Creating Filters and Reports

FormerMember

Is there any documentation available that someone can read that explains the differences between adding a 'new elementary condition'  or ' add a new advanced elementary condition'  or 'add a new complex condition'?  What I am struggeling with is does each choice make a different boolean opearation such 'and'  'or'  'true'  'false'  ect.....  and when is it appropiate to use one versus the other.

pacetti

This can certainly be a confusing interface, but we are providing a more detailed description of its function in the next version of the Orion documentation. The following section is from the Orion Admin Guide, and I've provided some further explanation that, hopefully, clarifies the process.

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Filter Results Options
The Filter Results tab allows you to generate filter conditions for field data by selecting appropriate descriptors from the linked context menus. Results filters are configured as follows.

To configure results filters:

1. Click the ellipsis and select from the following options:
   • Select Add a new elementary condition to generate a condition that is based on a direct comparison of network object data fields.

An elementary condition is merely a comparison of a designated network object characteristic to a specific value, as in, "Records where Memory Used is greater than X?" where you provide X in the condition statement. This condition would essentially collect all network objects that were using an amount of memory greater than the specified value X.

• Select Add a new advanced elementary condition to generate a condition based on a comparison of device data fields and values.

An advanced elementary condition extends the function of the elementary condition by allowing you to also compare network object characteristics directly, as in, "Records where field Memory Used is greater than field Memory Available." This condition would return all network objects that were using more memory than they had available (i.e. they are using more than half their total memory).  

• Select Add a new complex condition to define a condition that filters other defined conditions.

This is where you can apply boolean operations most effectively, by establishing comparisons between conditions, where all == AND, any == OR, none == NOT, and not all ==  NAND. If you want to create a filter that "ANDs" a couple of conditions, you would select all for the complex condition, and then follow the complex condition with elementary or advanced elementary conditions that best express the conditions you want to "AND" together to create your report.

For example, if you wanted to return all nodes that were either (1) experiencing a maximum response time greater than 1ms or (2) using more than half the total memory, your conditions would read as follows:

Select records where any of the following apply

  Records where Maximum Response Time is greater than 1

  Records where field Memory Used is greater than or equal to field Memory Available