templates whose capability is set to
ServerBasic and Vendor is set to Microsoft. Start Reports with a
frequency value as set in the global variable Minimum display rate Vis.
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Making Rules
133
Making Rules
Rules always belong to a VistaMart Library.
Standard Rules belong by default to the VistaMart Common Library which you can
import into your VistaMart Repository.
The Rule Editor is the VistaMart interface that lets you create, edit, and set priorities
for Rules.
Managing Properties using Rules

Rules allow you to set Properties. When you set a Property using Rules, you must
subsequently continue to use only Rules to set Properties.
For a given provisioning workflow, you must determine whether to use Rules or the
change mode (i.e. via VistaDiscovery) or the update mode to manage a Property.
By not mixing provisioning modes, this ensures that each mode is responsible for the
Properties that it manages (i.e. the action sets the owner).
EXAMPLE
The following is a scenario that does not work:

You have a Property Threshold with default value equal to 0.
1. You use the mode change to set the Property to 100.
2. You use a Rule to set the Property to 200 when the Property equals
100.
3. First execution: the Property gets set to 200
4. Second execution: the Property gets set to 0. This is an unexpected
value but imputed to the fact that you used two different processes to
manage the same Property.
The reason is that before the Rule execution, Property values managed
by Rules (owner = Rules) are reset to 0. Hence, the condition = 100 no
longer applies to this Property.
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Making Rules
134
Determining Rule priority for execution

In general, VistaMart executes all Rules in its database for all Instances that match
the conditions set for them, regardless of their name and Library which contains them.
Using different priority levels, VistaMart lets you set conditional blocks where several
Rules with identical names can mutually exclude each other:
INSIDE A CONDITIONAL BLOCK VistaMart executes only one Rule for which the submitted
Instance matches the conditions.
A RULE WITH THE HIGHEST PRIORITY LEVEL

EXAMPLE
takes precedence over the other ones.
The Library Contracts has three different Rules dealing with Servers, i.e.
Servers/Microsoft, Servers/Sun and Servers/Generic. Each Rule has a
different priority level. Rules for Microsoft and Sun have the highest
priority.
Each Rule activates for the submitted Instances a series of dedicated

reports, from specialized (Microsoft and Sun) to generic.
When the conditions for Microsoft and Sun are present, VistaMart starts
reports for them, but not the generic ones. Generic reports are necessary
only when the Instances do not fulfill the Microsoft and Sun conditions.
RANGE OF VALUES You can set any priority value for Rules you create or modify. The
general recommendation is to set values in the range 0 to 1000.
Standard priority values are as follows:
> 100 (Generic)
> 300 (Type Area)
> 500 (Vendor)
> 700 (Release)
> 900 (Environment Specific)
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Making Rules
135
Creating a new Rule

You create Rules based on a series of templates.
T
Create a new Rule

1 In the VistaMart Inventory Manager, click the Model View tab.
2 Right-click the Rules icon and select Add Rules.
The Select template from new Rule window opens. VistaMart classifies the Rule
templates as follows:
At the top, the Empty Rule sets up a skeletal structure of conditions and
actions on which to base a Rule.
For example, the Report & Slot folder of templates contains template Rules
dealing with Report and Slot actions. For a description of each Rule template,
double-click on it to display a short summary of its function.
3 In the drop-down list of Libraries, click the arrow to select the VistaMart Library in
which to create the Rule. This Library must have the Read/Write access rights
enabled. Otherwise, the VistaMart Default Library applies by default.
4 In the Value column of the Rule name parameter, enter a name for the new Rule.
5 Depending on the additional template you choose, enter values for the
corresponding parameters, such as: (non-exhaustive list)
Vista of the Property to test
Trap receiver IP address
Source Servers pool
etc.
6 Click OK. The Rules Editor opens and displays your new Rule which you can
modify as required.
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Making Rules
136
Editing a Rule
The following section shows you how to edit existing Rules in the Rules Editor. In
general, you have to edit to fine-tune a new Rule after you create it.
Note that each time you modify a Rule, you must reapply it in the VistaMart Inventory
Manager in order for the system to take changes into account.
You can edit a Rule either in the tree view or xml.
Using the tree view (p. 136)
Using XML (p. 137)
Using the tree view

T
Edit a Rule in the tree view

1 In the Inventory Managers Model View tab, expand the Rules node.
2 Expand the Module then the Library that contains the Rule to edit (if the Rules
belong to the default Module).
3 Click any Rule in the list to display its contents in the Rule Editor.
4 Each Rule comprises three distinct parts as highlighted above:
the Identifier block, which includes a name, a description, an associated

Module, a qualifier and a priority. The name of a rule generally corresponds to
the equipment type, application, etc. to which the Rule applies.
the Conditions block, identified by the icons
the Actions block, identified by the icons
.
.
VistaMart 4.0
Making Rules
5 Click the double arrow to the left of the icons
and
137
to expand the blocks and
display the detailed Conditions and Actions.
6 Enter appropriate values in the in the corresponding text box for each attribute or
select a predefined value from a drop down list.
7 VistaMart saves the changes when you click Save, or when you close the Rule
Editor, or switch to another window.
Using XML
Editing the XML contents of a Rule is an time-efficient way to create a new Rule from
an existing one. You simply copy, paste, and edit the children elements of the original
CIRule element when you select Add Rules.
However, it is best to keep the modifications of the XML contents of a Rule to a
minimum (i.e. changing a single value) to limit the possibility of errors.
If an error arises, an integrated object corrector function allows you to detect it
directly on the screen. A click on the error button takes you directly to the location of
the offending syntax.
Edit Rules in XML

1 In the Rules Editor, select a Rule and click the XML tab at the bottom of the main
window to display the XML contents of this Rule.
2 Manually enter or delete element attributes. Any errors in syntax are highlighted in
the bottom section of the window.
VistaMart 4.0
Examining conditions in detail
138

This section provides an overview and corresponding examples for each condition
type available for the customization of Rules.
T
View available conditions

>
In the Rule Editor, right-click the Conditions icon to display the conditions:
> Add conditions (p. 139)
> Add condition on proxies (p. 140)
> Add conditions on referenced Instances
(p. 141)
> Add true condition (p. 142)

> Compare the Instance Capabilities Property
with (p. 143)
> Compare the Instance Capabilities Property

with (p. 143)
> Conditions Based on String Values

(p. 144)
> Compare two numerical values (p. 145)

> Compare two string values (p. 144)
> Compare values from a multivalued
Property with (p. 145)
> Match a string Property Value with (p. 146)

> Tests if an object has Value(s) (p. 147)
> Test if one Vista of the Instance is (p. 148)
> Write comments (p. 148)
Set a condition
1 Select an appropriate condition. (The following subsections provide a detailed
description of each predefined condition). The new condition appears.
2 Right click the new condition icon. The node expands and displays the required
parameters and values.
3 Complete the condition specific settings.

4 Proceed to the section Adding actions to complete the Rule.
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139
Add conditions
By default, if you use the standard templates to build your own Rules, or if you
customize existing Rules in the VistaMart Common Library, you always start with a
condition that specifies the Vista which contains the Instance you submit.
This condition is the Conditions:And in the Rule Editor.
From this starting point you can add more conditions on Properties, Proxies and
Variables for VistaMart to apply to an Instance.
As a minimum, all conditions belong to the Conditions:And grouping type. In
addition, you can use the following alternative logical operators:
>
Not conditions to exclude Vistas, Property Values, Proxies, Vendor and

Capabilities.
>
Or conditions to include one or more of a series of Vistas, Property Values,

Proxies and Vendor/Capabilities attributes.
Add an And, Not, Or condition

1 In the Rules Editor, right-click the Conditions icon and select Add Condition.
The Conditions:And operator becomes part of the current list of conditions for
this Rule.
2 Modify the Grouping Type from the list of three enumerated values (And/ Or/ Not).
You can insert as many new conditions as required before or after a
Conditions:And, Conditions:Or or Conditions:Not node, or any existing structure.
EXAMPLE
Create a condition of type Or to retain only Instances whose Agent

Vendor is either Cisco or Alcatel. This condition rejects all other
Instances:
Add successive conditions

Once you have set at least a first condition, you can set a new one and determine its
position relative to the initial condition in the list.
1 Right-click the first condition icon
and select either Insert After or Insert
Before.
2 Proceed as described in Set a condition (p. 138).
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Add condition on proxies

This Rule checks if the Instance has proxy Instances. If it finds any, it may apply the
conditions to one, all, or none of the proxies:
Condition
Description
AtLeastOneProxy
The submitted Instance has proxies. At least one proxy matches the
condition.
AllProxies
The submitted Instance has proxies. All proxies match the condition.
NoProxy
The submitted Instance does not have any proxy, or all proxies do
not match the condition.
EXAMPLE
The Rule below checks if the submitted Instance is a Router and if it

includes at least one LAN interface.
EXAMPLE
The Rule below checks if the submitted Instance is a Router and if it does
not include any WAN interface.
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141
Add conditions on referenced Instances

The Rule does not check the condition for the submitted Instance. Instead, the
condition addresses an Instance that the submitted Instance references.
When the condition verifies, the Rule applies the action to the submitted Instance.
Conditions on Referenced Instances includes three distinct cases:

>
The reference is a group containing the Instance
>
The reference is a Property of the Instance
>
The reference is a the Basic of the proxy Instance
THE REFERENCE IS A GROUP CONTAINING THE INSTANCE This Rule applies to Instances which
belong to a group. It redirects the condition to the group of that submitted Instance.
EXAMPLE
The condition below matches all Instances that are members of the group
Fiat, when the Contract Property Value for that group is Platinum.
THE REFERENCE IS A THE BASIC OF THE PROXY INSTANCE In case of proxy Instances, the Rule
redirects the condition to its parent Basic.
EXAMPLE
The condition matches all proxy Instances whose parent Basic Instance is
located in Italy (Property Location of Vista Common = string Italy).
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THE REFERENCE IS A PROPERTY OF THE INSTANCE This Rule redirects the condition to an
Instance referenced as a Property, instead of addressing the submitted Instance.
EXAMPLE
In the Vista Routers, the Property ShadowRouters references shadow

router Instances. This condition matches all Instances referencing
shadow routers located in Italy (Property Location of Vista Common
equals string Italy).
Add true condition

When using this condition, the Rule applies in every case.
Example: You want to set the IP trap receiver for all Instances equal to a global
variable.
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143
Compare the Instance Capabilities Property with

This condition checks if the submitted Instance has a specifically associated
capability (such as CiscoRouterDetails, CompaMib, etc). It is equivalent to testing the
multivalued Property Capabilities of the Common Vista.
When you select the option Apply On Basic, the Rule redirects this condition to the
Instances parent Basic.
EXAMPLE
The condition below checks if the submitted Instance is a Router

associated to the CiscoNBAR capability.
EXAMPLE
The condition below checks if the submitted Instance is a LAN interface

of a Router associated to the CiscoNBAR capability.
Compare the Instance vendor Property with

This condition checks the Property Value of the vendor equipment specified for an
Instance. It is equivalent to checking the AgentVendor Property Value for the Vista
SnmpNode.
EXAMPLE
The condition below checks that the submitted Instance pertains to Nortel
equipments.
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144
Conditions Based on String Values

VistaMart offers two important conditions based on string values, Compare Two
String values and Match a String Property Value with to use with the following
parameters:
Parameter
Description
Property
The condition applies to a Property Value of one of the Instances

inherited Vistas.
Property On Basic
In case of proxy Instances, the condition applies to a Property

Value of one of the Basic Instances inherited Vistas.
Instance Attribute
The condition applies to one of the Instances predefined attributes

such as Description, Config, Name, Tag, location, Zone, Zone Set,
etc.
Instance Attribute
On Basic
The condition applies to one of the Basic Instances predefined

attributes.
Global Variable
The condition applies to any Global Variable in your VistaMart

Inventory, regardless of the Library that contains it.
Matching Attribute
The condition applies to a Matching attribute (see next section).
COMPARE TWO STRING VALUES The condition makes a textual comparison of two strings.
The two strings can either be explicit declarations or come from a parameters source
(see the complete list above). Select the case sensitive option if you want to submit
strings with a specific case setting.
EXAMPLE
The condition below is based on both Customer and Location Properties

of the Common Vista. It matches all Instances corresponding to the
customer British Airways in the UK.
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145
COMPARE TWO NUMERICAL VALUES This condition determines whether the specified
numerical value matches the defined value entered in the Nvalue box.
The available comparison operators are:
> Equal to
> Less than
> Greater than
> LessOrEqual to
> GreaterOrEqual to
EXAMPLE
The condition below bases on the Ex 0 - Load Property in the Interface

Vista with a value set to greater than 70:
Compare values from a multivalued Property with

This condition checks that the Property specified matches a defined value. This
condition applies to multivalued Properties only.
EXAMPLE
In this example, the Customer Property must have the value Cisco.
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146
Match a string Property Value with

Instead of simply comparing string values, this Rule uses a regular expression to
split a submitted string value into substrings. This gives you the flexibility to:
>
analyze a string in detail and extract as many subvalues as necessary.
>
check subvalues individually, using additional conditions.
>
reuse the extracted values as parameters when defining actions.
The regular expression sets a Matching Group (in the form of a table), which
comprises as many Matching Properties (in the form of table cells) as the extracted
substrings.
Thereafter, the regular expression addresses the Matching Properties individually
using their respective GroupNumbers (or table cell indexes).
EXAMPLE
The Description attribute of the submitted Instance includes useful

parameters. We extract the Major Version and Minor Version numbers
from the Instance to set the values for the Properties IOSMajorVersion
and IOSMinorVersion, respectively.
We use the regular expression Cisco IOS (\d+)\.(\d+)\s.* to extract
the value 12 and 3 out of the string Cisco IOS 12.3 RELEASE SOFTWARE,
etc.
The expression reads as follows: Where a line starts with Cisco
Version, a white space, 1 to n digits, a period, 1 to n digits, a
white space, any character.
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Tests if an object has Value(s)

This Rule checks if an Instance has a specified object and this object has a value.
The Rule applies to single value Properties, multivalued Properties and Attributes.
When you select the option Apply On Basic, the Rule redirects the condition to the
parent Basic of the Instance.
This condition verifies if:
>
Single value Property or Attribute: The Property Value is not null and the string
value is not empty.
>
Multivalued Properties: The list of values is not null and contains at least one
element.
EXAMPLE
The condition below checks if the submitted Instance is a Router and that
router is a member of a group, regardless of the group name.
EXAMPLE
The condition below addresses interfaces. It verifies for all Voice Gateway
interfaces that have a value set for the parent Basics VoIP Call Round
Trip Delay Property.
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Test if one Vista of the Instance is

This Rule allows you to check if:
>
The submitted Instance has a specific associated Vista. In this case, do not select
the Apply On Basic option.
EXAMPLE
>
The condition below matches all Router Instances:
the parent Basic has a specific associated Vista, as with proxies. In this case, you
must select the Apply On Basic option.
EXAMPLE
The condition below matches all Instances whose parent Basic is a

Router.
EXAMPLE
This condition matches all LAN Interface Instances whose parent

Basic is a Router.
Write comments
This feature allows you to give descriptions for one or more conditions. This is useful
if you export Rules to other VistaMart environments or if other users have access to
your VistaMart Inventory configuration.
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Getting into actions
149

After you impose your conditions, you determine all required actions to execute each
time the submitted Instance fulfills these conditions.
T
Set an action
1 In the Rule Editor, right-click the Rule Identifier icon
and select Add Action.
The list of action appears.

> Activate Module (p. 173)
> Add Instance to group (p. 152)
> Add Value to Multivalued Property
(p. 153)
> Add/Remove a Vista (p. 154)

> Copy value(s) from another Property
(p. 155)
> Remove Value to Multivalued Property

(p. 153)
> Reset Property Value (p. 156)

> Set Instance attribute value (p. 156)
> Set Instance location (p. 157)
> Set Property Value (p. 158)
> Start Slot(s) (p. 159)
> Start Report(s) (p. 163)
> Write comments (p. 166)
2 Select the type of action you want to set from the list.
3 Click the double arrow next to the action icon to display the action input box(es),
or if the icon appears as a node, click the
to access all details and boxes.
4 Refer to the following sections which describe the relevant parameters and
condition-specific settings according to the type of action.
5 Save the changes you made to the Rule by clicking the Save icon
in the upper
right corner of the Rules Editor.
6 To execute the Rules, you must reapply them. Refer to Applying or Reapplying
Rules (p. 167).
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Building a string to set values

For actions such as Set a Property Value, Set an Attribute Value, Add value to
Multivalued Property, VistaMart asks for string values.
You either enter an explicit string in the relevant input box or set string values based
on the following parameters:
Parameters
Descriptions
Constant value
A constant string. Mainly used to set prefixes and separators.
Global variable
value
Any Global Variable, regardless of the Library from which the

Variable originates.
Instance Attribute
Value
The value of any Attribute of the submitted Instance.
Instance Attribute
Value on Basic
In case of proxies, the value of any Attribute of the submitted

Instances parent Basic.
Matching Property
Value
Whenever you use regular expressions to set a condition, you can

reuse the extracted substrings (MatchingProperties). You have to
indicate the used MatchingGroup and MatchNumber.
Property Value
The value of any Property of the submitted Instance. Make sure

that you do not address any multivalued Property.
Property Value on
Basic
In case of proxies, the value of any Property of the submitted

Instances parent Basic. Make sure that you do not address any
multivalued Property.
Value from
Referenced
Instance
You source the value from:

1 A Group Instance that contains the submitted Instance
2 An Instance referenced in a Property of the submitted Instance
3 In case of proxies, the submitted Instances parent Basic.
After you address the referenced Instance, you can select any of
its parameters as described above.
EXAMPLE
For a given set of Instances, we set a string which comprises a Prefix

(LAN_Switch_), the device Vendors name, and the Instances Basic IP
address.
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The actions that call for building string values are:

Set Property Value (p. 158)
Set Instance attribute value (p. 156)
Add Value to Multivalued Property (p. 153)
Setting actions to trigger data acquisition

VistaMart controls entirely the data acquisition.
Upon VistaMart commands

, the InfoVista Servers
perform two distinct tasks
with regard to data acquisition, which you can only trigger using Rules:
>
>
They launch real-time reports according to the metrics specified in the InfoVista
VistaViews,
They start acquisition Slots
reporting solutions in VistaPortal
as data arrives for the Indicators for specific

.
The Indicators and display rates used for Real-time Reports can be independent of
those used for starting Slots.
Start Slot(s) (p. 159)
Start Report(s) (p. 163)
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Add Instance to group

This action adds an Instance to a given Group Instance, using as reference the
Instances GroupTag attribute. If the target group does not exist, VistaMart generates
a warning message.
The mandatory GroupTag attribute is either an explicit definition or deduced from
other parameters.
EXAMPLE
Take an inventory of all Instances related to a given service level. The

Rule below looks for all Routers whose Service Property matches the
Silver value, to populate the group SilverGroup.
EXAMPLE
Classify proxy Instances of Routers according to their service level. The

inventory includes three distinct groups - e. g. Silver, Gold and Platinum.
Each proxy Instance whose service Property matches one of these group
names becomes a member of that group.
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Setting actions for multivalued Properties

These actions update any multivalued Property. If you apply them to a single-value
Property, VistaMart ignores them.
"Add Value to Multivalued Property"
"Remove Value to Multivalued Property"
Add Value to Multivalued Property

This action adds an additional value to a multivalued Property.
EXAMPLE
For all Routers located in Beijing, the Rule below adds the QOS capability
to the multivalued Capabilities Property of the Common Vista.
Remove Value to Multivalued Property

This action removes a value from a multivalued Property.
EXAMPLE
A given topology addresses a private network. For all Instances, the

multivalued Departments Property of the FinancialItem Vista (inherited
from Common) takes an inventory of all departments. You decide that any
server Instance running Windows NT4 no longer belongs to Marketing.
Hence, you update the multivalued Property accordingly.
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Add/Remove a Vista
ADD VISTA This action adds a Vista to the list of Vistas associated to the current
Instance. When you associate a Vista using this action, you can also add related
Vistas. In addition, the action adds the new Vistas Properties automatically with their
default value.
NOTE
If the Vista is already associated to the Instance, this action does not change
anything and does not override customized Property Values.
EXAMPLE
In a private network, the MIS department adds NBAR capabilities to the

LAN interfaces that the R&D department uses. Hence, you add the NBAR
Vista to all LAN interface Instances in the Research & Development Zone.
REMOVE VISTA This action removes a Vista and its associated Properties.
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Copy value(s) from another Property

This action allows you to:
>
copy a Property Value from one source Property to another one
>
set a proxy Property Value using the parent Basics Property Value.
If the destination is a multivalued Property, this action either overrides the original
value or appends it to the source Property Value.
To set this action, the conditions to apply are:
>
Both source and destination Property types must be strictly identical (e.g. number,
string, multivalue Property).
>
If both source and destination Properties belong to the same Instance, their
respective names must be different (because it is not possible to duplicate a
Property Value on an existing one).
EXAMPLE
We monitor router LAN interfaces. We want to duplicate the capability

values from the respective parent routers to the interface capabilities,
only in the following cases:
> The source parent routers have their a set capabilities value (i.e. it is not empty).
> The destination interface do not have set capabilities values; or whatever capability
value already set must remain).
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Reset Property Value

This action allows you:
>
To reset the value of multivalued Properties.
>
To return to the default value of single-value Properties.

NOTE
You can only reset a Property Value using a Rule only if the Property owner
is of type User.
Set Instance attribute value

This action allows you to set the following attributes: Config (for the InfoVista Server
Group), Description, Name and Location.
NOTE
For updating the attribute Location, it is recommended to use the action Set
Instance Location.
EXAMPLE
For all Servers, we want to set the Instance name as a function of the OS
Name Properties (from the Vista Server Common) and IP address (from
the Vista IpNode).
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Set Instance location

This action sets the location Attribute ( Country/City combination) for the Instance. In
particular, this attribute is a prerequisite in order to display Instances geographically
on maps in the Service Level Navigator of VistaPortal.
Two methods are available:
You select a country from the drop-down list,
then you select a City. If you do not set a location, VistaMart uses the default Zone.
Note that this method is not time-efficient if you must update several hundred
Instances.
MANUAL SELECTION OF COUNTRY AND CITY
AUTOMATIC CREATION OF COUNTRY AND CITY You create both country and city values from
relevant sources such as dedicated Properties or a detailed description parsed using
a regular expression.
EXAMPLE
For all Servers belonging to a Zone North America, we use the Property
Location of the Common Vista and the Property City of the Site Vista to
set the Instances location attribute.
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Set Property Value

This action sets a Property Value on any single-value Property. If you attempt to set a
value for a multivalued Property, VistaMart ignores it.
EXAMPLE
Upgrade the contract for the customer CityBank by applying the value
Platinum for the Service Property to all Routers Instances belonging to
that customer.
EXAMPLE
For proxies of a given Router Instance, we propagate the value of the

Property Location from the basic router to the Property Source Location
of each proxy.
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Start Slot(s)
This action drives data collections based on Slots, which are Indicator/Instance pairs.
The Rule Editor enables you to:
>
Either explicitly select a single Indicator from all available Indicators and the Vista,
>
Or, set a combination of Indicator attributes to filter several Indicators accordingly.

Attributes
Description
Indicator
Capability
The capability attribute associated to the Indicator. Capabilities

are types of technologies used for service performance
monitoring.
Indicator Label
A string with pertinent Indications that you extract using regular

expressions.
Indicator Library
The Library that contains the Indicator(s).
Indicator solution The solution associated with the Indicator (for example
CapacityAnalyser, Troubleshooter, ServiceManager).
Indicator User
box
A string with useful information that you extract using regular

expressions.
Indicator Vendor
The Vendor associated with the Indicator(s).
Indicator Vista*
The Vista that contains the Indicator(s). This attribute is

mandatory. The slots that you want to start must contain
Instances belonging to the same Vista. (For example, if your
Rules contains a start slot action for the Vista Router, this
action only applies to Routers regardless of conditions.)
NOTE
Time Zone, User box and Vendor attributes can come from other value(s)
by:
- Right-clicking the Action title Start Slot, then select one of the options
Build Time Zone, Build User-box or Build Vendor,
- Referring to Building a string to set values (p. 150) for selecting the
appropriate string components.
For all Indicators that the Rule addresses, you have to define:
>
An Acquisition Rate, i.e. the time elapsed between each data acquisition.
>
A display rate. For VistaMart, this is the smallest available display rate. If this
display rate is a multiple of the Acquisition rate, the InfoVista Server needs to
aggregate data to make the sample available for VistaMart.
>
The Data Source from which the data samples originate. You must declare this
source in the Global Configuration settings.
NOTE
The source InfoVista applies to data polled from InfoVista Servers. The
source VistaBridge applies to data supplied by external files. For all
Indicators pertaining to a group type Vista, the Data Source is VistaMart.
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UNDERSTANDING DATA INDICATORS AND DISPLAY INDICATORS Data Indicators function with
Instances at the InfoVista Server level to retrieve data from polled devices. Display
Indicators are created at the VistaMart level to enable a more generic solution-based
approach to reporting.
EXAMPLE
InfoVista Servers use separate Indicators to monitor Availability on

distinct devices such as 3Com LAN Switches or Cisco LAN Switches.
VistaMart allows you to create a federated Display Indicator called Global
Availability.
Associate a VistaMart Indicator with InfoVista Server Indicators

1 Check that you have a created VistaMart Indicator.
2 Right click the StartSlot icon and select Set Associated VistaMart Indicator.
3 From the Indicator box, select the VistaMart Indicator.
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START SLOTS EXAMPLES The following examples illustrate the most common uses of the
StartSlot action.
EXAMPLE
The action below associates all Servers with the Indicator Disk Activity Average, for the acquisition rate specified in a global variable
my_acquisition_rate. The VistaMart Gateway collects the samples
hourly. The data values come from InfoVista Servers.
EXAMPLE
The action below applies filtering criteria. The Rule associates all
Indicators with the capability BasePI related to the Server Vista and the
IPTelephony solution for all servers. The InfoVista Server polls data
samples every 5 minutes and aggregates them every Hour.
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EXAMPLE
162
This Rule is similar to the previous one. However, instead of keeping only
Indicators related to a single Vista, this Rule applies to all Vistas of the
submitted Instance whose Indicators match the required BasePI
capability. Hence, VistaMart takes into account the Indicators from the
inherited Vistas Resources and Interfaces.
This extension works when you select the option AllInstanceVista(s).
EXAMPLE
NOTE
The group Vista FinancialItem includes Indicators calculated from the

group memberss Indicator values. The Rule below starts Slots for the
related group Instances.
If the Slots are empty for the addressed group members, VistaMart starts the
relevant Slots accordingly.
If the display rate specified for the addressed members is higher than the
group Indicator rate, VistaMart readjusts the source rate so that it matches
the display rate of the group Indicator.
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Start Report(s)
This action drives InfoVista Servers to generate real-time reports based on available
Report Templates.
The Rule Editor allows you to:
>
Either explicitly select a precise InfoVista Library Report Template for a given
Vista from all available templates loaded in VistaMart,
>
Or select a series of Report Templates filtered according to a combination of

attributes below if you do not specify the template:
Attributes
Description
Report lifetime
The length of time to keep the data collected for this report.
When data is older than this lifetime, it becomes obsolete and
gets progressively purged from the system.
If you do not specify a lifetime, the default value comes from the
Report Template.
Report Template
Capability
The associated capability attribute. Capabilities are types of

technologies used for service performance monitoring.
Report Template
Label
A string of useful indications that you extract and use as filtering

criteria.
Report Template
Library
The Library that contains the Report Template(s).
Report Min
Frequency
The minimum frequency (periodicity) you want to apply to the

acquisition rate.
Report Max
Frequency
The maximum frequency you want to apply to the Report display

rate.
Report Template
solution
The solution associated to the Report Template.
Report Template
User box
A string with useful indications that you extract and use as

filtering criteria.
Report Template
Vendor
The Vendor associated with the Indicator(s).
Report Template
Vista*
The Vista that contains the Indicator(s). This attribute is

mandatory. The reports that you want to start must contain
Instances belonging to the same Vista. (For example, if your
Rules contains a start report action for the Vista Router, this
action only applies to Routers regardless of conditions.)
Time Zone, User box and Vendor attributes can come from other value(s) by:
Right-clicking the action title Start Report, then selecting one of the options
Build Time Zone, Build User-box or Build Vendor, or
Referring to "Building a string to set values" to select the appropriate string

components.
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ATTRIBUTING A REPORT LIFETIME You customize the report lifetime value according to two
different formats:
Syntax:
Fixed
value
number + + period, where

period is m= minute, h=hour,
d=day, w=week, M=month or
y=year.
The specified lifetime
overwrites the value inherited
from the Report Template.
Syntax:
Relative
value
value + + %, where value

ranges between 1 and 100.
The report lifetime is a ratio of
the default lifetime value from
the Report Template.
VistaMart allows the following adjustments:

>
If the Rule addresses a single Report Template, you can adjust the lifetime using a
fixed value. In this case, make sure that the new value does not exceed the former
one.
>
If the Rule addresses several Report Templates with different display rates,
therefore with specific lifetimes, you define a customized lifetime using a
percentage. The ratio applies to the individual values inherited from the respective
Report Templates.
EXAMPLE
The example below shows the lifetimes specified in the Report

Templates, then the resulting lifetimes when you apply a 50% value.
Finally, you have to define the name syntax for all reports that InfoVista Servers
generate.
T
Give report name(s)

1 Click the
next to Start Report definition box. The Name attribute appears.
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2 Right-click the Name attribute.

3 Refer to "Building a string to set values" to select the appropriate attribute
components.
EXAMPLE
The Rule below triggers Performance Reports with a 15 minute

display rate for all Server Instances.The data displayed corresponds
to the last 14 days.
For each new report, the title includes the Instance Name and the
used Report Template Name.
EXAMPLE
This StartReport action triggers a series of reports. The templates are

part of the Library InfoVista Servers - Basic with the Capability
ServerBasic. The data displayed corresponds to the last 14 days.
VistaMart only takes into account reports related to Microsoft.
InfoVista Servers generate Reports for all display rates between 5
minute and 1 hour, inclusive.
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Write comments
This feature allows you to describe one or more actions. This is particularly useful if
you export Rules to other VistaMart environments or if other users have access to
your VistaMart Inventory configuration.
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Working with Rules
167
Working with Rules

Once you create or modify Rules, you must apply them in the VistaMart Inventory
Manager in order for it to take them into account.
Applying a Rule affects your VistaMart database: it can add or modify existing
Instances, Property Values and Reports.
For example, if a Rule starts reports for Instances with specific Properties and you
use another Rule to modify the conditional Properties, the Reports using the original
Properties are suspended.
"Applying or Reapplying Rules"
"Enabling/disabling and removing Rules"
Using resource activation (p. 169)
Applying or Reapplying Rules

T
Apply or reapply Rules

1 From the Inventory Managers Provisioning menu, select Test & Apply Rules. The
Apply/Test Rules window opens.
2 Select the relevant Zone and click the Test Rules icon
to test changes.
VistaMart displays the impact of the changes on Instances, Properties, Slots and
Reports. However, the changes do not take effect yet.
3 When you are satisfied with the changes, click the Apply Rule icon
. to apply
the Rules to apply the changes.
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Enabling/disabling and removing Rules

You can disable Rules at three levels in the VistaMart Inventory Manager by
selecting:
>
the top-level Rules node,
>
a specific VistaMart Library (this disables all Rules contained in the Library).
>
all Rules which share the same name (for example: Rules contained in the
RouterRE directory).
>
the Rule itself as defined in the combination of Name/Priority level.
Disable and enable Rules for a Library

2 Select the Rule you want to modify from the relevant VistaMart Library.
3 Right click the Rule in the Tree List and select Disable/Enable.
Remove a Rule
2 Expand the Rules directories in the Library that contains the Rule.
3 Right-click the Rules icon and select Delete.
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Using resource activation

Resource activation is a VistaMart function that allows you to enable or disable
selectively one or several attributes that specific Rules use as filtering criteria at any
time or for any particular Zone.
This function assumes that you already created, edited, tested, and applied your
Rules.
This function provides the flexibility of defining and saving as many activation
configurations as necessary, which you can apply according to your requirements.
T
Set a new activation configuration

1 From the Browser View, expand the Zone node and click the appropriate Zone.
The right pane displays the Zone attributes.
2 Click the
button next to the Resource Activation option.
The Resource Activation window opens. By default, all resources in all filtering
categories are enabled.
3 Select the category that contains the resources to deactivate.

4 In the text area at the top, give a new name to the activation configuration and
click OK.
The new Activation Configuration applies immediately.
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Putting Rules inside Modules
170

Modules is another VistaMart object whose purpose is to act as a container for
Rules responsible for a specific type of reporting solution, e.g. a given technology or
type of device.
Modules facilitate the customization and evolution of InfoVista solutions by their

intrinsic attachment to a VistaMart Library instead of to the Libraries packaged with
the solution itself.
CUSTOMIZATION OF A REPORTING SOLUTION The VistaInsight solutions depend on data

processed by the VistaMart Inventory Manager using Rules developed with the
VistaViews for the solution.
In this context, you can create or modify Rules to customize your reporting needs.
However, with the advent of each new version of a VistaInsight version, your changes
no longer have any effect because the updated VistaViews do not take into account
your modifications.
To facilitate customization, Rules now belong inside Modules within VistaMart instead
of being part of the solution VistaViews. Henceforth, the customization takes place in
the user VistaViews (in VistaMart) rather than the solution VistaViews. This makes it
possible to keep the changes you made in order to preserve its previous
customization.
MODULES AND VISTAVIEWS By definition, a Module is linked to a specific VistaView.

Nevertheless, you can define the Rules associated to a Module in any VistaMart
VistaView (for which you have write access) as described in the previous sections.
This function, though flexible, necessarily creates dependencies between VistaViews
due to the link between a Rule and its associated Module. A dependency exists
between the VistaView where you defined the Rule and the VistaView in which the
Module belongs.
To maintain compatibility with existing VistaViews, it is not mandatory that you define
a Module to associate with a Rule.
All Rules that do not belong to a specific Module go into a default Module. VistaMart
executes the Rules in the default Module after those in other Modules.
MODULE PRIORITY A Module has a predefined priority. VistaMart executes the Rules
associated to a Module according to the Modules priority.
MODULE SCOPE There are two ways to execute the Rules in a Module:
>
Global: VistaMart activates the Module at all times. For example, a VistaInsight for
Servers solution requires that VistaMart always executes the Servers KPI Module
when a server figures in the topology file.
>
Rules: VistaMart activates the Module only when a Rule calls for its activation. For
example, a Rule in an IPT solution can request the execution of the Module
containing the VIS KPIs for its Call Manager reporting.
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MODULE USER SCOPE This scope allows users to refine further the scope in which to
apply the Module by changing the Global scope to the Rules scope.
The activation of Modules must conform to the following constraints:
>
VistaMart can apply a Module defined with a default activation state Global as
Rules to reduce the reporting load.
>
However, it cannot apply a Module with Rules as a default activation state to

Global.
Working with Modules

To set up Modules in VistaMart, you organize the Rules following a prescribed
hierarchy.
>
Modules priority
>
Rule names (block) in alphabetical order
>
Priority (descending rule priority)
Create a Module
1 In the Inventory Managers tree pane, click on the Model tab.
2 Select a VistaMart Library in which you want to create a Module and select the
node Modules.
NOTE
To create a Module in any given Library, you must have write access to
that Library.
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3 Right-click it to display a short-cut menu and select New Module. A wizard

(Module editor) appears.
4 Fill in the following information:
The Library name from the drop-down list. (This list contains all the Libraries
for which you have write access.)
Enter a name for your Module.
Enter a short description for the Modules objective.
Choose a scope (Global or Rules) for your Module. See Module scope
(p. 170) for further details about scope.
Enter a number of priority for your Module. The priority works in descending
order; for example, VistaMart executes a 300-priority Module before a 100priority Module. There is no limit to the priority number that you can assign to a
Module.
5 Click Finish to exit the wizard. Your Module now appears under the Modules
node in the tree view.
T
Associate a Rule to a Module

1 In the Inventory Managers tree pane, click on the Model tab.
2 You can either:
create a new Rule as described in Creating a new Rule (p. 135) or
expand the Rules node and select an existing Rule.
3 In the Rule Editor, select from the drop-down list a Module to which you want to
associate your Rule.
NOTE
If you choose an existing Rule that already belongs to another Module,

you dissociate it from its old Module and associate it to the new Module.
Your Module now contains a Rule and is visible under the Rules node in the tree
view.
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Activate Module
VistaMart does not automatically activate a Module unless there is a specific Rule
that tells to do so
T
Create a Rule to activate the Module

1 Create a new Rule in the Rule Editor as described in Creating a new Rule
(p. 135).
2 In the Rule Editor, right-click the Rule and select Add Action, then Activate
Module.
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3 Specify the Module to activate using this Rule. VistaMart only activates the Module
only the Instance fulfills the conditions for the Rule.
NOTE
If you associate this activation Rule to another Module (M2 ), this Module
must have a higher priority than the Module (M 1 ) that the Rule activates, i.e.
priority of M 2 > priority of M 1.
Delete a Module
1 In the Inventory Managers Model tab, expand the VistaMart Libraries node and
select the Library containing the Module that you want to delete.
2 Right-click the Module and select Delete.

3 A message box appears to ask for confirmation. Click OK.
NOTE
When you delete a Module, VistaMart also deletes all the Rules
contained in that Module.
Import or export a Module

This function applies when you import and export Libraries, since Modules are
attached to Libraries.
Before you export or import a Module, check which Libraries are associated with
those Modules and their Rules and make sure you export/import these Libraries as
well in order to preserve the dependencies between VistaViews.
1 Import or export the Libraries.

2 Check the import/export file to check the list of dependencies and verify that you
export those Libraries as well.
9 Handling events in VistaMart

From a reporting solutions point of view, an event signals an abnormal occurrence in
the normal working process and assists users in locating and remedying the problem
as necessary.
This section explains the concept of event generation and its filtering system. It also
gives instructions on how to develop formulas using specific operators to generate
events.
"Purpose of generating events" on page 176

"Determining how wrong and for how long (why)" on page 179
"Developing formulas to generate events" on page 184
"Purging events" on page 205
175
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Purpose of generating events
176

The objectives of generating events are to:
To meet these objectives, a dashboard displays a list of events (i.e. for networks,
servers, site, or customers) that experience problems such as threshold violation,
trend, baseline deviation, etc.
Handling the event and trap flow in the VistaFoundation

Events generated from InfoVista Servers arrive in VistaMart through the forwarding
service.
Events go out in bursts for each display rate rather than an as they come basis to
optimize network bandwidth.
VistaMart treats events and traps as data values in order to make recovery requests
on them whenever required.
The diagram below gives an overview of event/trap flows:
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Viewing events in VistaPortal

Events represent data over a specific period of time on which we focus to analyze a
typical system behavior.
VistaPortal displays a consolidated view of events from the elements for which it
provides reporting based on:
>
A group Instance from the inventory
>
Events raised for the group elements
OBJECT NAVIGATOR Using the Object Navigator, you can display for given instances:
>
the maximum severity for events at a time t (active severity)
>
the maximum severity for events over a period (historical severity)
FILTERING EVENTS WITH THE EVENT LIST DISPLET From the list of events, the user can drilldown to specific reports for additional information.
>
The event list displays a list of events for a given instance or a group of instances.
>
The list of events is derived from the instance or a group of instances on which the
user is focusing (navigating)
To avoid displaying a potentially high number of events from the monitored elements,
the dashboard prioritizes them by severity or function.
ASSOCIATING EVENTS WITH INDICATORS WITH THE GRAPH-ON-DEMAND DISPLET VistaPortals

graph on demand displet displays the events maximum severity synthesis (i.e.
global state) over time. The result is shown on a curve when you synchronize the
instance.
In this displet, a given event is automatically linked to the primary indicator at the
source of this event. It also displays complementary information such as the
associated threshold and baseline indicator.
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Defining events
Technically, an event reflects a period of time over which data deviates from normal
system behavior.
In order to generate an event, it must be raised:
>
by an Instance
>
on a primary Indicator
>
for a defined period of time
EVENT LIFE CYCLE An event remains active until the condition which triggered it
becomes false.
>
An event is raised (starts) when a given condition (from a formula) becomes true
>
The event stops when the condition is no longer true
EVENT TIMESTAMP The boundaries of an event conform to the following timestamp

convention:
>
For a traffic overflow between 4 and 5 pm, with traffic exceeding the threshold at 4
pm, the start timestamp of the event is 4 pm.
>
If traffic goes back down below the threshold during 7 and 8 pm, the end time
stamp of the event is 7 pm (because it is the first data point when the condition
becomes false).
Distinguishing events from traps

Often, users employ the terms traps and events synonymously. In the VistaMart
context, there is a distinction between them.
TRAPS Traps are messages that go to an external fault system (such as Netcool) to
signal an abnormal behavior. The audience is usually limited to internal and technical
users.
EVENTS Events are filtered by severity and function to track down, prioritize, and
remedy the root cause of a problem. The targeted audience concerns all potential
users.
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Determining how wrong and for how long (why)
179

When determining events, the time span is a key factor.
A list of events identified only with a timestamp, severity, and machine name does not
go far in helping the system administrator determine what damage was done, for how
long, and to what extent.
In order to be meaningful, it is essential to know which indicator (i.e. CPU, availability,
etc.) raised the event and the length of time during which it persisted.
For example, the usage of a CPU can reach 100% at any one instant during a given
period and this would not be cause for alarm. However, if the CPU usage remains
consistently at 100% over more than half that entire period, then it is possible that
there is a CPU overload, and hence cause for alarm.
To do this analysis, we apply a time frame window and a condition window to focus
on the period over which the event occurred.
A TIME FRAME WINDOW is an interval of time under focus on for a certain indicator.
A CONDITION WINDOW is the length of time that the condition that triggered the event
on this indicator remains true.
The system checks for a condition (defined in a formula) over a period of time and
generates an event when that condition remains true for a predefined length of time.
Concretely, it takes the cumulative number of points versus the number of points for
which the conditions verifies.
Hence, the event analysis is a ratio that takes into account the total time duration and
the number of points for which the condition is true during this span.
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This method of event analysis has another major advantage: by using the time frame
and condition windows, we can exclude repetitive event generation when the indicator
continuously vacillates around a threshold:
>
Without the time consideration, events get continually generated as soon as an

Indicator either approaches or exceeds a threshold
>
Using the time span analysis, only one event is raised after determining that this
Indicator already exceeded the threshold for a longer duration than acceptable
(e.g. after a certain number of data points exceeded the threshold).
Establishing event duration

The system generates an event using the time frame and condition window analysis.
It moves the time frame window over successive timestamps to check if the condition
that raised the event for this Indicator remains true.
The event continues to be active until the condition becomes false. The period
between the first time stamp and last time stamp during which the event is active
constitutes the validity period for the event.
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Classifying events by type

From a reporting solution perspective, it is possible to have several types of events
adapted to the context of the customer, such as:
>
Events on baseline for troubleshooting. Typically these events are related to

saturation, overload, or abnormal deviation from a baseline
>
Events on time-to-thresholds for capacity planning purposes
>
Events on availability and performance for Service Level Agreements (SLA) that
have an impact on the service contract
Hence, the type of event is related to the formula used to trigger the event, and
specifically the types of operators used to generate the event.
EVENTS ON BASELINE The principle is the following:

>
An indicator value is compared to its baseline value (i.e. the average value for the
same hour over x days, shown by the plain line)
>
A tunnel, i.e. the leeway between a threshold and the baseline value, is defined
>
If the indicator value is over the threshold, the system generates an event.
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EVENTS ON TIME-TO-THRESHOLD The principle is the following:

>
Using a trend analysis of past data values, VistaMart calculates for a given
indicator the number of days left before the real value is expected to reach the
threshold.
>
If the number of days remaining reaches a value that is below a threshold (for
example, 10 days), the system generates an alarm. A typical example is the disk
space on a SAN.
EVENTS ON AVAILABILITY AND PERFORMANCE This is the simplest type of event:

>
When an indicator value goes over or below a threshold, an event is generated.
>
It is possible to have several thresholds with different severities associated to

them.
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Applying a severity level to an event

An event is always associated to a severity (e.g. info, minor, major, fatal, critical).
An event can switch to different severities over time.
Identifying an event with a unique key

To identify an event, the system uses a unique key that comprises:
>
The instance from which the system generated the event
>
The indicator containing the event formula
>
The display rate
>
The start and end timestamps
This prevents the generation of overlapping events, even if the severity of the events
are different.
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Developing formulas to generate events
184

The following sections give details about event parameters, attributes, and operators
when writing formulas to generate events. It also gives the precise syntax and
examples for each operator.
Applying specific conditions to send events

The system raises an event when a condition in a formula becomes true. There are
several applicable conditions, listed in the table below:
CONDITION ON THRESHOLD An event is generated when the value goes below or over a
threshold.
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CONDITION ON TUNNEL USING A CONSTANT MARGIN P1 An event is generated if the value is

outside of a tunnel defined by a baseline (in blue), plus or minus a constant P1 and
P2. P1 defines the upper tunnel and P2 the lower tunnel.
The following case scenarios are possible:
>
The indicator value is inside the tunnel
>
The indicator value is outside the tunnel
>
The indicator value is under the tunnel
>
The indicator value is over the tunnel
EXAMPLE
Jitter values must never be outside a reasonable distance from the baseline.
CONDITION ON TUNNEL USING A PERCENTAGE P1 The tunnel is defined as a percentage of

the baseline. For example, if P=50%, the system generates an event if the value
exceeds 1.5 x baseline.
P1 defines the upper tunnel and P2 defines the lower tunnel.
NOTE
The distance between the tunnel and the baseline is NOT constant (it's a
coefficient of the value). In other words:
- The lower the baseline, the smaller the tunnel
- The higher the baseline, the larger the tunnel
Response time values.
EXAMPLE
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CONDITION ON TUNNEL USING A PERCENTAGE P1 AND A THRESHOLD The tunnel principle is

identical to the previous case, except that the reference is not 0, but a reference
value:
>
The closer the baseline is to the reference value, the smaller the tunnel
>
The further the baseline is from the reference value, the larger the tunnel
EXAMPLE
Traffic monitoring, where P3 is the maximum capacity. If you are close to the
maximum capacity, you want to be warned that you are outside of the normal
baseline as soon as possible.
Defining event syntax

Broken down to its simplest components, the event syntax includes:
>
Operators driven by a condition
>
A formula for sending events on a dedicated Indicator with multiple statements on

different severities.
>
Windows of application (i.e. condition windows)
The event syntax consists of either:

>
>
One formula to send events using
an indicator dedicated to events
a trap operator in InfoVista Server
Multiple sendEvent statements inside a formula, such as:
sendEventOnThresoldUp(Critical,,90);
sendEventOnThresholdUp(Major,.,80);
sendEventOnThresholdUp(Minor,.,70)
MULTIPLE STATEMENTS IN THE SAME FORMULA Multiple statements are possible in the
following cases:
>
Only one statement per severity
>
If a condition verifies for several operators, only the event with the maximum
severity is emitted
>
No more than one event operator is allowed in the formula
>
Several windows of application allowed
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WINDOW OF APPLICATION
>
For each sendEvent operator, we define a window of application
>
This window makes it possible to send an event only if the condition is true for N
times over a given period.
>
This window includes two parameters:
The size of the window consisting of a number of samples
The validity count is in [1, size] and defines the number of TRUE conditions in
the window to trigger an event.
MANAGING MULTIPLE THRESHOLDS Multiple thresholds are deduced automatically from the
formula.
The thresholds are retrieved from all sendEvent statements with the same indicator,
instance, and operator.
EVENT STRUCTURE An Event is uniquely identified by the following key:

>
Instance
>
Indicator
>
Display rate (DR)
>
Temporal interval (start + end)
Other parts of an event are invariant.
EVENT ATTRIBUTES In addition to its key, an event contains a set of properties:

>
The function (SLA/CP/TS/Unknown)
>
The severity (Critical/Major/Minor/Warning)
>
The conditional type of the event (with additional attributes depending on event
type)
>
The description
>
The type (InfoVista Server Trap, InfoVista Server event, VistaMart event, etc.)
>
The end date (can be null if unknown)
>
Event state (terminated or not)
>
Event duration
>
Various report template WIDs (only when the source is InfoVista Server)
HANDLING ERRORS When a value is bad, the condition is assumed to be FALSE (no
violation):
>
The values are ignored
>
The window is not extended
>
The number of valid samples required to emit the event is not decreased
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Using event operators

>
Events are composed of three things: Object(s) (Instance, Indicator), various

attributes and a temporal interval.
>
Events are defined using the operation [x,P, t]. A unique event is defined by two
principles: the existence condition and the identity condition.
The existence condition states [x, P, t] exists if and only if object x exemplifies
the n-adic P at time t.
This means a unique event exists if the above is met. The identity condition
states [x, P, t] is [y, Q, t`] if and only if x=y, P=Q and t=t`].
COMMON EVENT PARAMETERS All event operators include certain common parameters:
A global variable or a constant of type string which represents two
parameters. The format is [int]/[int]. The first integer represents
the [Application size] (in a number of period) and the second one
the [Window size] (in a number of period). The following
constraints apply:
Window
> [Window Size] >= [Application Size]

> [Window Size] <= 32
> [Application Size] > 0
Indicator
represents a reference on an indicator
Threshold
represents a numeric value which can be:
> A literal number

> A property value
> A global value
Severity
has one of the following values:
> INDETERMINATE
> CRITICAL
> MAJOR
> MINOR
> WARNING
EXAMPLE
NOTE
SendEventOnXXXXXX([SEVERITY], [WINDOW], [INDICATOR], , [CONTEXT]

=> Optional)
The Context is optional and is valid only for InfoVista Server. It allows you to
specify a Wid list similar to the trap operator.
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COMMON EVENT ATTRIBUTES If an operator has its conditions verified, it emits an event
which has at minimum the following attributes. Additional or variable attributes can be
specified for each operator.
Severity
[SEVERITY]
INSID
The instance Ref where the event formula started
INSID
The indicator Ref of the indicator which contains the event formula
TYPE
Dependent on the process which generated the event
FUNCTION
The function of the indicator that contains the event formula
PERIOD
The period for which the event formula applies (in seconds)
TIMEZONE
The timezone of the slot (status)
TIME
The date rounded down to the period under evaluation.
Context
A list of Wids (optional)
ADDITIONAL COMMON ATTRIBUTES This list of attributes get added to each operator when
there is an event generated. Additional attributes are specified for each operator.
Reference
Attribute Data Type
[Window]
Constant or global
[Window]
Constant or global
[INDICATOR]
Indicator
Additionally all attributes should contain the severity and the conditional type of the
statement used to generate them.
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List of event operators

The following operators apply in formulas designed to generate events:
"sendEventOnThresholdDown()" on page 190
"sendEventOnThresholdUp()" on page 191
"sendEventOnTunnelUp()" on page 192
"sendEventOnTunnelDown()" on page 193
"sendEventOnTunnelIn()" on page 194
"sendEventOnTunnelOut()" on page 195
"sendEventOnPTunnelOut()" on page 196
"sendEventOnPTunnelIn()" on page 197
"sendEventOnPTunnelUp()" on page 198
"sendEventOnPTunnelDown()" on page 199
"sendEventOnPTunnelOutEx()" on page 200
"sendEventOnPTunnelInEx()" on page 201
"sendEventOnPTunnelUpEx()" on page 202
"sendEventOnPTunnelDownEx()" on page 203
sendEventOnThresholdDown()
This operator sends an event if the indicator is less than the threshold:
INDICATOR < THRESHOLD
USE CASE EXAMPLE Device Availability. An event is raised when the availability goes
below a predefined threshold.
PARAMETER DESCRIPTION The window is a string to define the validity/size, where

validity>=1 and size>=validity.
The validity and size represent a number of periods. The event is emitted only if over
the [size] period we have a [validity] sample which verify the condition.
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Type
Function
Reduction
false
Syntax
sendEventOnThresholdDown(SEVERITY,WINDOW,INDICATOR,THRESHOLD)
Severity
Parameters
NDETERMINATE, CRITICAL, MAJOR, MINOR, WARNING
window:[STRING][STRING_PROPERTY][STRING_GLOBAL]
indicator:[INDICATOR]
Threshold:[PROPERTY][GLOBAL][FLOAT]
sendEventOnThresholdUp()
This operator sends an event if the indicator is greater than the threshold:
INDICATOR > THRESHOLD
USE CASE EXAMPLE Interface saturation. An event is raised when the saturation level
exceeds a predefined threshold.

Type
Function
Reduction
false
Syntax
sendEventOnThresholdUpSEVERITY,WINDOW,INDICATOR,THRESHOLD)
Severity
INDETERMINATE, CRITICAL, MAJOR, MINOR, WARNING
Parameters
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sendEventOnTunnelUp()
This operator sends an event if the indicator verifies the following condition:
[INDICATOR] > ([INDICATOR2] + [THRESHOLD])
USE CASE EXAMPLE Response time monitoring. We want to raise an event as soon as
the response time abnormally increases by a fixed value.

Type
Function
Reduction
false
Syntax
sendEventOnTunnelUp(SEVERITY,WINDOW,INDICATOR,INDICATOR2,
THRESHOLD)
Severity
Parameters
indicator2:[INDICATOR]
THRESHOLD:[PROPERTY][GLOBAL][FLOAT]
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sendEventOnTunnelDown()
[INDICATOR] < ([INDICATOR2] - [THRESHOLD])
USE CASE EXAMPLE Traffic monitoring. We want to raise an event as soon as the
reported traffic abnormally decreases by a fixed value.

Type
Function
Reduction
false
Syntax
sendEventOnTunnelDown(SEVERITY,WINDOW,INDICATOR,INDICATOR2,TH
RESHOLD)
Severity
Parameters
Indicator2:[INDICATOR]
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sendEventOnTunnelIn()
[INDICATOR] > ([INDICATOR2] - [THRESHOLD]) AND
[INDICATOR] < ([INDICATOR2] + [THRESHOLD2])

Type
Function
Reduction
false
Syntax
sendEventOnTunnelIn(SEVERITY,WINDOW,INDICATOR,INDICATOR2,THRES
HOLD,THRESHOLD2)
Severity
Parameters
THRESHOLD2:[PROPERTY][GLOBAL][FLOAT]
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sendEventOnTunnelOut()
[INDICATOR] > ([INDICATOR2] - [THRESHOLD]) OR
[INDICATOR] < ([INDICATOR2] + [THRESHOLD2])
USE CASE EXAMPLES 1) Jitter values must never be outside a reasonable deviation from
the baseline. 2) Traffic monitoring. We want to raise an event as soon as the reported
traffic increases or decreases by a fixd value.
PARAMETER DEFINITIONS The window is a string to define the validity/size, where

Type
Function
Reduction
false
Syntax
sendEventOnTunnelOut(SEVERITY,WINDOW,INDICATOR,INDICATOR2,
THRESHOLD,THRESHOLD2)
Severity
Parameters window:[STRING][STRING_PROPERTY][STRING_GLOBAL]
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sendEventOnPTunnelOut()
[INDICATOR] < ([INDICATOR2] - ABS([INDICATOR2]) * [THRESHOLD]) OR
[INDICATOR] > ([INDICATOR2] + ABS([INDICATOR2]) * [THRESHOLD2])
USE CASE EXAMPLE We monitor IP phones and the indicator represents the number of
registered units. In a large infrastructure, the baseline normally increases regularly
during the working hours and decreases at the end of the day. We want to raise an
event if the number of units goes above or drops below acceptable percentages, in
the middle of the day.

Type
Function
Reduction
false
Syntax
sendEventOnPTunnelOut((SEVERITY,WINDOW,INDICATOR,INDICATOR2,
Severity
Parameters
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sendEventOnPTunnelIn()
[INDICATOR] > ([INDICATOR2] - ABS ([INDICATOR2]) * [THRESHOLD]) AND
[INDICATOR] < ([INDICATOR2] +ABS([INDICATOR2]) * [THRESHOLD2])

Type
Function
Reduction
false
Syntax
sendEventOnPTunnelIn(SEVERITY,WINDOW,INDICATOR,INDICATOR2,
Severity
Parameters
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sendEventOnPTunnelUp()
[INDICATOR] > ([INDICATOR2] + ABS ([INDICATOR2]) * [THRESHOLD])
USE CASE EXAMPLE Monitoring a server activity. We want to raise an event if the number
of connections to a server suddenly increases, out of an acceptable percentage.

Type
Function
Reduction
false
Syntax
sendEventOnPTunnelUp(SEVERITY,WINDOW,INDICATOR,INDICATOR2,THR
ESHOLD)
Severity
Parameters
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sendEventOnPTunnelDown()
This operator sends an event if the Indicator verifies the condition
[INDICATOR] < ([INDICATOR2] - ABS ([INDICATOR2]) * [THRESHOLD])
USE CASE EXAMPLE Monitoring a server activity. We want to raise an event as soon as
the number of connections to a server drops down abnormally.

type
Function
Reduction
false
Syntax
sendEventOnPTunnelDown(SEVERITY,WINDOW,INDICATOR,INDICATOR2,
THRESHOLD)
Severity
INDETERMINATE, CRITICAL, MAJOR, MINOR, WARNING.
Parameters
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sendEventOnPTunnelOutEx()
[INDICATOR] < ([INDICATOR2] - ABS([MAXTHRESHOLD] - [INDICATOR2]) * [THRESHOLD])
OR
[INDICATOR] > ([INDICATOR2] + ABS([MAXTHRESHOLD] - [INDICATOR2]) * [THRESHOLD2])

Type
Function
Reduction
false
Syntax
sendEventOnPTunnelOutEx(SEVERITY,WINDOW,INDICATOR,INDICATOR2,
THRESHOLD,THRESHOLD2,MAXTHRESHIOLD)
Severity
Parameters
MAXTHRESHOLD:[PROPERTY][GLOBAL][FLOAT]
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sendEventOnPTunnelInEx()
[INDICATOR] > ([INDICATOR2] - ABS ([MAXTHRESHOLD] - [INDICATOR2]) * [THRESHOLD])
AND
[INDICATOR] < ([INDICATOR2] +ABS([MAXTHRESHOLD] - [INDICATOR2]) * [THRESHOLD2])

Type
Function
Reduction
false
Syntax
sendEventOnPTunnelInEx(SEVERITY,WINDOW,INDICATOR,INDICATOR2,
THRESHOLD,THRESHOLD2,MAXTHRESHIOLD)
Severity
Parameters
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sendEventOnPTunnelUpEx()
[INDICATOR] > ([INDICATOR2] + ABS ([MAXTHRESHOLD] - [INDICATOR2]) * [THRESHOLD])
USE CASE EXAMPLE The baseline represents the evolution of a monitored traffic over
time, and the max. threshold is the maximum capacity. When the baseline is close to
the max capacity, we need to raise an event as soon as the traffic deviates from the
baseline, even slightly. On the other hand, the deviation does not represent any
critical risk when the traffic is low.

Type
Function
Reduction
false
Syntax
sendEventOnPTunnelUpEx(SEVERITY,WINDOW,INDICATOR,INDICATOR2,
THRESHOLD,MAXTHRESHOLD)
Severity
Parameters
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sendEventOnPTunnelDownEx()
[INDICATOR] < ([INDICATOR2] - ABS ([MAXTHRESHOLD] - [INDICATOR2]) *
[THRESHOLD])

Type
Function
Reduction
false
Syntax
sendEventOnPTunnelDownEx(SEVERITY,WINDOW,INDICATOR,INDICATOR2,
THRESHOLD,MAXTHRESHOLD)
Severity
Parameters
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Examples of event formulas

EXAMPLES WITH MULTIPLE THRESHOLDS The following are examples of formulas that send
events with different severities for different thresholds using default window = 1/1:
EXAMPLE
sendEventOnThresholdUp(CRITICAL,global(defaultwindow),BandWidth Usage,property(Critical Threshold));
EXAMPLE
sendEventOnThresholdUp(MAJOR,global(default-window),BandWidth
Usage,property(Major Threshold));
EXAMPLE
sendEventOnThresholdUp(MINOR,global(default-window),BandWidth
Usage,property(Minor Threshold))
EXAMPLES WITH DIFFERENT SEVERITIES

The following are examples of formulas that send
events with different severities depending of the duration of the threshold violation:
Critical window=3/3 Major-Window=2/3 Minor-Window=1/3
EXAMPLE
sendEventOnThresholdUp(CRITICAL,global(Critical-window),Disk
Saturation,property(Threshold));
EXAMPLE
sendEventOnThresholdUp(MAJOR,global(Major-window), Disk
Saturation,property(Threshold));
EXAMPLE
sendEventOnThresholdUp(MINOR,global(Minor-window), Disk
Saturation,property(Threshold))
EXAMPLES OF ABNORMAL DEVIATION The following are examples of formulas that send an
event in case of abnormal deviation or if we have a threshold violated using default
window = 1/1:
EXAMPLE
sendEventOnThresholdUp(CRITICAL,global(defaultwindow),BandWidth Usage,property(Critical Threshold));
EXAMPLE
sendEventOnTunnelOut(MAJOR,global(default-window),BandWidth
Usage,BandWidth Usage Baseline,500,-500);
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Purging events
205
Purging events
You can group events to purge by:
CREATION DATE/DR (COMPOSITE KEY) enables the removal events older than a specified
date.
Allows different management policies depending of the function (for
example, keeping the SLA longer than the troubleshooting events)
FUNCTION
MAXIMUM LIFETIME You can also define a maximum lifetime of an event:

>
Remove only events with an end time before now
>
Use partitioning with an adapted process to avoid deletions in the table by moving
events that are still valid to a more recent partition before dropping it.
10 Writing formulas using the formula

editor
The VistaMart formula editor facilitates the creation of custom to compute data values
using a range of operators from simple mathematical operators to the more complex
trend and property management operators.
The formula editor provides:

>
a graphic interface to write expression with ready access to available operators,

indicators applicable in the formula, the properties of a Vista
>
A syntax analyzer to detect errors
This section details the process of writing formulas with the assistance of the formula
editor, as a list of commonly used operators.
"Developing a formula" on page 207
"Using the formula editor" on page 209
"List of operators" on page 212
206
Developing a formula
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Formulas must be defined using expressions.
DEFINITION A formula is always associated to an indicator (also called derived

indicator). The same formula is used for any display rate and any instance.
Rules are in charge of starting different derived indicators depending on the instance
type, if necessary.
PARAMETERS The parameters in the formula calculate a data value for:

>
a predefined slot (instance and indicator)
>
a defined timestamp
>
a defined display rate
RESULT The result of an expression is always a float. Nevertheless, if the expression

type is an integer, the result gets converted automatically to a float.
SCOPE OF INDICATORS A formula is associated to an indicator. Nevertheless, a formula

could contain references to other indicators.
Example: You define a derived indicator on the Vista Resource. The formula can
reference:
>
An indicator defined in the same Vista (an indicator on the Vista Resource)
>
An Indicator defined in an inherited Vista, such as an indicator on the Vista

Common
A formula can also contain indicators defined on other instances:

>
If the instance contains a multivalued property of ID type (therefore referencing

other instances), the formula can address an indicator defined on the referenced
instances.
In all cases, the suggested syntax ensure that there is no ambiguity (i.e. no need to
resolve the object during the execution of the formula).
SCOPE OF PROPERTIES A formula also uses properties:

>
Defined in the instances Vista or inherited Vistas (in the above example, the Vista
Resource or the Vista Common)
>
Properties of referenced instances
>
In the case of referenced properties, there are two cases:
>
The Property used is defined in the Vista (or inherited Vista) used in the reference
property definition. For example, if the reference is a Customer, the formula uses a
threshold defined in the Vista Customer
>
The property used is not defined in the Vista. The resolution checks that this
property is really accessible. For example, the reference is Common but the
formula uses a threshold defined in the Vista Customer.
Writing formulas using the formula editor
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Distinguishing type of values in an expression

FLOAT Constants and single-valued properties are always considered as float by
default.
INTEGER Some operators require integer parameters (for example a number of
periods). Because our VistaMart model is fully based on float (Indicators & Property
values), the float value is automatically rounded to the nearest integer.
ARRAY OF FLOATS Multi-valued properties are considered as array of float. Dedicated

operators can manage this type of array.
INSTANCE IDENTIFIER Expressions must be able to manage relations between Instances

such as basic, proxy relation and ID property type. Dedicated operators can follow the
relationship to retrieve remote properties or indicators.
INDICATORS Some operators specifically require the name of an indicator (for

example: Trend operator).
Otherwise, the indicator can still be considered as the float data value for the defined
time stamp.
BOOLEAN Conditional operators require boolean expressions.

PERIOD The period is meant as a number of samples. According to the display rate
used during the execution, the same number of samples spans different time periods.
Making references to objects

Object reference indicates how to reference indicators and properties in a formula.
Basically, a formula may contain references to other indicators belonging to the
addressed indicators vista or it can reference to another vista. There are ways to
reference explicitly these objects.
TYPE OF OBJECTS Objects include:

>
Indicators
>
Properties (single or multi-valued).
OBJECT NAME Object names may contain spaces in their definition. Properties or
Indicators containing spaces must be enclosed inside quotes (otherwise quotes are
not mandatory.)
REFERENCING AN INDICATOR OR A PROPERTY Indicators can be directly referenced in the

formula using their name. Properties can be referenced by their ID.
This convention simplifies the resolution part because properties and indicators can
potentially have the same name.
Using the formula editor
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You access the formula editor by selecting the Indicator for which you want to write a
formula in a VistaMart Library.
T
Open the formula editor

1 In the Inventory Manager, click the Model tab and expand the VistaMart Libraries
node.
2 Select the Library that contains the Indicator you want to edit.
If you want to write a formula for a new Indicator, you must first create the
Indicator (right-click Indicators in the tree pane and select New Indicator).
3 In the tree pane, click on Indicators to display a list of Indicators.

4 In the contents pane, select the Indicator for which you want to edit a formula.
5 In the property pane, in the Indicator formula box, click the browse (...) button to
open the formula editor.
If the formula in this box is grayed out, you are in a read-only library.
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Working with the formula editor

You use the interactive Formula Editor window to enter and modify a formula. To
facilitate this task, the editor provides the following keyboard shortcuts:
Keyboard
combination
Action
CTRL + Space
According to the position of the cursor, a list of operators,

indicators or properties appears. You select the appropriate object
from the list.
CTRL + W
Wraps text
EXAMPLE
The cursor is placed at the beginning of the line. This list appears:
EXAMPLE
In the formula, the cursor is placed where an indicator is expected. The

following list appears:
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Checking your formula syntax

The formula editor also applies a syntax corrector to detect errors in your formula:
>
green: correct
>
red: incorrect
>
blue: inserted value
The pane at the bottom of the window indicates either an error or an OK message.
EXAMPLE
A formula containing syntax error
EXAMPLE
A formula without error
Creating expressions to send traps

A trap is a place in an application for handling unexpected or unacceptable conditions
by sending a text message to a log or to a program user.
In VistaMart, each Indicator can have a trap associated to its value. But the condition
required to send the trap is a boolean expression. In addition, there are specific
operators to detect when the value went below or exceeded a threshold.
Traps are computed using expressions which contain:
>
Values, properties
>
Functions
>
Operators
>
Indicators
List of operators
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List of operators
Most of the operators listed in this section are the same as those used in InfoVista
Server.
For all operators specific to the event management, refer to the chapter Handling
events in VistaMart.
WARNING Operator names are case-sensitive.
"Conditional operators" on page 213

"Basic arithmetic operators" on page 215
"Advanced arithmetic operators" on page 217
"Reduction operators" on page 219
"Miscellaneous operators" on page 222
"Temporal operators" on page 224
List of operators
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Conditional operators
Conditional operators take an action or select a value if a specific condition is true.
> "< (less than)"
> ">= (greater than or equals to)"
> "<= (less than or equals to)"
> "and"
> "<> (within)"
> "not"
> "= (equals)"
> "or"
> "> (greater than)"
< (less than)

Type
Conditional Function
Parameters
expression1 < expression2
<= (less than or equals to)

Type
Parameters
expression1 <= expression2
Type
Parameters
expression1 <> expression2
Type
<> (within)
= (equals)
Parameters
expression1 = expression2
> (greater than)

Type
Parameters
expression1 > expression2
>= (greater than or equals to)

Type
Parameters
expression1 >= expression2
Type
Conditional Operator
Parameters
condition1 and condition2
and
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not
Type
Conditional operator
Parameters
condition1 not condition2
Type
Conditional Operator
Parameters
condition1 or condition2
or
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Basic arithmetic operators

These operators enable you to perform mathematical operations in a Formula.
> "% (modulo)"
> "- (subtract)"
> "* (multiply)"
> "/ (divide)"
> "+ (add)"
> "^ (power)"
% (modulo) It divides the values of two expressions and returns the remainder.
Type
Function
Reduction
false
Parameters
expression1 % expression2
EXAMPLE
floor ((Timer % 3600)/60)

If Timer is an Indicator which returns a number of seconds, this fFormula
allows you to calculate the number of minutes. If the Timer Indicator = 9024,
the remainder after dividing by 3600 = 1824. 1824 divided by 60 = 30.4.
The floor() operator converts this value to an integer by rounding down. The
result is therefore 30 minutes.
* (multiply) It multiplies the values of two expressions.
+ (add)
Type
Function
Reduction
false
Parameters
expression1 * expression2
This operator adds the values of two expressions.

Type
Function
Reduction
false
Parameters
expression1 + expression2
- (subtract) This operator subtracts the values of two expressions.

Type
Function
Reduction
false
Parameters
expression1 - expression2
EXAMPLE
TotalTraffic[ifIndex] - TrafficErrors[ifIndex]
This example uses two user-created Indicators (TotalTraffic and
TrafficErrors) to calculate the total traffic correctly sent or received.
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/ (divide) The operator divides the value of expression1 by the value of expression2.
Type
Function
Reduction
false
Parameters
expression1 / expression2
EXAMPLE
100 * 8 * (ifInOctets[ifIndex] + ifOutOctets[ifIndex]) /

ifSpeed[ifIndex]
This expression calculates interface bandwidth usage.
^ (power) The operator ^ raises expression 1 to the power of expression 2.

Type
Function
Reduction
false
Parameters
expression ^ expression2
If power is null, the result is 1 and if power is negative and expression is null, the
result is #undefined.
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Advanced arithmetic operators

These operators enable you to perform mathematical operations in a Formula.
abs()
> "abs()"
> "log()"
> "ceil()"
> "pow()"
> "floor()"
> "rint()"
> "ln()"
> "sqrt()"
This operator returns the absolute value of the submitted expression.

Type
Function
Parameters
abs (expression)
EXAMPLE
abs (traffic1 - traffic2)

This expression always gives a positive result for the difference between the
two traffic values.
ceil()
This operator returns the smallest (closest to negative infinity) value that is greater
than or equal to the expression and is equal to a mathematical integer.
Type
Function
Parameters
EXAMPLE
ceil(expression)
ceil ((Timer)/60)
If the indicator Timer returns the connection time (in seconds) and the
customer is billed by increments of 1 minute, the operator returns the total
number of minutes taken into account.
See also the operator rint().
floor()
This operator returns the largest (closest to positive infinity) value that is smaller than
or equal to the expression and is equal to a mathematical integer.
Type
Function
Parameters
EXAMPLE
floor ( expression)
floor ((Timer % 3600)/60)

If Timer is an Indicator which returns a number of seconds, this formula allows
you to calculate the number of minutes. If the Timer Indicator = 9024, the
remainder after dividing by 3600 = 1824. 1824 divided by 60 = 30.4.
The floor() operator converts this value to an integer by rounding down. The
result is therefore 30 minutes.
List of operators
VistaMart 4.0
ln()
This operator calculates the natural logarithm of the expression (Indicator, Property...)
Type
Function
Parameters
ln (expression)
EXAMPLE
log()
ln('my_float_indicator')
This operator calculates the logarithm of the expression (Indicator, Property...)

Type
Function
Parameters
log (expression)
EXAMPLE
pow()
218
log('my_float_indicator')
This operator returns the value of the first argument raised to the power of the second
argument.
Type
Function
Parameters
pow ( expression1, expression2)
Both operators pow() and ^ are identical.
rint()
This operator returns the integer value of the submitted expression. According to the
decimal part of the value, the returned value is either rounded down or rouded up (the
decimal part is compared to 0.5).
Type
Function
Parameters
rint ( expression)
EXAMPLE
rint ((Timer)/60)
The indicator Timer returns the connection time (in seconds) and the system
calculates the equivalent duration in minutes:
Timer = 318s, that is 5min (318 / 60 = 5.3).
Timer = 341s, that is 6min (341 / 60 = 5.6833)
See also the operators ceil() and floor().
sqrt()
(where expression is a numerical expression). The operator returns the square root
of the expression. If the expression is negative, the result is undefined.
Type
Function
Parameters
sqrt (expression)
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Reduction operators
A reduction operation can be defined as an operation on:
count()
>
a dimension 1 indicator (a table) , i.e. the operation takes into account all the
individual values of the indicator,
>
several indicators submitted in a list.
> "count()"
> "max()"
> "countin()"
> "mean()"
> "countless()"
> "min()"
> "countlessorequal()"
> "stddev()"
> "countmore ()"
> "sum()"
> "countmoreorequal()"
> "variance()"
This operator counts the number of values contained in the submitted indicator. The
Indicator should have a dimension 1 (table).
It also supports count(isnull(indicator[,defautvalue]))
countin()
Type
Function
Parameters
count ( indicator)
This operator counts the number of values contained in the submitted indicator, which
satisfy the conditions value <= threshold min and value <= threshold max. The
Indicator should have a dimension 1 (table).
Type
Function
Parameters
countin ( indicator, threshold min, threshold max)
countless() This operator counts the number of values contained in the submitted indicator, which
are smaller than a threshold. The Indicator should have a dimension 1 (table).
It supports also countless(isnull(indicator[,defautvalue]),threshold)
Type
Function
Parameters
countless ( indicator, threshold)
countlessorequal() This operator counts the number of values contained in the submitted
indicator, which are less or equal than a threshold. The Indicator should have a
dimension 1 (table).
It supports also countlessorequal(isnull(indicator[,defautvalue]),threshold)
Type
Function
Parameters
countlessorequal ( indicator, threshold)
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countmore () This operator counts the number of values contained in the submitted indicator,
which are higher than a threshold. The Indicator should have a dimension 1 (table).
It supports also countmore (isnull(indicator[,defautvalue]),threshold)
Type
Function
Parameters
countmore ( indicator, threshold)
countmoreorequal() This operator counts the number of values contained in the submitted
indicator which are higher or equal to a threshold. The Indicator should have a
dimension 1 (table).
It supports also countmoreorequal(isnull(indicator[,defautvalue]),threshold)
max()
Type
Function
Parameters
countmoreorequal ( indicator, threshold)
The operator returns the highest expression out of a list of submitted expressions.
You can have 1 to n expressions.
This operator supports scalar expressions and dimension 1 (table) expressions.
When a dimension 1 expression is submitted, the system processes its values as per
individual scalars.
mean()
Type
Function
Parameters
max (expression1, expression2, expression n, ...)
This operator returns the mean value of all the expressions submitted in a list. You
can have 1 to n expressions.
individual scalars.
min()
Type
Function
Parameters
mean (expression1, expression2, expression n, ...)
This operator returns the smallest expression out of a list of submitted expressions.
individual scalars.
Type
Function
Parameters
min (expression1, expression2, expression n, ...)
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stddev()
221
This operator returns the standard deviation of all the expressions submitted in a list.
individual scalars.
sum()
Type
Function
Parameters
stddev(expression1, expression2, expression n,...)
The operator returns the sum of all the expressions submitted in a list. You can have
1 to n expressions.
individual scalars.
Type
Function
Parameters
sum(expression1, expression2, expression n,...)
variance() The operator returns the variance (square of standard deviation) of all the
expressions submitted in a list. You can have 1 to n expressions.
individual scalars.
Type
Function
Parameters
variance ( expression1, expression2, exptression n, ...)
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Miscellaneous operators
This category of operators regroups various types of operators used in Formulas.
> "currenttime()"
> "isnull()"
> "now()"
> "random()"
currenttime() This operator returns the timestamp of the currently computed value. The time is
returned in ms starting from 01/01/1970.
isnull()
Type
Function
Parameters
currentime()
This operator normally returns an expression which contains the values of

expression1 except if any value is invalid within expression1 (An invalid value is one
of the undefined data states).
In this case, you can:
>
remove the invalid value(s) from the expression. Do not specify expression2. or,
>
replace the invalid value(s) with a valid one. You specify expression2.
The isnull() operator is typically used before a mean or a sum operator to avoid
an undefined result if one value of the original expression is invalid.
Type
Function
Parameters
isnull (expression1 [,expression2])
expression2 is optional.
EXAMPLE
mean (isnull (actSrc, actDst))

This expression removes any bad values from the submitted acSrc list by
acDst before applying the mean() operator.
now()
This operator returns the number of seconds since 01/01/1970.

Type
Function
Parameters
now ()
EXAMPLE
now() - sysUpTime.
This example calculates the system boot date. To display a readable date,
use the Float to Timestamp mode on the associated Format object. For
accurate returns, use only derived Indicators in the Formula.
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VistaMart 4.0
random()
223
Returns a random float number between 0.0 and 1.0

Type
Function
Parameters
random ()
EXAMPLE
40 + 60 * random()
Returns a random number between 40 and 100.
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Temporal operators
Temporal operators perform data aggregation over time (temporal aggregation).
Expressions using temporal operators return a single value for a display rate.
> "lstrend()"
> "timetothresholdupex()"
> "lstrendt()"
> "percentile()"
> "offset()"
> "percentilex()"
> "timetothresholddown()"
> "sabaselineday()"
> "timetothresholdup()"
> "sabaselineweek()"
> "timetothresholddownex()"
lstrend()
This operator returns the estimated value for the submitted indicator, over p periods,
by using the n most recent indicators values in input.
The system normally starts the calculation as soon as n/2 points are available.
However, you can force calculation if the sample number is less than n/2 by setting
the parameter BestEffort to 1.
This operator is based on the linear regression algorithm. Linear regression is a
mathematical optimization technique that attempts to find a best fit to a set of data
by minimizing as much as possible the sum of the squares of the ordinate differences
(called residuals) between the fitted function and the data.
Type
Function
Parameters
lsTrend ( indicator, p, n, BestEffort)

where p and n are constants and 1 <= n <= 32.
>
The Indicator containing lsTrend() operator must be a non-consolidated derived

Indicator (i.e. the aggregation attribute on the Indicator must = none).
>
Parameter p can be a constant or a Property.
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lstrendt() This operator returns the numbers of periods before the Indicators value reaches the
threshold v, assuming a linear evolution in the most recent n values.
Type
Function
Parameters
lstrendt ( indicator, n, v)
n is a positive constant, and 1 <= n <= 32.
offset()
>
The Indicator containing lsTrendt() operator must be a non-consolidated derived

Indicator (i.e. the aggregation attribute on the Indicator must = none.
>
The threshold can be a constant or a Property.
This operator returns the indicators value calculated n periods ago. In other words, it
provides the value of the Indicator at some time in the past. The first argument of this
operator must be a single Indicator.
Type
Function
Parameters
offset ( Indicator, n)
n is a positive constant.
EXAMPLE
offset (Traffic, 14)

If the display rate = 1 day, offset returns the value of the traffic 14 days ago.
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timetothresholddown() Returns the number of periods before reaching the lower threshold v.
This assumes linear evolution; as per both lstrend() and lstrendt() operators, the
timetothresholddown operator is based upon the linear regression algorithm, where:
>
The number of samples used to compute the regression is a function of the

Display Rate, as displayed below.
>
The computed value must fall within a defined number of periods (visibility), as
displayed below. Otherwise, the system returns the infinite (that is, value =
123456789).
Display rate
Number of samples
Visibility (# of periods)
Yearly
12
24 (24 years)
Quaterly
12
24 (6 years)
Monthly
12
24 (2 years)
Weekly
13
26 (6 months)
Daily
30
90 (3 months)
Hourly
24
72 (3 days)
30min
24
72 (36 hours)
15min
12
24 (6 hours)
10min
12
24 (4 hours)
5min
12
24 (2 hours)
Type
Function
Parameters
timetothresholddown ( indicator, v)
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timetothresholdup() Returns the number of periods before reaching the upper threshold v. This
assumes linear evolution; as per both lstrend() and lstrendt() operators, the
timetothresholdup operator is based upon the linear regression algorithm, where:
>
The number of samples used to compute the regression is a function of the

Display Rate, as displayed below.
>
The computed value must fall within a defined number of periods (visibility), as
displayed below. Otherwise, the system returns the infinite (that is, value =
123456789).
Display rate
Number of samples
Visibility (# of periods)
Yearly
12
24 (24 years)
Quaterly
12
24 (6 years)
Monthly
12
24 (2 years)
Weekly
13
26 (6 months)
Daily
30
90 (3 months)
Hourly
24
72 (3 days)
30min
24
72 (36 hours)
15min
12
24 (6 hours)
10min
12
24 (4 hours)
5min
12
24 (2 hours)
Type
Function
Parameters
timetothresholdup ( indicator, v)
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timetothresholddownex() Returns the number of periods before reaching the lower threshold v
using a user-specified number of past data points n and a defined maximum visibility.
This assumes linear evolution.
Both timetothrsholddown() and timetothresholddownex() are similar. For the latest
one, you define both data samples and visibility upon your convenience.
Type
Function
Parameters
timetothresholddownex ( indicator, visibility, n, v)
timetothresholdupex() Returns the number of periods before reaching the upper threshold v
using a user-specified number of past data points n and a defined maximum visibility.
This assumes linear evolution.
Both timetothrsholdup() and timetothresholdupex() are similar. For the latest one,
you define both data samples and visibility upon your convenience.
Type
Function
Parameters
timetothresholdupex ( indicator, visibility, n, v)
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percentile() Returns the value of the k th percentile of the n samples collected for the defined
display period. This period is a mandatory fixed expression.
If a period is defined, it must be >= acquisition rate and < display rate.
Type
Function
Parameters
percentile ( Indicator, k, period)
> k is a float constant between 0 and 1

> The period is a fixed expression you select from the list:
5min| 10min| 15min| 30min| Hourly| Daily| Weekly| Monthly| Quaterly| Yearly.
> The period must be > display rate.
For each of periods, the system sorts the n samples by increasing order before
returning the (k*n) th value, that is, it drops all the highest values.
If (k*n) is not a whole number, the system returns the value of the next lowest sample.
This operator may only contain Indicators (not an expression). The Indicator
containing the percentile operator must be a non-consolidated derived Indicator (the
Indicator Aggregation attribute must be set = None).
EXAMPLE
percentile (Traffic, 0.84, Hourly))

A 5min display rate provides 12 samples/s. The 84th percentile corresponds
to the 10th highest value (12*0.84 = 10.08) measured over a 1-hour period, as
illustrated below.
This expression returns the 10th value. In other words it returns the maximum
value measured over the period, after dropping the top 16% values (that is,
both 11th &nd 12th values).
This operator is useful for billing. Often the billing process for bandwidth consists in
discarding the 5% highest samples (on the grounds that they represent spikes and
not permanent bandwidth usage) and then using the maximum value of the remaining
samples as the billing rate for the customer.
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percentilex() This operator performs the same function as percentile(). However, if (k*n) is not a
whole number, the system interpolates a value for the k th percentile.
Type
Function
Parameters
percentilex ( Indicator, k, period)
> k is a float constant between 0 and 1

> The period is a fixed expression you select from the list
5min| 10min| 15min| 30min| Hourly| Daily| Weekly| Monthly| Quaterly| Yearly.
> The period must be > display rate
INTERNAL OPERATION Suppose k*n = i.d where i.d is a decimal number, i is the integer
part and d is the decimal part. The value of the k th percentile is calculated as:
value[ith sample] +.d * (value[(i + 1)th sample] - value[ith sample])
EXAMPLE
percentilex (Traffic, 0.84, Hourly)

This example shows how the percentile() and percentilex() operators may
give significantly different results when applied to a small number of samples.
The difference becomes less significant as the number of samples increases.
The example shows that the percentile() operator is less favorable for billing.
Display rate = 5min and Period = Hourly (Therefore number of samples = 12), with k
= 0.84.
Sorted values of Traffic measured over the addressed period:
percentile(Traffic, 0.84, Hourly) = 4

percentilex(Traffic, 0.84, Hourly) = 4.48
k * n = 0.84 * 12 = 10.08, therefore 4 is returned for the percentile (10th value).
4 + 0.08 *(10 - 4) = 4.48 is returned for the percentilex.
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sabaselineday() Generates a daily baseline graph that is consolidated over n days. This is a
reference graph showing the average daily variation of an Indicator.
The sabaselineday operator calculates each data point (including the last point) by
averaging the Indicator values taken at the same time on each n previous days.
Type
Function
Parameters
sabaselineday ( indicator, n)
The constant n is the number of samples to be integrated in the
calculation.
n is not dependent on acquisition rates.
This expression generates a graph of the following type:
This operator can only contain Indicators (not expressions).
An Indicator containing saBaselineDay() must be non-consolidated.
Display Rate < 1 day.

EXAMPLE
saBaselineDay (Traffic, 3)
The baseline operator calculates a baseline value at each display period,
based on the average values of Traffic, over the last 3 days. The baseline
Indicator must be a non-consolidated Indicator (aggregation is applied to
the values of Traffic).
sabaselineweek() Generates a weekly baseline graph that is consolidated over n weeks. This is a
reference graph showing the average weekly variation of an Indicator.
The sabaselineweek operator calculates each data point (including the last point) by
averaging the Indicator values taken at the same time on each n previous weeks.
Type
Function
Parameters
sabaselineweek ( indicator, n)
The constant n is the number of samples to be integrated in the
calculation.
n is not dependent on acquisition rates.
This operator can only contain Indicators (not expressions).
An Indicator containing sabaselineweek() must be non-consolidated.
Display Rate < 1 week.
A Rule user cases

This appendix provides a series of individual Rule data sheets which address typical
user cases.
Each data sheets includes a synthetic analysis of the Rule context and construction,
so as to enable you to adapt it according to your own needs and context.
See:
Duplicate Property from Basic to Proxies on page 233
Feed Groups with Members on page 235
Start Reports according to Agent Vendor on page 237
232
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Duplicate Property from Basic to Proxies
233

Context
VistaPortal uses the Property values (e.g. Customer Property) as filtering criteria for
generating advanced reports.
We have merged a topology file (containing Instance details) with the raw topology the basic Property values are now updated. We want to propagate a Property value
(e.g. Customer Property) from all basic Instances to each of their respective proxy
Instances.
Input and Analysis

T
Condition:
1 We apply a Rule only to Instances belonging to the Interface Vista.
Actions when condition is met:

1 We grab the Customer Property value from the Common Vista of the parent basic
Instance.
2 We apply the value to the Customer as is to the Customer Property.
User Guide - Appendix A
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Syntax
Tips
The following alternative allows you to apply the Rule only to proxies of routers. It
reads as follows:
Select the Instances whose basic parent belongs to the router Vista.
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Feed Groups with Members
235

Context
We need to assign Basic Server Instances to distinct Instance groups according to

their respective Operating System.
For each server, the OS Name Property value is available as a string which includes
both OS type and version (e.g. Solaris 2.8, Windows 2000, Windows 2003).
For each addressed Operating System, the target group Instance has been initially
provisioned.
Input and Analysis

T
Condition:
1 We apply the Rule only to the Instances belonging to the Server Vista.
Actions:
1 From the OS Name Property string value, we extract all words as substrings. (We
apply a regular expression pattern to the submitted string).
The substrings are extracted to an array (e.g. OS).
2 We add the server Instance to the relevant group. The value of the first array (OS)
position is assigned to the Group tag.
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Syntax
Tips
Carefully define your group names in such a way that they can easily match all the
potential substrings that the regular expression extracts. This precaution may
dramatically simplify the Rule syntax and construction.
When using a Match condition (regular expression), make sure that you use the
same array in both the condition and action.
Rule user cases
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Start Reports according to Agent Vendor
237

Context
The topology includes different types of routers. We want to start specific InfoVista
reports for all Cisco and Juniper routers.
Input and Analysis

We need two similar Rules which specifically address the Cisco and Juniper contexts,
with different priorities.
Each individual Rule is structured as follows:
T
Conditions:
1 We apply the Rule only when:
The Instance belongs to the Router Vista,
The Agent Vendor Property value includes the string Cisco (Juniper).
Actions when conditions are met:

1 We define the report name which is composed of the Instance name and the
Report Template name:
The Instance name is retrieved from the Instance name attribute.
We use a constant string (_) as a separator.
The Report Template name is retrieved from the Template name attribute.
2 We start the Cisco (Juniper) Router report (display rate: 15 mn)
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Syntax
Rule user cases
B XML Topology files examples

This section includes a series of typical XML examples which describe different
methods for configuring the external topology files.
See:
Example #1 - Topology file defining Instances on page 240
Example #2 - Topology file defining groups on page 241
Example #3 - Defining proxies on page 242
Example #4 - Defining group contents on page 243
Example #5 - Instance defined with several Vistas on page 244
239
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Example #1 - Topology file defining Instances
240
Example #1 - Topology file defining Instances

The following topology file contains basic Instances, which will be imported in a
routers Zone:

<?xml version=1.0 encoding=UTF-8 standalone=yes?>
<ADResult = Seq=-1>
<Instances>
<Instance Tag=RT HQ01RT01 194.98.138.255" Name=RT HQ01RT01>
<Vista Name=Router/>
<PropertyValue VistaName=IpNode Name=ip Value=194.98.138.255/>
<PropertyValue VistaName=MacNode Name=mac Value=00027E23C48C/>
<PropertyValue VistaName=SnmpNode Name=Agent Vendor Value=Cisco/>
</Instance>
<PropertyValue VistaName=MacNode Name=mac Value=00028E2FC48D/>
<PropertyValue VistaName=SnmpNode Name=Agent Vendor Value=Cisco/>
</Instance>
</Instances>
<Links/>
<Subnets/>
</ADResult>
User Guide - Appendix B
VistaMart 4.0
Example #2 - Topology file defining groups
241
Example #2 - Topology file defining groups

The following topology file contains group Instances, to be loaded in a specific Zone:

<ADResult = Seq=-1>
<Instances>
<Instance Tag=Europe VistaName=VistaMartGroup></Instance>
<Instance Tag=UK VistaName=VistaMartGroup></Instance>
<Instance Tag=France VistaName=VistaMartGroup></Instance>
</Instances>
<Links/>
<Subnets/>
</ADResult>
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Example #3 - Defining proxies
242
Example #3 - Defining proxies

Both following topology files are similar. They illustrate two different ways for defining
proxy Instances related to basics.
Basic/Proxy definition syntax 1, Embedded proxies

<ADResult = Seq=-1>
<Instances>
<Instance Tag=RT HQ01RT01 194.98.138.255" VistaName=Router>>
<Instance Tag=LAN RT HQ01RT01 VLAN24 4" VistaName=LAN Interface>
<PropertyValue VistaName=Interface Name=Interface Index Value=4/>
</Instance>
</Instance>
</Instances>
<Links/>
<Subnets/>
</ADResult>
Basic/Proxy definition syntax 2, separate blocks

<ADResult = Seq=-1>
<Instances>
<Instance Tag=RT HQ01RT01 194.98.138.255" VistaName=Router>>
</Instance>
<Instance Tag=LAN RT HQ01RT01 VLAN24 4" VistaName=LAN Interface>
<PropertyValue VistaName=Interface Name=Interface Index Value=4/>
<Basic Tag=RT HQ01RT01 194.98.138.255"/>
</Instance>
</Instances>
<Links/>
<Subnets/>
</ADResult>
NOTE
During Change Management, proxy Instances cannot be moved from their

parent basic to a different basic.
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Example #4 - Defining group contents
243
Example #4 - Defining group contents

The following topology file contains new routers which will also populate the routers
Zone (Example #1) and which will be members of the groups defined in example #3.
Note that an Instance can be a member of several groups.

<ADResult = Seq=-1>
<Instances>
<Instance Tag=RT HQ01RT03 194.98.138.250">
<PropertyValue VistaName=Common Name=MemberOfGroup Value=Europe/>
<PropertyValue VistaName=Common Name=MemberOfGroup Value=UK/>
</Instance>
<Instance Tag=RT HQ01RT03 194.98.138.249">
<PropertyValue VistaName=Common Name=MemberOfGroup Value=Europe/>
<PropertyValue VistaName=Common Name=MemberOfGroup Value=France/>
</Instance>
</Instances>
<Links/>
<Subnets/>
</ADResult>
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Example #5 - Instance defined with several Vistas
244
Example #5 - Instance defined with several Vistas

The following topology file illustrates the multi Vista support case.

<ADResult = Seq=-1>
<Instances>
<Vista Name=VPN_Qantas/>
<PropertyValue VistaName=VPN_Qantas Name=priority Value=3/>
</Instance>
</Instances>
<Links/>
<Subnets/>
</ADResult>
C Glossary of terms
This section provides definitions for terms that you commonly encounter when
working with VistaMart and/or InfoVista Server.
245
246
InfoVista Server 4.0
Term
Definition
access list
Defines the user access to reports. When you create a report, it is

initially defined as public (the scope attribute is set to public). This
means that all other users can access the report. To prevent other
users from accessing single/group Reports, set scope to private.
acquisition rate
The sampling rate that determines how often InfoVista Server

collects data for the Indicators used in the graph.
agent
A program that gathers information or performs some other

service without your immediate presence and on some regular
schedule. Typically, an agent program, using parameters which
you provide, gathers information that you require and presents it
to you on a daily or other periodic basis.
aggregation
When the display rate is greater than the acquisition rate, each
data point on a graph is the result of aggregating the collected
data. Data aggregation involves three major functions:
> aggregation specifies how to aggregate the calculated values

(an mean function, a max function, etc.)
> consolidation specifies where the aggregation is applied if one

or more Formulas are used to calculate the displayed values
(aggregation before or after the Formulas).
> recovery specifies how to aggregate data if polled data is not

complete (for example, network delays can cause some polls to
remain unanswered).
alert
A message to VistaCockpit that comes from another

VistaFoundation product to signal an anomaly and triggers a chain
of remedial actions (an alert workflow).
availability
In a network system, availability is the accessibility of input and

output ports or IT devices.
bandwidth
data transfer rate - the amount of data that can be carried from
one point to another in a given time period (usually a second).
This kind of bandwidth is usually expressed in bits (of data) per
second (bps).
BPI
The purpose of using base performance Indicators is to calculate

performance values for IT elements that are vendor-independent.
values for IT elements that are vendor-independent. This generic
approach allows the system to choose the most appropriate
calculations for a specific type of device and/or technology (for
example, the utilization measured for a router is not calculated in
the same way as the utilization of a LAN segment). Therefore,
these Indicators are designed to be as broad as possible to cover
the widest base of vendors for any particular technology.
Administration Guide - Appendix C
Glossary of terms
247
Term
Definition
browser
A service that provides an InfoVista client with any data which is

committed in the ObjectStore database. Committed data is data
which has been acquired and computed in the database since the
last commit time. This does not include data stored in the cache
which remains accessible only to the Collector. The Browser
relieves the load on the Collector by acting as a data server for
such applications as VistaPortal SE and VistaMart. This means
that the Collector can concentrate on data calculation and storage.
calendar
This object specifies the periods when calculation of an Indicator

is not required, for example during weekends or holiday shutdown
periods. The Indicator values are set to Calendar for these
periods. The Calendar is mapped to an Indicator using the
Calendar attribute at Indicator level. Every Calendar consists of a
Week plan and a Days off list. They define the periods when
Indicator values are not required.
capability
Capability is an expression given to properties available on

monitored network resources. The capabilities define the type of
reports that VistaMart must start for the corresponding instance.
chunk (of events)
A large group of events (up to several megabytes) that the

InfoVista Server forwards to VistaMart. Each chunk goes out as an
individual HTTP call.
codec
an acronym for coder/decoder. This type of codec combines

analog-to-digital conversion and digital-to-analog conversion
functions in a single chip. In personal and business computing
applications, the most common use for such a device is in a
modem.
collector
An InfoVista service responsible for collecting data, calculating the

Indicators and storing the results. This data is collected over a
period of time specified by the lifetime of each Report. It may be
as short as a few minutes or as long as a few years.
connectivity
The interconnection of system devices and applications via ports

and protocols
Glossary of terms
248
Term
Definition
data mart, data

warehouse
A data mart is a repository of data gathered from operational data

and/or other sources designed to serve a particular community of
knowledge workers. In scope, the data may derive from an
enterprise-wide database or data warehouse.
The emphasis of a data mart is to meet the specific demands of a
specific group of knowledge users in terms of analysis, contents,
presentation, and ease-of-use. In practice, the terms 'data mart'
and 'data warehouse' are often complementary in many ways. In
general, the design of a data mart tends to start from an analysis
of user needs, while a data warehouse tends to start from an
analysis of existing data and how to collect it for later use.
A data warehouse is a central aggregation of data (which can be
distributed physically); a data mart is a data repository that may
derive from a data warehouse and emphasizes ease of access and
usability for a particular purpose.
In general, a data warehouse tends to be a strategic but somewhat
theoretical concept; a data mart tends to be tactical and aims at
meeting an immediate need. VistaMart would lean towards the
data mart model.
disk
Part of a unit, often called a disk drive, hard drive, or hard disk
drive, that stores and provides relatively quick access to large
amounts of data on the computer.
digest access
authentication
One of the agreed methods a web page can use to negotiate

credentials with a web user (using the HTTP protocol). This
method builds upon (and obsoletes) the basic authentication
scheme, allowing user identity to be established without having to
send a password in plaintext over the network.
display rate
The frequency at which data points show up on the graph (i.e.

every fifteen minutes, etc.)
drill-down
Links between reports that you can use to access one report from
another report. This feature provides more detailed information
about the monitored resources.
encryption
a network security process that applies encryption services at the

network transfer layer - above the data link level, but below the
application level. Network encryption is invisible to the end user
and data is encrypted only while in transit, existing as plain text on
the originating and receiving hosts.
end-to-end
refers to a logical connection between two network items (ends)

such as two interfaces. An end-to-end element is defined as an
assisted resource. It establishes a relationship between two
elements in the network. This involves a request sent from the first
element (source) to the second element (destination).
Glossary of terms
249
Term
Definition
enumeration
In mathematics and theoretical computer science, an enumeration

of a set is a either a procedure for listing all members of the set in
some definite sequence, or a count of objects of a specified kind.
The two kinds of enumeration often, but not always, overlap.
environment variable
An environment variable defines some aspect of a specific user or

a program environment that can vary. Generally set during the
login procedure, environment variables are used across multiple
languages and operating systems to provide information to
applications that may be specific to the user request.
event
A message from a VistaFoundation product that signals an

unexpected or unacceptable condition (such as a threshold
violation) and gets logged in VistaCockpit. Unlike an 'alert', and
does not trigger a workflow of remedial tasks.
hotfix
code (sometimes called a patch) that fixes a coding error in a

software.
expression
Expressions are the central logic of Indicators. They are attributes

of Formulas, which in turn are attributes of the Indicator.
An Expression can contain: MIB variables, constants or variables,
properties, and logical operators
file system
the way in which files are named and where they are placed
logically for storage and retrieval.
filter
a program or section of code that is designed to examine each

input or output request for certain qualifying criteria and then
process or forward it accordingly. A filter is pass-through code that
takes input data, makes some specific decision about it, and
passes it on to another program in a kind of pipeline. Usually, a
filter does no input/output operation on its own.
formula
A mathematical expression used to calculate an Indicator, which

can contain:
> Indicators (but not both in the same expression)

> Variables or
> Parameters
> Properties
> Operators
> Constants
global variable
A Global Variable defines a value which, when modified, changes

all attributes which have this value.
An example of Global Variable is a minimum report display rate. If
it is set to 15 minutes as a Global Variable in one Library, all Rules
using this Library will take the value. Therefore, you do not have to
change each Rule individually if this value changes.
Glossary of terms
250
Term
Definition
graph
An object that represents a real working graph (a histogram, a pie

chart, a table, etc.) that displays a set of Indicators for one or more
Instances.
harvester
A legacy connector in the forwarding mechanism that works as an

active thread to poll the event queue table to guarantee that
legacy applications work without modification.
help system
a documentation component of a software program that explains

the features of the program and helps the user understand its
capabilities.
indicator
An indicator is a measurement that can be made for a resource.
instance
An Instance is a representation of a monitored IT resource, as

seen by the data collection engine that gathers status and
performance data.
An Instance comes with a property sheet (or an identification
card) indicating its name, description, and property values. It also
names the Vista to which the monitored resource belongs.
You create an Instance for each IT element that you want to
monitor using the appropriate Vista. Example: If you want to
monitor a Cisco router, you create a router Instance from the Vista
Router with a name (ex. Router Alpha), a description (ex. Cisco),
and a property value (ex. IP address 164.59.13.75.)
instance (basic)
represents a physical IT resource (for example a router). It is

created from a Basic Vista. A basic Instance can provide
information on itself using its MIB.
instance (proxy)
represents a logical IT resource (for example a WAN interface). A

proxy Instance contains the type and characteristics of the basic
Instance to which it is associated (in this case, the router). By
definition, a logical resource cannot provide information on itself
and depends on a proxy to do this on its behalf. Hence, a WAN
interface is a proxy Instance of the basic router instance.
instance (group)
An instance which comprises a group of related instances. This

can be a group of identical equipment such as routers,
applications in a cluster, or disparate instances located in a
common geographical zone, etc.
A group instance is primarily defined by all the members it
federates. Its properties and indicators are defined and calculated
on the basis of its members respective indicators.
According to its characteristics, a basic Instance may be a
member of several groups. This means that group instances may
overlap within a given topology.
Glossary of terms
251
Term
Definition
IP Telephony
(Internet Protocol telephony) General term for the technologies

that use the Internet Protocol's packet-switched connections to
exchange voice, fax, and other forms of information that have
traditionally been carried over the dedicated circuit-switched
connections of the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
failover
Failover is a backup operational mode in which the functions of a

system component (such as a processor, server, network, or
database, for example) are assumed by secondary system
components when the primary component becomes unavailable
through either failure or scheduled down time.
ivcmd
The command line interface for InfoVista Server
ivreport
The client graphic interface for InfoVista Server
jitter
Variations in packet arrival time.
KPI
KPIs are Indicators and therefore they are essentially

measurements like other indicators. The difference is that they
depend on other lower level Indicators, which derive from other
base Indicators to calculate their values.
KPIs are dependent on the resources for which you design them.
For Instance, the KPI Horsepower in the Servers solution is a
Property value that returns the processors power as defined by
industry standards.
latency
An expression of how much time it takes for a packet of data to get

from one designated point to another.
library - InfoVista
Also known as a VistaView, the Library represents a package of

objects created by the user and organized and used for any
purpose the user chooses. For example, one library might contain
objects that model frame relay networks or Compaq servers or
Oracle databases etc. InfoVista libraries are imported or exported
to or from one VistaMart database to another.
library - VistaMart
VistaMart Libraries contain the same range of objects as InfoVista

Libraries. They differ from these Libraries in that they:
> generally handle lower-frequency data points (although you can

start slots at high-frequency intervals if required)
> handle only scalar, numeric, and trap indicator values

> contain rules used to define which reports/slots to start and
properties to update
> do not contain report templates

VistaMart Libraries can be customized using the VistaMart
Inventory Manager (unlike InfoVista Libraries). You can add new
indicators and properties to VistaMart libraries. Libraries can also
be exported from one VistaMart database to another.
Glossary of terms
252
Term
Definition
license key
Each InfoVista Server is protected by a license key. This key

allows you to install the server and use it for a period of time that
depends on the type of key. It is linked to the MAC address of the
InfoVista Server system.
lifetime
This setting determines the amount of time that InfoVista Server

keeps raw data before it overwrites it with new data (all expired
data get purged). The value for this setting generally takes into
account the Report Template display rate.
link - VistaMart
Links are a means to associate two Instances. This is useful for

integration with the VistaPortal Service Level Navigator. To
confirm whether SLN still exists in 4.0.
load balancing
Dividing the amount of work that a computer has to do between

two or more computers so that more work gets done in the same
amount of time and, in general, all users get served faster. Load
balancing can be implemented with hardware, software, or a
combination of both.
lookup (IVCmd only)
This object represents the internal lookup table used by the

system to resolve an indirect Parameter reference in a Formula. It
is a read-only object used primarily for troubleshooting purposes.
There is one Lookup for a given Instance-Variable pair. It shows
the lookup values currently used to resolve the indirect Parameter
references specified at Formula level for this pair.
manager (InfoVista)
An InfoVista service responsible for maintaining the InfoVista

object model. This model represents the resources in your IS
which InfoVista monitors, the Indicators it calculates, and the
Reports it generates.
The Manager has its own database file: manager.db. It contains
the data which represent InfoVistas added value to your company.
Back it up regularly if it is often modified.
metric
The measurement of a particular characteristic of a program's

performance or efficiency. In InfoVista lingo, a metric is a
container of indicators whose values appear in a graph.
mib
A management information base (MIB) is a formal description of a

set of network objects that can be managed using the Simple
Network Management Protocol (SNMP). The format of the MIB is
defined as part of the SNMP. MIB-I refers to the initial MIB
definition; MIB-II refers to the current definition. SNMPv2 includes
MIB-II and adds some new objects.
middleware
A general term for any programming that serves to glue together

or mediate between two separate and often already existing
programs.
Glossary of terms
253
Term
Definition
migration
The process of moving from one environment to another

environment which can involve moving to new hardware, new
software, or both. Migration can be small-scale, such as migrating
a single system, or large-scale, involving many systems, new
applications, or a redesigned network.
model
a coherent and logical structure that defines all the objects that
may exist in an IT infrastructure. This structure, or the InfoVista
[Object] Model, organizes these IT objects into functional
categories and establishes the relationships between them.
module
In VistaMart, a module is a container for a set of rules.
operators
Operators are used in formulas to compare or equate values and

in formulas for computation.
patch
A quick-repair job for a piece of programming.
persistence (data)
The storage of data for a certain length of time.
ping
A basic Internet program that allows a user to verify that a

particular IP address exists and can accept requests. Ping is used
diagnostically to ensure that a host computer you are trying to
reach is actually operating.
poller
An informal appellation for a server that polls data, which in this

case the InfoVista Server
port mapper
An InfoVista service (or daemon) that allows you to open a

connection in CORBA and to communicate with the InfoVista
Server using the IVApi, IVCmd, or IVReport.
This service is mandatory for applications and servers to
communicate with each other. The Port Mapper also allows you to
connect to an InfoVista Server Instance using its Instance name.
As its name indicates, the Port Mapper maps the different end
points (Manager, Collector and Browser services).
probe
A program or other device inserted at a key juncture in a network

for the purpose of monitoring or collecting data about network
activity.
process (Unix, Linux) A process is an instance of a program running in a computer. It is

close in meaning to task, a term used in some operating systems.
In Unix and some other operating systems, a process is started
when a program is initiated.
Glossary of terms
254
Term
Definition
property - InfoVista
A defining characteristic or attribute of a Vista. For example the

Vista IP node has the property IP address. A property is
associated with a real (often IS-dependent) value for each
Instance created from the Vista. The real value, associated with a
specific Instance, is represented by a Property Value object.
Some Properties of a Vista are dictated by the type of resource
modeled by the Vista. For example, a Vista designed to monitor
devices in an IP network must have a Property which represents
an IP address as this is an intrinsic Property of any IP device.
Some Properties can be invented according to the type of reports
required.
property value
the specific value of a Property for a specific Instance (for

example, ipAddress=192.192.192.192).
property -VistaMart
Whereas InfoVista Server Properties are polling based,

VistaMart Properties are used to define and manage groups. They
are also intended for VistaPortal presentation purposes.
All Properties you create are automatically part of a VistaMart
library.
protocol
A special set of rules that end points in a telecommunication

connection use when they communicate. Protocols exist at several
levels in a telecommunication connection. For example, there are
protocols for the data interchange at the hardware device level
and protocols for data interchange at the application program
level.
provisioning
A process that feeds the VistaMart central repository with topology

information (gathered from resources on the network), the type of
measurements to compute, and the reporting information (type of
report to start and what data to compute)
proxy move
A VistaMart feature to manage customer inventory that allows the

move of a proxy instance from one basic instance to another basic
instance. For example, it is possible to move a customer interface
from a router to another one without losing VistaMart data.
The activation of this feature requires an appropriate tagging
policy for proxies in VistaDiscovery.
forwarding service internal
A process where the InfoVista Server automatically sends new

incoming data to VistaMart as soon as it becomes available.
forwarding service external
A mechanism that forwards data and events to another (nonVistaMart) customized processing.
QoS
Quality of Service'. The idea that transmission rates, error rates,

and other characteristics can be measured, improved, and, to
some extent, guaranteed in advance.
Glossary of terms
255
Term
Definition
real-time
Communications wherein perceptible delays between the sender

and receiver are minimal and easily tolerated are considered to
take place in real-time. Real-time reports display data collected for
indicators at a specific point in time.
recovery
A process that involves copying backup files from secondary

storage (tape, Zip disk or other backup media) to hard disk.
Recovery is performed in order to return data to its original
condition if files have become damaged.
reference time
The reference time in a report is generally the current time.
report
An object containing one or more graphs, with each graph

displaying a set of Indicators on one or several Instances. The
report object is created by applying Instances to a report template.
report template
defines the general layout of a report and contains the graphs

using the metrics and indicators you developed.
repository
a central place in which a collection of data is kept and maintained

in an organized way and allows a selective extraction of data for
the purpose of computation, analysis, etc.
resource
include physical objects in the IT infrastructure such as a server, a

network device, a network interface, or an application.
resource (logical)
a logical resource such as a LAN or WAN (local or wide area

network)
resource (physical)
a physical resource in the infrastructure, such as a server or a

router,
rule
Rules define the global characteristics of your reporting solution.

They define, for a specific number of instances, all related reports
and slots to create. Note: do not confuse this object with the other
rule object used by InfoVista Servers which defines relationships
between vistas, such as all routers are IP nodes. When a vista
has a rule which refers to another vista, the properties of both
vistas are combined when an instance is created from the original
vista that contains the rule.
SCN # (acronym to
define later)
A unique increasing number attached to each message that goes

out from the InfoVista Server to the VistaMart data forwarding
service (push). This is a tracking number to ensure that the data
forwarding service does not miss any message from the InfoVista
Server.
service level
management
A service level agreement (SLA) is a contract between a network

service provider and a customer that specifies, usually in
measurable terms, what services the network service provider will
furnish. Some metrics for SLAs may include: what percentage of
the time services will be available; the number of users that can be
served simultaneously; specific performance benchmarks to which
actual performance will be periodically compared, etc.
Glossary of terms
256
Term
Definition
signals
Signals are used with InfoVista's command-line interface (IVCmd)

to understand how data is handled by the different layers which
comprise InfoVista software. The output from signals can be used
to analyze and troubleshoot various situations encountered while
running InfoVista Server.
sizing
The sizing exercise gathers inputs necessary to have an

accurately tailored reporting solution according to customer
specifications. Factors that affect sizing can be the number of
instances and connections and hardware constraints.
slot
In VistaMart, the definition for data collected for a given Instance,

Indicator, display rate, and acquisition (polling) rate.
See also: xslot on page 259.
snmp
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is the protocol that

governs network management, and thereby allows the monitoring
of network devices and their functions. Each Network device is
covered by one SNMP agent.
solution
A suite of InfoVIsta products that assembles data and gives

meaningful analysis about a specific part of the infrastructure,
such as for a group of IT devices, servers, or applications.
ssl
Secure Sockets Layer. A commonly-used protocol for managing

the security of a message transmission on the Internet.
ssl certificate
A digital certificate that establishes your credentials when sending

transactions over the network. It is issued by a certification
authority (CA). It contains your name, a serial number, expiration
dates, a copy of the certificate holder's public key (used for
encrypting messages and digital signatures), and the digital
signature of the certificate-issuing authority so that a recipient can
verify that the certificate is real.
threshold
provide the system with a comparative value against which the

system automatically checks if the calculated values correspond to
an optimal range. If not, it generates a trap or an exception for the
user to act upon.
timestamp
The time at which data is calculated. It is a UTC value

(monotonously increasing). For timestamps representing periods,
we use the first date of the period:
> the 12h00 timestamp for hourly values correspond for the [12h00,13h00] period
> the 01/01/2006 00:00 (daily) is for the [01/01/2006 02/01/

2006] period. Note that an event will only be sent on the 02/01
around 02:00 (delay due to daily data processing).
Glossary of terms
257
Term
Definition
topology file
Topology is a schematic description of the arrangement of a

network, including its nodes and connecting lines. There are two
ways of defining network geometry: the physical topology and the
logical (or signal) topology. The physical topology of a network is
the actual geometric layout of workstations. Logical (or signal)
topology refers to the nature of the paths the signals follow from
node to node. In many instances, the logical topology is the same
as the physical topology, but not always. A topology file is a flat
file describing the devices in an IT infrastructure with basic
information pertaining to that device such as IP address,
manufacturer, etc.
trap
a mechanism in the software for handling unexpected or

unacceptable conditions such as a threshold violation - for
example, by sending an error message to a log or to a system
user; and depending on the type of application, it could specify a
remedial action.
tuning reports
Reports monitoring the performance of the InfoVista Server and

the traffic it sends or receives. The key performance Indicators for
the InfoVista Server concern the load on the server, as well as the
input and output traffic. They use source data generated internally
by the server so they can be run on any InfoVista Server without
installing specific MIBs.
tuning traps
Certain events can disrupt the proper functioning of the Collector.

The tuning traps allows the system to log these events in the
Collectors log file as well as send e-mail messages to alert
administrators through VistaCockpit. Circumstances that can
trigger a Collector event are large database size, high latency, or
high percentage of bad data values.
tuple
An ordered set of values. Common uses for the tuple as a data

type are (1) for passing a string of parameters from one program
to another, and (2) representing a set of value attributes in a
relational database.
VPN
Acronym for Virtual Private Network, which provides remote

offices or individual users with secure access to their
organization's network.
variable
A piece of data which is available on the monitored resource. It is

used by formulas to calculate base indicators. Variables are
created by the system when a MIB file is loaded.
Glossary of terms
258
Term
Definition
vista
The InfoVista model separates and categorizes all monitored IT

elements into functional categories or Vistas. A Vista is a
template that describes the types and characteristics of a class of
monitored resources. A Vista can describe either:
> a physical resource in the infrastructure, such as a server or a

router, or
> a logical resource such as a LAN or WAN (local or wide area

network)
A Vista comes with a set of properties. There are minimum
properties which all Vistas share. It can be either of a Basic kind or
Proxy kind.
vista (basic)
Known as the self-reliant Vista, the Basic Vista is a template for

physical IT elements that rely on their built-in capability to provide
their own source data.
EXAMPLE A router is built with the necessary capability (using
SNMP and MIB technology, see next chapter) to respond
directly to external data collection requests about its
overall status and performance. Therefore the Router
Vista is a Basic Vista.
vista (common)
Despite its name, there is nothing insignificant about this Vista.

This Vista contains the common denominator, or minimum
properties, that all other Vistas share. The Common Vista
includes properties such as location, customer names, and service
names.
vista (proxy)
By definition, proxy means substitute. The Proxy Vista is a

template for logical or other IT elements that cannot supply their
own source data.
Hence, a Proxy Vista is always contingent on a Basic Vista, but
not vice versa.
The mandatory property values for a Proxy Vista depend on the
types of resources monitored.
EXAMPLE
A logical IT element (such as a WAN interface)

cannot provide source data about itself. Therefore, it
needs help.
Since the WAN interface is located on the Router, it depends on

the Router to help it get its source data. Therefore, the Interface
Vista is a proxy Vista that relies on the basic Router Vista for
information.
vistafoundation
The VistaFoundation is an ensemble of InfoVista products working

in conjunction with each other to provide real-time reporting on IT
infrastructures such as administration, inventory and
consolidation, data collection, and presentation. Specifically, it
includes VistaMart, InfoVista Server, VistaCockpit, VistaDiscovery,
and VistaPortal.
Glossary of terms
259
Term
Definition
vistaview
see InfoVista library
voip
Voice over IP. Term used in IP telephony for a set of facilities for
managing the delivery of voice information using the Internet
Protocol (IP).
workflow
A series of tasks that are regularly scheduled for execution.
xindicator
This object represents the stored tuples for each sample of a given
Instance-Indicator pair. Each tuple consists of all the Parameter
values used in the calculation of the Indicator. It is a read-only
object created automatically by the system and used primarily for
troubleshooting purposes.
xslot
In InfoVista Server, the definition for the collection data for a given
Instance-Indicator-display and/or acquisition rate triplet.
When the display rate for an instance-indicator differs from the
acquisition (polling) rate, InfoVista Server creates an xslot to store
the polled data samples and another for the aggregated value for
those samples.
For example, if you have a display rate of 1 hour and an
acquisition rate of 5 minutes, InfoVista Server stores the polled
samples at 5 minutes in one xslot and the calculated result for the
display rate of 1 hour (12 data samples) in another xslot before it
pushes it to VistaMart.
It is a read-only object created automatically by the system and
used for troubleshooting purposes.
See also slot on page 256.
zone
A logical partition in the information system. Each Zone in the

infrastructure can contain a set of resources related by
technology, geography, customer, etc. Each Zone corresponds to
one topology file or one discovery phase which defines a specific
group of Instances. This makes it possible to configure the
discovery process differently according to the network zones.
zone set
Contains a group of zones. Typically, you create a zone set to

provide reporting for a specific environment.
Vista Watch
Vista Watch is an InfoVista application suite that actively monitors

complex multi-step Web transactions using synthetic simulations
(called scenarios). The Vista Watch Agent is a program that plays
the simulation (or scenario) at specified times. It is deployed on
the machines from which you want to collect source data.
response time
measures the average response time of an end-to-end element. It

is calculated as the average time it takes for a request to reach a
target and return.
Glossary of terms
260
Term
Definition
RMI
Remote Method Invocation. A protocol used in Java language and

development environment to write object-oriented programming in
which objects on different computers can interact in a distributed
network.
flow control
The process which guarantees that the overall data forwarding

(push) mechanism behaves correctly, and is robust enough to
handle network failures at all levels, including failures (either
crash or stop) of any constituents in the data forwarding chain.
recovery (VistaMart)
The process through which the VistaMart data forwarding (push)

recognizes that some data is missing (or that VistaMart did not
receive for some reason), and can make a request for the data
from the InfoVista Server.
rollup (VistaMart)
A rollup is a timestamp. There is one rollup for each display rate

and time zone. This is the greatest timestamp for which the
InfoVista Server has polled for all slots in this display rate and time
zone. The timestamp of the rollup is a UTC value (monotonously
increasing) in the reference time of the InfoVista Server emitting
this rollup.
Glossary of terms
261
Index
A
Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Add multi-valued Property Value . . . . . . . . 153
Add Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Remove multi-valued Property Value . . . . 153
Remove Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Reset Property Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Set Attribute Value. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Set Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Set Property Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Start Report(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Start Slot(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
add . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rule Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
add (+) operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Add Contain Property Value condition . . . . . . . 145
Add Contain Vista condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Add Documentation condition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Add Equal condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Add Match condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Add multi-valued Property Value action . . . . . . 153
Add Numerical condition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Add Test on Capabilities condition . . . . . . . . . . 143
Add Test on Vendor condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Add Vista action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
C
cascade query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
launch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
add. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Add Contain Property Value . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Add Contain Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Add Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Add Equal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Add Match . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Add Numerical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Add Test on Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Add Test on Vendor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
create . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Global Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Instance manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Links manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
new objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Proxy manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Rule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Slot manually. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
VistaMart Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
customize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
InfoVista Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
D
data collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
alias. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
port number. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
declare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
new InfoVista server group . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
InfoVista Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Instance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Link manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Proxy manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Report manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Rule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Slot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
VistaMart objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
disable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Report data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Slot data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
divide (/) operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
E
enable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Index
262
G
Global Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
create. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
I
Importing a library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125, 127
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
create. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
data type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
display type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
InfoVista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
display report data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
display Slot data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Library, delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
InfoVista Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
define. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
defining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
visualize. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
InfoVista Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
group, declare new . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
load balancing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
manage loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
populate with Instances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
redistribute Instances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
synchronize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Instance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
manually create . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
manually delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
populate InfoVista Servers with . . . . . . . . . . 75
redistribute on IV server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
remove from Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
unstable, description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
instance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
provisioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
inventory, consolidation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
isnull() operator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
IVReport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
display report data in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
set path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
L
Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Link. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
manually create. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
manually delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
ln() operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
balancing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
log() operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
lstrend() operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
lstrendt() operator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
M
mathematical operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215,
Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
customize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
InfoVista define . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
modify . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
VistaMart Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modifying VistaMart Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
modulo (%) operator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Multi-value Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
217
...
115
111
114
...
119
136
118
118
170
215
122
N
New object wizards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
now() operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
O
object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
create new. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
modify . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wizards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
offset() operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
add(+ ). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
divide (/) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
...
115
119
119
115
225
...
215
216
Index
263
isnull() . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
ln() . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
log() . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
lstrend() . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
lstrendt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
modulo (%) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
now() . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
offset() . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
percentile(). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
percentilex(). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
power (^) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
random . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
sabaselineday() . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
stddev() . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
substract (-) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
timetothresholddown() . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
timetothresholddownex() . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
timetothresholdup() . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
timetothresholdupex() . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
variance()on() . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
ownership of objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
P
percentile() operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
percentilex() operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
port number, database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
power (^) operator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
priority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
values in database. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
create. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
multi-value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
single-value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Provisioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
provisioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
follow-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Proxy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
manually create . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
manually delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
proxy move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 36
Q
query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
cascade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
R
random operator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
redistribute Instances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Regular Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Remove multi-valued Property Value action . . 153
Remove Vista action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
display data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
manually create. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
manually delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
running . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
timezone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Report Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
create Report based on. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Reset Property Value action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
add a Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
create . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
disable and enable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
modify . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
standard example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
running . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
S
sabaselineday() operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
InfoVista Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Server loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
manage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Set Attribute Value action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Set Location action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Set Property Value action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
SID (Oracle ID), set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Single-value Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Slot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
display data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
manually create. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
manually delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
suspended. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
timezone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Index
264
IVReport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Start Report(s) action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Start Slot(s) action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
stddev() operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
substract (-) operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
suspended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Slot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
synchronize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
InfoVista Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
delete in VistaMart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
remove Instances from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Zoneset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
delete in VistaMart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
T
timetothresholddown() operator . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
timetothresholddownex() operator . . . . . . . . . . 228
timetothresholdup() operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
timetothresholdupex() operator. . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Timezone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Slot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
U
unstable Instance, description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
V
variance()on() operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
create. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
VistaMart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
connect to database (command line) . . . . . 24
Library, create . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Library, delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Library, export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Library, modify . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
VistaView . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
import. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Visualizing the InfoVista Model. . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
W
wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
create new objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
X,Y,Z
Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
and InfoVista server groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Index
Remarks
2007
We welcome any comments you have on our product and its documentation. We examine
thoroughly your remarks and take them into account whenever possible for future product versions.
ERRORS DETECTED
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InfoVista SA
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If you prefer, you may send your remarks via E-mail to newsdoc@infovista.com
Thank you for your cooperation.

VistaMart User Guide

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VistaMart User Guide

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VistaMart 4.

Part Number: 40_300_000_40

VistaMart 4.0 User Guide

Getting started with VistaMart

VistaMart 4.0 User Guide

Managing InfoVista Servers

Understanding the Vistamart Forwarding Service

VistaMart 4.0 User Guide

Aggregating and calculating data

Customizing the InfoVista model for your reporting solution

VistaMart 4.0 User Guide

Working with Modules and Rules

Handling events in VistaMart

VistaMart 4.0 User Guide

10 Writing formulas using the formula editor

Rule user cases

XML Topology files examples

VistaMart 4.0 User Guide

1 Getting started with VistaMart

"VistaMart in a nutshell" on page 9

How does VistaMart work?

Once it receives the data, VistaMarts computation service performs aggregation

VistaMart is based on a classic n-tier architecture as illustrated in the diagram below.

User Guide - Chapter 1

The reporting layer comprises VistaPortal, which is the presentation component

Getting started with VistaMart

VistaMarts role within the VistaFoundation

ADMINISTRATION (1) VistaCockpit provides a centralized view of the distributed

User Guide - Chapter 1

Getting started with VistaMart

Coming from earlier VistaMart versions

Coming from earlier VistaMart versions

Introducing the VistaMart Application Services

PROVISIONING The provisioning service oversees VistaMarts inventory which

topology information gathered from resources on the network

the type of measurements (Indicators) to compute. These measurements use

DATA FORWARDING VistaMarts forwarding service is in charge of commuting data from

User Guide - Chapter 1

Getting started with VistaMart

Coming from earlier VistaMart versions

Whats new between version 2.2 SP2 and 4.0

EVENT MANAGEMENT From a reporting solutions point of view, an event signals an

CSV WIZARD VistaMart accepts custom topology files in CSV format.

User Guide - Chapter 1

Getting started with VistaMart

Start the Inventory Manager

3 Enter the user name and password and click OK.

Getting acquainted with the Inventory Manager

Manage topologies to provision your inventory according to your reporting needs.

Manage Libraries. VistaViews (or Libraries) get added or updated automatically to

User Guide - Chapter 1

Getting started with VistaMart

The Inventory Manager is set up as follows:

The tree pane: an arborescence listing VistaMart objects, configuration and

Property or information pane: detailed information about a selected item in the

BROWSER VIEW The view allows you to:

Browse through InfoVista topology objects (Reports, Instances, Slots etc.).

Search for specific Instances

Modify, delete, and manipulate all topology objects

User Guide - Chapter 1

Getting started with VistaMart

Configuring VistaMart for your VistaInsight solution

Configuring VistaMart for your VistaInsight

Define your reporting solution: