Setting metric threshold values

You can set threshold values that are used for some metric scores.

Acceptable threshold values depend on your operating environment. When a threshold is crossed, the state of the metric score changes.

For example, you determine that the maximum acceptable queue length is 50 items. You select Low values are good. You set the upper value to 50 and the lower value to 40. If the queue remains below 40 items in length, the metric score is green (good). If the queue length goes above 40 items, the metric score is yellow (average). If the queue length goes above 50 items, the metric score is red (poor).

Or for percentage of successful requests, you select High values are good. You set the upper value to 98 and the lower value to 95. If the percentage of successful requests goes below 95 percent, the metric score is red (poor). If the percentage of successful requests is between 95 and 98 percent, the metric score is yellow (average). If the percentage of successful requests remains above 98, the metric score is green (good).

Changes to thresholds are effective immediately.

There are no threshold defaults. You must set thresholds for metric scores to display.

If you want to be notified when thresholds are exceeded, you can create an agent Agents. Sample agents that monitor the audit database for threshold violations and perform common actions when violations are detected are included in the audit samples package.

Before you begin

Log entries Setting up Logging occur in the following circumstances:

  • when metric thresholds are violated
  • when enumerated metrics, such as operational status, change

Logs are not generated when metric values change but remain in the same range.

Procedure

  1. Start IBM Cognos Connection.
  2. In the upper-right corner, click Launch, IBM Cognos Administration.
  3. In IBM Cognos Administration, on the Status tab, click System.
  4. In the Scorecard pane, from the change view menu of the current view, click the view that you want.
    Tip: The current view is one of All servers, All server groups, All dispatchers, or Services.
  5. To change the threshold for a metric, in the Metrics pane, click the Edit thresholds button Edit thresholds icon for the metric.
  6. Click the performance pattern that you want: High values are good, Middle values are good, or Low values are good.
  7. To specify a threshold value, click in the threshold box and enter the threshold number you want.
  8. Click the arrow for the threshold value to specify which range the value itself falls into.

    For example, if your maximum value is 50 and you want values of 50 to fall into the average category rather than the poor category, click the arrow to move the threshold value into the average category.

  9. Click OK.