Parameter types

PATROL knowledge modules use the following types of parameters:

• Collector parameters – These parameters execute commands at regular intervals (poll times) to gather data and send it to the consumer parameters. Collector parameters do not display the values that they collect, nor do they generate alarms or recovery actions.
• Standard parameters – These parameters collect a single value of data as numeric or text and displays that value. Often, standard parameters have collector properties, which means that they execute commands and gather the data that consumer parameters display.
• Consumer parameters – These parameters display a value that was collected by a collector parameter (or a standard parameter with collector properties), and generate alarms or warnings and recovery actions if those values exceed predefined thresholds. Consumer parameters do not issue commands.

The use of standard parameters with collector properties (standard collectors) and consumer parameters enables BMC PATROL to set an almost unlimited number of parameters with one data retrieval query to the server. This design creates an extremely efficient and flexible data retrieval system.

These standard collectors are represented by an icon that contains a check mark and an X. The check mark is green when the standard collector parameter is in an okay state. The X turns red when the standard collector parameter goes into an alarm state. These standard collector parameters go into an alarm state if a scheduled collection fails. Double-clicking on a standard collector icon opens a graph or timetable that displays a mark for each collection that the standard collector parameter completed. Standard collector parameters do not display the data that they collect, but display only information about their collections. For detailed information about alarm states and icons, see the PATROL user guide for your console.

The data collected by the standard collector parameters is distributed to related consumer parameters. Disabling a standard collector parameter also disables the consumer parameters that it sets.