Adding a template-based Optimizer rule

You can create an Optimizer rule based on a predefined template or create a customized rule from the Rules page in the Administration tab. The templates have preconfigured conditions based on the specific environment that they are defined for. For example, the AWS - Virtual Machines template includes a condition to generate recommendations for EC2 instances (or virtual machines) that are idle in your AWS environment. 

Out-of-the-box Optimizer rules are based on predefined templates. You can modify these rules or define new ones by using the templates. For more information about Optimizer rules, see Configuring and managing Optimizer rules.

This topic explains the procedure to add a rule based on a template. For instructions to add a customized rule, see Adding a custom Optimizer rule.  

To add a rule based on a template

1. In the Helix Capacity Optimization Console, click Administration > OPTIMIZER > Rules.
2. In the Optimizer rules page, click Add new rule.

3. In the New rule page, enter values and make appropriate selections for the following properties:

   Advanced properties are marked with . To switch (toggle) to Advanced mode, click Advanced on the page

   Property	Description
   General
   Name and description	Specify a name and optional description for the rule.
   Generation schedule	Select an Optimizer task that defines the schedule of the Optimizer rule. All the configured Optimizer rules are available for selection. For example: Optimizer - daily, Optimizer - weekly.
   Rule type	Select based on template.
   Template group and Template	Depending on the environment for which you want to add a rule, select one of the following template groups and the appropriate template. AIX Virtualization: AIX Virtualization - LPAR File System Used: Generates saturation alerts for LPAR file system forecasted usage AIX Virtualization - LPAR Saturation: Generates saturation alerts for AIX LPAR CPU and memory forecasted usage Cloud: AWS - Virtual Machines: Generates alerts and recommendations for AWS virtual machines. Azure - Virtual Machines: Generates alerts and recommendations for Azure virtual machines. GCP - Virtual Machines: Generates alerts and recommendations for GCP virtual machines. Hyper-V Virtualization: Hyper-V Virtualization - Virtual Machines: Generates alerts and recommendations for Hyper-V virtual machines. Kubernetes Recommendation: Kubernetes Clusters: Generates alerts and recommendations for Kubernetes clusters. Kubernetes Containers: Generates alerts and recommendations for Kubernetes containers. Kubernetes Namespaces: Generates alerts and recommendations for Kubernetes namespaces. Kubernetes Nodes: Generates alerts and recommendations for Kubernetes nodes. System: Generic - Future Saturation: Generates future saturation alerts for systems VMware Virtualization: vSphere Virtualization – Clusters: Generates alerts and recommendations for VMware Clusters vSphere Virtualization – Datastore Clusters: Generates alerts and recommendations for VMware Datastore Clusters vSphere Virtualization – Datastores: Generates alerts and recommendations for VMware Datastores vSphere Virtualization – Hosts: Generates alerts and recommendations for VMware Hosts vSphere Virtualization – Virtual Machines: Generates alerts and recommendations for VMware Virtual Machines
   Template description	Describes the selected template. The description changes as per the selection in Template.
   Conditions	Displays the conditions that are associated or supported with the selected template. You can choose to define a rule with one or all the conditions by selecting or clearing the check box for that condition. For example, you can define a rule with template AWS - Virtual Machines to generate recommendations for Idle VMs only, and not for VMs with overallocated resources. The configurable parameters of the conditions contain the default values. You can modify these default values and redefine the rule. Recommendations are generated based on these conditions. AIX Virtualization: Risk: Future Saturation: Generate a: Critical alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Critical Days to Saturation) or  Warning alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Warning Days to Saturation) Cloud: AWS - Virtual Machines: Idle VMs: Generate a recommendation if the VM is idle for more than the specified percentage of time during the last 90 days. Mark as medium efficiency if estimated monthly cost savings are over the specified value Mark as high efficiency if estimated monthly cost savings are over the specified value VMs with overallocated resources: Generate a recommendation if value of: Spare CPU (cores) is greater than the specified value Spare memory (GB) is greater than the specified value Spare storage (GB) is greater than the specified value Mark as medium efficiency if estimated monthly cost savings are over the specified value Mark as high efficiency if estimated monthly cost savings are over the specified value Azure - Virtual Machines:  Idle VMs: Generate a recommendation if the VM is idle for more than the specified percentage of time during the last 90 days. Mark as medium efficiency if estimated monthly cost savings are over the specified value Mark as high efficiency if estimated monthly cost savings are over the specified value VMs with overallocated resources: Generate a recommendation if value of: Spare CPU (cores) is greater than the specified value Spare memory (GB) is greater than the specified value Spare storage (GB) is greater than the specified value Mark as medium efficiency if estimated monthly cost savings are over the specified value Mark as high efficiency if estimated monthly cost savings are over the specified value GCP - Virtual Machines:  Idle VMs: Generate a recommendation if the VM is idle for more than the specified percentage of time during the last 90 days. Mark as medium efficiency if estimated monthly cost savings are over the specified value Mark as high efficiency if estimated monthly cost savings are over the specified value Power On/Off: Generate a recommendation if the VM is idle in a pattern in last 90 days Hyper-V Virtualization: Hyper-V Virtualization - Virtual Machines:  Idle VMs: Generate a recommendation if the VM is idle for more than the specified percentage of time during the last 90 days VMs with overallocated resources: Generate a recommendation if value of: Spare CPU (cores) is greater than the specified value Spare memory (GB) is greater than the specified value Spare storage (GB) is greater than the specified value Kubernetes Recommendation: Kubernetes Clusters:  Risk: Future Saturation: Generate a: Critical alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Critical Days to Saturation) or  Warning alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Warning Days to Saturation) Risk: Oversubscription: Generate an alert if value of CPU oversubscription or memory oversubscription is greater than CPU oversubscription good threshold or Memory oversubscription good threshold values. Kubernetes Containers:  Risk: Overallocated Containers: Generate a recommendation if the request for the container resource is more than demand + (1 * headroom %) OR the limit for the container resource is more than demand + (1 * headroom %). Risk: Future Saturation Containers: Generate a: Critical alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Critical Days to Saturation) or Warning alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Warning Days to Saturation) Kubernetes Namespaces:  Risk: Future Saturation: Generate a: Critical alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Critical Days to Saturation) or Warning alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Warning Days to Saturation) Kubernetes Nodes:  Risk: Future Saturation: Generate a: Critical alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Critical Days to Saturation) or Warning alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Warning Days to Saturation) System: Generic - Future Saturation: Risk: Future Saturation: Generate a: Critical alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Critical Days to Saturation) or  Warning alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Warning Days to Saturation) VMware Virtualization: vSphere Virtualization – Clusters:  Risk: Future Saturation: Generate a: Critical alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Critical Days to Saturation), or Warning alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Warning Days to Saturation) Efficiency: Cluster Under-Subscription: Generate alert if value for: CPU density is less than or equal to the value that you set for MIN (CPU density) Memory over-commitment is less than or equal to the value that you set for MIN (Memory over-commitment) Storage over-provisioning is less than or equal to the value that you set for MIN (Storage over-provisioning) Risk: Cluster Over-Subscription: Generate alert if value for CPU density is greater than or equal to the value that you set for MAX (CPU density) Memory over-commitment is greater than or equal to the value that you set for MAX (Memory over-commitment) Storage over-provisioning is greater than or equal to the value that you set for MAX (Storage over-provisioning) Efficiency: Idle VMs: Generate an efficiency alert if storage can be reclaimed by removing idle VMs. Mark as medium efficiency if storage that can be reclaimed is at the set threshold (GB). Mark as high efficiency if storage that can be reclaimed is over the set threshold (GB).  Mark as medium efficiency if storage that can be reclaimed is at the set threshold (GB). Mark as high efficiency if storage that can be reclaimed is over the set threshold (GB). Efficiency: Old Snapshots: Generate an efficiency alert if storage can be reclaimed by removing old snapshots of VMs. Mark as medium efficiency if storage that can be reclaimed is at the set threshold (GB). Mark as high efficiency if storage that can be reclaimed is over the set threshold (GB). vSphere Virtualization – Datastore Clusters: Risk: Future Saturation:  Critical alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Critical Days to Saturation) or  Warning alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Warning Days to Saturation) vSphere Virtualization – Datastores: Risk: Future Saturation:  Critical alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Critical Days to Saturation) or  Warning alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Warning Days to Saturation) vSphere Virtualization – Hosts: Risk: Future Saturation: Generate one of the following alerts: Critical alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Critical Days to Saturation), or Warning alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Warning Days to Saturation) vSphere Virtualization – Virtual Machines:  Risk: Future Saturation: Generate one of the following alerts: Critical alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Critical Days to Saturation), or Warning alert: If the number of Days to Saturation is less than or equal to the value that you specify for MIN (Warning Days to Saturation) Idle VMs: Generate an efficiency alert if storage can be reclaimed by removing idle VMs. Mark as medium efficiency if storage that can be reclaimed is at the set threshold (GB). Mark as high efficiency if storage that can be reclaimed is over the set threshold (GB). Mark as medium efficiency if storage that can be reclaimed is at the set threshold (GB). Mark as high efficiency if storage that can be reclaimed is over the set threshold (GB). VMs with overallocated resources: Generate a recommendation if the amount of spare CPU cores is more than the specified value or the amount of spare memory is more than the specified value in GB or the amount of spare storage space is more than the specified value in GB. Old snapshots: Generate an efficiency alert if storage can be reclaimed by removing old snapshots of VMs. Mark as medium efficiency if storage that can be reclaimed is at the set threshold (GB). Mark as high efficiency if storage that can be reclaimed is over the set threshold (GB). For details about creating events for future saturation by using a custom-optimizer rule, see Adding a custom Optimizer rule.
   Filters
   Period type and Condition period	Specify the period for which the condition applies. Select one of the following values: Use time filter: Select a period from the predefined list. Manually specified: If none of the predefined periods meets your requirements, specify the period manually. You can select the resolution (hours, days, weeks, or months) and specify the number. You can also select whether you want to include the current hour/day/week/month in the period based on the resolution. Click Apply after selecting the check box.
   Entity selection method	Select the method to choose the entities to which the rule applies. You can select specific entities, those based on a filter, or entities in one or many domains and subdomains. Select one of the following methods: Entity filter: Select a filter from the Select entity filter list as defined in the Workspace. For more information, see Managing entity filters. All entities All entities of a domain: Select one or more domains from the Domain list. All entities of a domain and its subdomains: Select a domain or subdomain. Specified entities: Select specific systems or business drivers from the Specified systems or business drivers list.
   Specified system types	Add specified system types to the rule: Click Edit. Select a system type from the Available items list and click >> to add it to the Selected items list. Use Shift+click to select multiple system types at once. The list of system types is based on the selected template. Click Apply.
   Specified business driver types	Add specified business driver types to the rule: Click Edit. Select a business driver type from the Available items list and click >> to add it to the Selected items list. Use Shift+click to select multiple business driver types at once. Click Apply.
   Exclude systems or business drivers	Select specific entities (systems or business drivers) that you want to exclude from the rule definition.
   Actions
   Actions to perform	Specify the action to be taken when the rule generates an alert or a recommendation. Select one or all of the following actions: Send an alert mail: Type the email addresses for recipients of alert notifications, separated by a semicolon (;) in the Send an email to field. To send a copy of the email to the product administrators, in the Admin copy section, select Send to all Continuous Optimization Admins. You can configure the administrator email in Global configuration. To attach a specific report with the email that is sent out, in the Mail attachment section, select Attach a report and choose a report from the list. By default, Nothing is selected. You can define a report that can help to determine the cause of the alert or recommendation. This report can be attached to the alert email. Change the status of alerted systems/business drivers and domains based on Risk conditions: The status of the alerted entity changes (colored) based on the rule severity. If this option is not selected, the rule results are not reported on the Alert log page and the status of the alerted entities is not changed. Create Events for Future Saturation: This option is available only for future saturation recommendations. Events based on the rule definition are triggered and sent to BMC Helix Operations Management.  AIX Virtualization The AIX Virtualization template group enables you to select AIX Virtualization - LPAR File System Used or LPAR Saturation. Selecting one of these templates automatically updates the alert rule with the predefined filters, conditions, and actions associated with the templates available for that group. Kubernetes Recommendation The Kubernetes Recommendation template group enables you to select Kubernetes Clusters - Future Saturation, Kubernetes Containers - Future Saturation, Kubernetes Namespaces - Future Saturation, or Kubernetes Nodes - Future Saturation. Selecting one of these templates automatically updates the alert rule with the predefined filters, conditions, and actions associated with the templates available for that group. System The System template group enables you to select Generic -  Future Saturation condition. Selecting this template automatically updates the alert rule with the predefined filters, conditions, and actions associated with the template available for that group. VMware Virtualization The VMware Virtualization template group enables you to select Cluster Saturation, Datastore Cluster Saturation, Datastores Saturation, Host Saturation or Virtual Machine Saturation. Selecting one of these templates automatically updates the alert rule with the predefined filters, conditions, and actions associated with the template available for that group. All the LPAR Saturation, Kubernetes Clusters, Kubernetes Containers, Kubernetes Namespaces, Kubernetes Nodes, VMware Virtualization, Cluster Saturation, Datastores Saturation, Host Saturation, or Virtual Machine Saturation templates will use CPU and memory utilization. Here is a list of events from BMC Helix Continuous Optimization to BMC Helix Operations Management: AIX LPAR CPU and MEM forecasted saturation Kubernetes Cluster CPU and MEM forecasted saturation Kubernetes Container CPU and MEM forecasted saturation Kubernetes Namespace CPU and MEM forecasted saturation Kubernetes Node CPU and MEM forecasted saturation VMware Cluster CPU and MEM forecasted saturation VMware Host CPU and MEM forecasted saturation VMware VM CPU, MEM and Filesystem saturation Events for a cluster entity are sent to BMC Helix Operations Management, but they do not get associated with a cluster entity at BMC Helix Continuous Optimization. For information about the event details page, see Viewing event details.

4. Click Save.
   The rule is saved and enabled by default. The rule is listed in the Optimizer rules table. The rule is triggered to run based on the Optimizer task that is associated with the rule.

Related topics

Resolving capacity risk and efficiency issues by using recommendations

Indicators

Configuring and managing Optimizer rules